Science Puns & Student Smiles, The Curious Particulars of Teaching Science at Havergal
Written by Dylan Adler
Edited by Dominique Cao
Cover Image by Leyao Xiao
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” - Marie Curie
What do you think of when you think of Science class? Is it gruelling studying, head bent over a textbook and listening to long lectures? Or is it pink explosions from chemical reactions, an awed wonder as a hypothesis is proven true? 2
Not every Science class is taught in the same way, but as learning becomes more progressive, we ask questions about how it should be taught.
What do you call when a biologist takes a photo of herself? A cell-fie.
First, I asked teachers, Mx. De Boer and Ms. Kindree. Mx. De Boer teaches Chemistry at Havergal, and their love for the subject is evident. “One is the laughs, seeing the direct relationship between what you do and what happens. The other thing I love is when we started to get into Grade 12…we started to let go of simplifications,” they said, adding that it’s like “opening up the black box as much as we can.”
Ms. Kindree is also a Science teacher at the school. Her favourite subject is biology, but she also highly enjoys teaching the Grade 9 or 10 Science because “it covers a wide variety of Science subjects, which makes it quite interesting to teach!”
Mx. De Boer explained how it is common for students in middle school to have already in their heads a direction in which they see their lives going in. Encouraging them not to lose their natural creativity and wonder when they are younger is fundamentally important for all fields but critical for the sciences. “We need to be creative. We need to be curious. And we need to care about the world, and that’s an important part of being a scientist is that you really do care.”
“Representation is so important,” Ms. Kindree said. “I want my daughter to see girls working in all fields of the sciences; she needs to see that it can be her future as well.”
Why did the germ cross the microscope? To get to the other slide.
Though there are many constraints on how Science is taught as per Ministry requirements, it is highly valuable to ensure students are taking more from their classes.
For example, in Grade 11/12 Chemistry, lessons are structured around all of the big ideas, so teachers can offload some of the memorization skills into depthful understanding skills that can be easily transferable. This gives students more time to “explore what is more meaningful in making a difference in the world”, Mx. De Boer said.
In Ms. Kindree’s opinion, Science classes need to be “messy”, in which questions and observations are continuously shared as students’ work. “Science is also a subject that must bring the outside world in, exploring global issues and perspectives on a variety of topics,” she added. “It is changing so quickly, with what we learned even last year changing and evolving.”
Why did the chemist read the book on helium so fast? She couldn’t put it down.
As well, I interviewed fellow Grade 10 students, Carol Rong, Linda Xu, Lily Zheng, Jasmine Yao, Rita Ye, Lingyi Chen, and Jemima Koffi.
Chemistry-lover Jasmine said that Science itself is progressive, modern and at the forefront of development. Just the same, the way it is taught needs to represent this, too.
Carol adores neuroscience and “anything bio-related is cool”. She believed that Science should be more hands-on. “I think that Science should be engaging, because that’s how most people work best.” Lily, who likes physics, agreed with Carol on which lessons should go deeper into concepts.
Both she and Jemima––who likes Bio––thought lessons should go more in-depth into the history behind the concepts. “It’s important to learn the concepts and all but the people who made them as well are important. It’s good to associate a name to a concept…just to show how far we have progressed.”
Additionally, many students wish there were more opportunities for AP classes and to explore subjects outside of the classroom, whether it be through clubs, fairs, or competitions. “We should have more competitive STEM teams…Like a math team, [or] a physics team,” Lily said. Several of the students also expressed their desire for a science fair.
What kind of bear dissolves in water? A polar bear.
Moreover, I asked teachers and students their thoughts on Science being taught at an all-girls school. Mx. De Boer explained how they have had students arriving from co-ed schools telling them that they felt more freedom to explore their curiosity at Havergal. For a student to feel comfortable participating in labs while they are still in high school, “we are giving them permission to see themselves as capable of making a difference in any field”.
As well, Ms. Kindree commented on how she sees increased confidence in STEM subjects for students at Havergal, compared to previous co-ed experiences. “In my view, girls take far more risks in single-gender STEM classes compared to a co-ed model. They aren’t afraid to make mistakes, they volunteer to present or approach the whiteboard, and they don’t hesitate to get into the ‘weeds’, so to speak, when they are trying to solve problems.”
In comparison, several of the students felt that STEM at Havergal is not exactly discouraged, but they still have to take the initiative to truly become interested in it.
To conclude, every teacher (and student!) has their own idea of teaching Science. Online school only complicated this. Though Havergal may have some areas to improve or work on, it’s easy to say that it has an amazing department and creates a welcoming and curious environment within its classrooms.
What do you get if you cross an octopus with a cow? A reprimand from the scientific integrity and professional ethics committee.
Science is a wonderful thing. I have made amazing memories within my classes, whether it be laughing with my friends, failing to set something on fire, cowering in the library during the frog dissection, or staring awestruck as I peer down through the microscope into a whole other world. The subject is incredible, and I don’t plan on saying goodbye to it anytime soon.
A huge thank you to Mx. De Boer and Ms. Kindree for allowing me to interview them! They are both phenomenal teachers and I had some really great conversations. As well, thank you to the following amazing people: Carol Rong, Linda Xu, Lily Zheng, Jasmine Yao, Rita Ye, Lingyi Chen and Jemima Koffi!