Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum

You spent your sabbatical teaching 4th graders science?

You spent your sabbatical teaching 4th graders science? I was asked that question many times during my sabbatical this past year and my answer was a resounding YES! And it was a wonderful experience. I gained a great deal of current insights into the business of schooling at the elementary levels, more about that later; but more importantly my students, co-teachers and I enjoyed a rich symbiosis. Symbiosis…I was a biology teacher in the early part of my career as an educator. In fact, prior to joining the university ranks, I taught high school students (biology) and middle school students (general science) for eight years. And the 24 years of college teaching after that have been primarily devoted to preparing preservice teachers for elementary school or for secondary school science. And then I had an opportunity to teach in an elementary school. So back to the original question, you spent a sabbatical teaching 4^th graders science?

It’s not the question but how it’s asked; and perhaps I’m asked that question with skepticism because many people equate sabbatical leave with vacation. At my institution a sabbatical is granted by the administration to faculty who have proposed task(s) deemed meritorious or significant. And what’s more important than teaching? So, since I’d taught at the middle school, high school and college levels, I had a proposal for a sabbatical. I wanted to experience, and learn about, elementary school teaching. This would be an important experience for me because a significant part of our science education program at my university is devoted to preparing elementary school teachers to teach inquiry science.

So, I taught--and learned a great deal about--4^th grade in one of the community’s 15 public elementary schools. My original plan was to partner with one particular teacher but within the first week of school, I became part of the other two 4^th grade classes. My class count quickly grew from 21 to 63 students! And my fourth graders were phenomenal. They were enthusiastic, smart, creative, and enjoyed learning. And they loved science. That is, they loved the inquiry activities, or learning cycles, that constituted science at this elementary school and throughout the school district.

My students learned about the science concepts named life cycles of insects, rocks and minerals, and factors that affect plant growth. I prepared and taught the life science learning cycles and the 4^th grade teachers assisted me; and they taught the physical science learning cycles while I assisted them. Consequently, I brought to the symbiosis a strong background in 1) the natural sciences, 2) science education and 3) learning theory. The reciprocal of the symbiosis was that I learned powerfully important information from my students and co-teachers. This knowledge will have direct applications in my elementary school science methods classes.

For example, elementary school teachers have a monumental task with their academic responsibilities. It’s one thing knowing that elementary school teachers are responsible for teaching all subjects and it’s quite another experiencing directly, day-to-day what that really means. The enormity of this academic responsibility has little to do with the demands of "knowing" all of the subjects and has everything to do with coordinating, balancing and delivering all of the "subjects". Now add to that the social and interpersonal responsibilities that elementary school teachers have with their young students! Knowing about what teachers do is significantly less than experiencing what teachers do.

Being around elementary school children on a regular basis results in countless anecdotes. Here are a couple. Students in one of the teachers’ classes set up a desk for me in their classroom. On it they placed a hand-made nametag which read, "Professor Marek". One student offered to get any desk supplies that I needed. He said, "Here is paper for you and a basket for your papers. If you need pencils or paper clips let me know." Of course I was honored and also made to feel like a part of the class and school. In another classroom and after we’d completed science for the day, the teacher and students wanted to give me a "celebration". Celebrations are a collection of cheers that everyone at this elementary school knows and they use various celebrations as special acknowledgements for students and teachers. This class chose to give me the congratulatory "Mr. America" celebration. Afterwards one student raised her hand and asked the teacher if she could demonstrate a new celebration that she had invented. While standing, she placed her index finger to her chin and said thoughtfully, "how interesting"! Teacher and students alike loved this imitation of me so it became a new celebration. They decided to name it, "The Professor". I was flattered to be acknowledged with this new and special celebration.

During a typical semester (when I’m not on sabbatical), I spend a great deal of time on a regular basis in the area schools. For example, I take my university students to classrooms of exemplary teachers as part of the science methods classes. Also, when I supervise student teachers, I visit their schools many times during the semester. Other school-visiting examples are when I make "house calls" to the schools to advise my graduate students who are science teachers; or when I’m gathering research data, I do so in the area schools. These are useful avenues for me to keep connected to the schools but for a teacher education professor, there’s nothing like being in school on a regular basis and as a teacher, in my case "the professor" as my 4^th graders chose to call me. During my sabbatical, I’d become part of an elementary school faculty!

And finally, notice the wording of the title of this essay. I don’t say, "I taught science or I taught biology", I say, "I taught 4^th graders or I taught high school students biology." Being a teacher is about the students not the subject matter. The subject matter is the vehicle, developing students is the purpose.

Postscript: My colleagues, the elementary school teachers, are exemplary professionals! I began to realize this the first day I arrived at school. My appreciation for, and understandings of, these teachers’ jobs expanded exponentially as I observed them teaching and as I co-taught with them. Special acknowledgements, accolades and a heart felt thank you to: Dorothy Wilson, Marguerite Sibiski and Jackie Engleman who are the 4^th grade teachers at Monroe Elementary School in Norman, OK.