I believe that there are ways to engage every child in science. Some kids might think they don’t like science, but that’s just because they haven’t found the right science teacher yet. I never would have seen myself as someone who loves science but the more time I spend learning, the more I fall in love.
This beautiful sketch (I know, I’m quite the artist right?!) is one of my favourite memories from elementary school. We were making pictures of the solar system. I don’t remember what materials we were using (other than black paper) but we were given the instructions and then left to our task. We were allowed to go outside (!) and try to make this masterpiece of what we believed the solar system was like. I was so excited to work on a project and to be outside that it will forever be one of my most fond memories. 
That might be all it takes to engage some students. Let them work outside. Other students may take a little more encouragement but find what they are interested about and let them explore. I never really realized how much that activity impacted me until my first year of university. I was taking a introductory science course that covered many concepts in science. When we got to astronomy I fell in love with the solar system all over again. My professor was so enthusiastic. She went on and on about this upcoming solar eclipse (that was still 3 years away!) and I marked it in my calendar.
Three years later I took my kids to Nebraska and we got to witness a full solar eclipse. It was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve probably ever had in my life. By doing this, I’m hoping that my enthusiasm for science will be contagious and that my kids will find their own love of science as well. Whether that is in astronomy or a different form. I want them to be curious about the things around them and to be motivated enough to go searching for answers.
As a teacher, I want my students to be passionate. I want to exemplify the passion that they should bring to the classroom when it comes to discovering new things and wondering about the universe. With kindergarten students I will just let them observe. I will let them play and discover scientific concepts for themselves. As they progress from kindergarten to grade four, I will start asking more probing questions. I’ll get them to think critically about the world around them. I will push them to further their skills a little more each year through their elementary career.
The main focus will be to engage them. There is always an interesting way to cover topics. Sometimes it takes more creativity and effort on the teachers part but I want the children in my class to go away with a deeper desire to continue to acquire knowledge. Not just acquire knowledge for the sake of its, but to want to wonder about things and to discover. I want them to learn how to seek out answers when they have questions. I want them to be able to think for themselves and problem solve when they’re unsure of something.
I don’t know my entire philosophy yet, but I do know that I want my students to be engaged and excited to learn.
~Ms. Berg
Growing Scientific Minds 