Jeff Sandrock

February 2016

Thoughts on Teaching Standard #4: Central Concepts and Content Knowledge

The sage on the stage approach to teaching, that is, where the teacher as the all-knowing and
benevolent dictator through which knowledge flows to students, has been thoroughly panned by cognitive
theorists and a new generation of educators. Yet, the notion that the teacher has truly mastered the chosen
content area is as essential now as it was decades ago. Teachers have tremendous power over a students
learning experience, potentially instilling a lifelong love of learning, or inciting resentment toward academia.
The teachers delivery is criticalthat is certainly truebut genuine credibility rests on what the teacher knows
and researches, not what he or she can fabricate in the moment, in order to appear knowledgeable.
My Growth and Experience
I have always been a fan of the notion that the way something comes out of your mouth is just as
important as what you say. Yet, placing that shoe on the other foot, a teachers grasp of facts and scientific
relationships speaks to a commitment as a lifelong learner. Humility and knowledge go hand in handI was
not given top marks in the content knowledge of my student teacher evaluations, though they were well within
acceptable ranges. Entering the program, I was proud of my Praxis II (Earth Science Content Knowledge) score
of 181, which handily clears the USOE minimum score of 153. Yet I am aware enough to know these are not
laurels to be rested on! The score looks good on paper, but when a student asks me, what happens to a white
dwarf star as it nears the end of its main sequence life span?, I cannot answer 181, so there.
I have faced my basic understanding of the details under astronomy, meteorology, geology, hydrology,
and the biosphere. I reminded myself I am a lifelong learner and have continued to read new books on these
subjects. When that student asked about the white dwarf, I had to honestly say, I dont know, but let me find
out for you. When I returned and answered back that the theoretical black dwarfs do not exist yet because
the universe is too young for any white dwarf to exhaust all its fuel, even I was blown away at the answer I
researched. Owning up to not knowing, followed by my quick research and the answer, made my students
respect and trust me a little bit more that day. My reputation as a lifelong learner was intact.

Tools of inquiry and structures in which Earth Science thrives are, thankfully, well spelled out. From a
historical perspective, women and men of all cultures have made great impacts on studies of the Earth, sky, and
stars, and should be revered for their courage in the face of institutionalized dogma, racism, and gender bias.
Through an exploratory lens, science has the scientific method, a sound and responsible approach to bettering
the world and humanity. Understanding a third perspective, that the frontiers of knowledge are ever-changing
as new, exciting discoveries are made allows for a systematic exchange of ideas on a global scale.
Each of these three approaches (history of discovery, the scientific method, and the ever-changing realm
of collaboration) is a perfectly valid avenue to learning Earth Science concepts. The dynamite solution is in
combining all three. As an example, my pre-practicum lessons on astronomy involved Pickerings calculators
(the women at Harvards Astronomical Society) setting the spectral-lines foundation for understanding stars
across the observable universe. The lesson also involved formal establishment of scientific approaches, of
hypothesis and testing, and the well-researched, proven nature of a scientific theory. Further, as a class we
analyzed the collaboration that went into developing the H-R Diagram, which charts the stars according to
their mass, composition, and characteristics, much as the periodic table does with basic elements.
Finally, scientific inquiry requires action on the part of the students. A students willingness to learn, or
be spoon-fed science, is inadequate when we consider the very purpose of science. The beating heart of science
is inquiry. Each class units pre-assessment includes a blank space in which I prompt students to ask their
questions about the subject we are about to begin. Then, typed and cut into strips to preserve anonymity, each
question is drawn out randomly and read aloud to the class, then answered. Through two units of study and
hundreds of questions posed and answered, I have seen no questions that lacked insightfulness or genuine
curiosity about the worlds (and universes) properties and processes. Inquiry just works.
Ultimately, knowing is half the battle. Researching and continuing to learnthat leads to success on a
grand, lifelong scale. I, as a teacher, try to emulate that because it is exactly the type of benevolent Jedi mind
trick I want to use, by example as well as influence, to inspire all my students to become lifelong learners.