Family Science At Garza-Gonzales Charter School Fall 2008

"This is what I have been waiting to do my whole life and the fact that I finally get to do it, well, is more than words can possibly say." - Future Elementary Teacher

On November 5th, my future elementary and middle school teachers taught science activities to an audience comprised predominately of high school students and their families! Dr. Mac's granddaughter even attended! A good time was had by all!!

Direct quotations from my student's written reflections:

*I felt like this experience really helped my confidence and that it has given me experience with all age groups of children.

*The experience gave me an excellent picture of teaching science and it gave me joy.

*I learned that each child comes to earth with a built in curiosity system.

*I raised in a world coming from a single parent home and so called "barrio" environment. This process has opened my eyes that even the small things in life can make a difference in a students life.

*The major benefit I personally gained from this event is a feeling that I could teach science to older students a do a good job of it....If I were to give future teachers one piece of advice it would be to not be afraid of expanding themselves outside of their chosen teaching level.

*Science is still a difficult subject for e to get comfortable with, but the experience I had at Garza Gonzales Charter school made me feel that science can be a subject the students and myself can discover together....I was able to see how an activity can be adjusted in a matter of a moment's time.

*Without friendship, learning won't take place.

*I believe that any at risk youth have a chance at a better life if their teachers invest in them as a whole child.

*I definitely enjoyed this second experience because of the different environment. Yes, there were a lot of underaged parents and families who were a little less fortunate but I felt as though we were making a difference in their lives. It was as though being there and watching us was helping them see that they too could go to college.

*The main thing I learned from this Family Science Night was the main differences in the socioeconomic classes.....Many of these kids were having kids themselves and are in the lower income scale. This means that teachers need to work harder with these students because school is really all they have and their future really depends on us.