Science is a VERB

I have been a science teacher since 2002.  I started teaching in Meeker, CO at Barone Middle School, where I taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade sciences.  Next I taught at Monticello High School where I taught Chemistry, Biology, Earth, 8th and 7th grade sciences.  Currently, I teach Earth Science at San Juan High School in Blanding, UT.  My entire career has been in rural public schools.  The huge perk to living in the middle of nowhere is the beautiful country that surrounds us.  I love spending time outdoors with my family.  I love small towns and the people in our communities.  I truly enjoy students and I have a passion for teaching science.  I am certainly one of the fortunate people that love their jobs.  Below is a link to my current science class. 

Science and Engineering Education (SEEd) are the new science standards for the state of Utah.  Over the last year I have been working to help teachers in the San Juan School District get resources and collaborate in order to understand and effectively teach these new science standards.  Through the process I have grown to love the Next Generation Science Standards.  Science teaching needs to focus more on how to foster scientific thinking rather than fact memorization.  Students need to DO science and be active learners.  The new standards embrace this way of thinking.  Below is a link to the website I created to help Utah teachers get resources for teaching SEEd standards. 

A current project of mine is to highlight community jobs while teaching Earth Science to high school students.  I believe students need to be exposed more to professions in their communities to really know what options they have in future careers.  This year I will be creating a video page that will highlight jobs in San Juan and Grand Counties letting students know jobs and schooling needed for various positions in our communities.  Place-based education is very important and this initiative will help tie students to the land and community.  Fostering good stewardship and resource management is critical in our rural setting.  I want to make an impact in students lives and mentor them into professions that can sustain families and communities.

Utah Science Curriculum Consortium (USCC) is an initiative to create an open resource for teachers in the state of Utah that are aligned to the state standards and the Next Generation Science Standards.  This amazing project is in the process of creating lesson plans, resources, and assessments that can be used and rated by teachers in the state.  This will enable the resource to continually improve and adjust to become even better throughout the years based on teacher feedback.  I am happy to be apart of this effort and hope teachers use it to their advantage.   

Below is a link to my Earth Science class.  I will be using it to provide information to parent and students about our Earth Science class throughout the year.  This site will also link students to canvas, google classroom, and UTIPS.