Michelle Loomis

EDU 374

Autobiography

I have always enjoyed science, as a subject in school. I believe the reason I have enjoyed science so much is because it is so different from the other subjects. The material allows for a lot of hands-on experiments that have helped me learn many difficult topics. I cannot say that science is my favorite subject; however, it is definitely not my least favorite. I know how important of a subject it is. I also have learned how many interesting things you can do to teach a science lesson. Over the years I have had great experiences with different science topics. Many great teachers are to thank for all the science education I have received.

The first experience I remember of learning science was through pamphlets that came to my house about animals. I believe one came every month and my brother and I collected them all. I remember learning about a lot of different animals, and looked forward to a new one every month. I actually still have them all in a book today. The next experience I remember in science was in third grade. We had a science fair in which we each had to come up with an individual project to share. I remember doing a project on tornados. I explained how they formed, what damage they do, and how to create one with two pop bottles and water. In fourth grade we learned about crawfish. I remember being very excited to take mine home at the end. However, it ended up dying and my teacher tried to cover it up by giving me a new one. That taught me an important lesson, as a future teacher. I believe death should be explained before giving a child an animal.

Throughout middle school we did many projects. However, what I remember about middle school was not the exact projects. I remember being put in advanced biology in eighth grade. I remember my mom wanted me to get into it so I would have more time to take other classes in high school. After the first week, I decided I was not ready for that class and went back into regular eighth grade science. I believe that was a smart decision because I absolutely loved my high school biology teacher, and learned a great deal from her. My favorite science subject in high school was chemistry. I found it weird that I was so good at it, because all of my friends absolutely hated it. For some reason, I loved it. I thought the labs were so interesting, and my teacher explained every topic so thoroughly that it made learning easier. Earth science was probably my least favorite science class in high school. I took it in ninth grade, and the transition into high school was a little difficult for me. However, when I look back at the class I do not understand why I did not like it. I absolutely loved my teacher; I even still talk to him today. I love learning about the earth, and its changes, and have became so interested in learning about global warming.

After high school I have taken a few great science classes. Both the integrated science courses required for Childhood Education were very easy for me. I enjoyed them both. I have also taken two courses on the environment. One I took while I was studying abroad in Australia, last summer. It was a six week course that changed my life. My professor was by far the best I have ever had. She taught us the reasons for global warming, our problems with oil and coal, and so much more. It honestly changed the way I live. The class taught me to recycle more, take shorter showers, turn off lights, save gas, and to educate others. It gave me a passion I thought I would never have. When I returned back to Cortland, I decided to take another course, “Will the World Provide”, to learn more about how the environment is changing. I was actually dissatisfied with the class. I really did not learn anything new, and at times I felt I could teach the class better. Even though that class was a bad experience it did not change my feelings on how I look at the world, today. I have also learned that the media has some great information on how the world is changing today. I wish that I would have learned some of the information I learned in Australia on the environment a lot sooner.

Overall, my experiences with science have given me a drive to teach science lessons to students. I understand the importance and I also understand how much fun a child can have while learning a science lesson. I am satisfied with the skills, knowledge and passion I have for science subjects, and I cannot wait to relay my information to my students.