From Classroom to Career: Helping Students See the Future in STEM
In my chemistry classroom in rural Pennsylvania, I always think first about the goals I want to meet to allow my students to achieve their best personal and academic outcomes. First, I want them to see the possibilities that exist for them in a STEM career. And second I want them to be more informed citizens in terms of their scientific knowledge and understanding.
To make sure I can meet the needs of every student, I use a simple rubric called NEIR (Normalize, Empower, Include, and Relevant) to think about the students and my instruction to ensure I can reach every student in achieving my goals. One of the ways that I do this is to become as knowledgeable as possible of the career options that could be obtained with a two- or four-year degree or certificate related to biology, chemistry, exercise science, athletic training, health care, etc. I do this by talking with people whenever I am out in the world and ask lots of questions. I am curious, and I am a model for my students of that curiosity.
I then bring the stories back to the students for mini-lessons that build our knowledge and understanding about science career opportunities and also the relevance of science in their world! They then discuss their stories related to what I found! I love standing back and watching them get excited, ask questions of me and each other, and discuss options to gather more information. The learning in the mini-sessions feels normal (not formalized), empowers them to engage with each other, and participate in their own learning, and is connected to the relevant areas of their community. They are part of a shared community in my classroom.
Learning is once again fun.
One example of curiosity in action was recently when my daughter tore her ACL! She is participating in a study with the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. I talk with all of the people with whom we come in contact. I ask what they studied in school and how they got their job. I learned that many of their positions I would not have connected to their degrees. For example, one of the researchers (who recruited my daughter and facilitates her activities and data collection) has a degree in athletic training. Another example is a saleswoman who sells the kits to the surgeons for all orthopedic surgeries. She has a degree in exercise science.
The point is that students may not want to be a doctor, dentist, or nurse in a hospital or any ‘conventional role’. They may not understand all the options available in STEM careers. Studying science can help them visualize themselves in lots of roles, even those not thought of yet! I encourage my students to think beyond their current imaginations to the stars, and that’s science too!