St. Pius X Spring 2013

This experience showed me that children really do care about our planet. I was surprised to be asked questions such as "what do we do to save our beach?". This made me feel like I had made a difference during this quick lesson at family science night and I began wondering how much of a difference I could make in a classroom with much more time to teach about our planet and how humans affect it.

The biggest thing I will remember is how much of a caring concern that the students had for the marine life and the fact they they actually seemed interested in helping.

I think this is a great event for students to be part of.

Participating in Family Science Night has allowed me to see that science is not scary.

The biggest benefit was that I got to go to a real public school and teach kids. Being homeschooled my whole life, I appreciate going to a public school and seeing school from a different perspective.

This experience made me more aware of making good decisions with food as well as opened my eyes to how much sugar I am consuming daily and the health consequences that can come with it.

I see the importance of what science brings to our students, and as a teacher it will be my duty that my students learn the same, and how science connects to our surroundings and our community.

Seashore Middle School Academy Spring 2013

The students get involved in learning, light bulbs are going off, future careers are being contemplated, parents are having fun learning with their children, and the community is getting involved in the schools. I am so glad I have this opportunity to practice family science nights where I can bring this awesome asset to my future school!

TheFamily Science Night became a Family Science Fest!! There were nachos, hot dogs, and a raffle for some pretty neat prizes!!

THe fun part about Family Science Night at Seashore Middle Academy was the competitive energy the children and parents brought. While competing in different exercieses the students showed great energy and were eager to challenge their peers and parents.

The one main thing I will remember from this event was that science can be fun and easy to teach. It doesn't have to be all text book and charts and graphs. It can be all hands on to keep the minds on of the students and be able to learn in a fun way so it can be learned and remembered longer.

I was excited about working with students and working wiht families and helping them to learn information.

I definitely have a better respect for science and science teachers now because I see that is is possible to mix science with fun.

I am so happy we went to Seashore Middle Academy. I really enjoyed each and every student and parents that came up to our presentation board and we got to teach them.You can tell this is a good school to be part of and I hope I am lucky one day to be part of a school like this when I am a teacher!

Kaffee Middle School Spring 2013

As I looked around Kaffee cafeteria at all my peers in front of their own projects - not one of them was in a lab coat. And although a few had glasses, they weren't the thick old-fashioned bi-focals that our grandparents wear. We are all scientists and it doesn't matter how we dress or look.

It is one thing to talk about pedagogy within a college classroom, but it is a whole other thing when you are actually teaching in front of students and parents. I love that Family Science Night gives me that opportunity and another experience of actually teaching.

The reason why I would like to be involved with something like this again is because not only was this a great experience, but it was also a reassurance that I still want to pursue a degree in education.

Doing true science allows the students to be scientists and find their own answers to their own questions.

Spending the little free time I had on this project was defintiely worth it because it really did change my whole entire attitude towards teaching science and science in general.

The one main thing I will remember from this event would be that there are TONS of different ways to represent science and get children intriqued by it.

FAMILY SCIENCE FALL 2012!!

This semester we went to three venues - Ella Barnes Elementary School, Webb Elementary School and Gregory-Portland Intermediate. This is what students had to say about the experience:

"I think it is wonderful when students are so excited about learning, and even more so when that learning has to do with science or math. Thee are the subjects that students and some teachers try to stay away from. It is a huge concern in our country that we get more students excited about these neglected subjects. I have learned so much about myself from this experience as well."

"Science night made me realize that in order for students to understand a certain concept of science that you are trying to teach, they must be able to relate it to themselves."

"I honestly loved interacting with so many students and parents because each and everyone of them had something special that they brought to the table. It was fun to watch the parents enjoy their children."

"Getting practice interacting with parents is also a huge benefit that will help us all as future teachers."

"I actually got to teach a science lesson to elementary students in a non-threatening environment. The costs were definitely worth the benefits  because it is an experience that I feel is necessary to understand the dynamics between the schools and their faculty, students, and parents."

"Parents were really involved and thankful for the information we gave them. Those parents really inspired me to be a teacher, because I know that I will influence not only the students, but the parents as well."

"I don't think (family science) really changed any ideas I had about science teachers in particular, but it was an eye opener when it came to how I was going to adapt my little 'speech' to a 5 year old who couldn't care less about the health risks of sugar and just loved chocolate milk."

"The experience changed my perspective of science teaching because it wasn't about cycles or doing labs, more more about being healthy. Health is important in everyone's life, expecially young children who are growing and trying to figure out how their bodies work."

"Fun is a keyword when teaching young students. The fun that the project is the more the students will remember because they enjoyed it."


"As long as I can remember, I hated science with a passion. Every science class I had to take in middle school leading up to college was horrible. Every class I had had us mainly learning from a textbook. From these experiences, I learned that science doesn't have  to be taught in that manner. If a science lesson could be turned into a situation relating to real life, the information would be retained for a longer period of time. If science teaching consisted of having all lessons have some kinds of "hands- on" activity after each lesson, the n students would never be afraid of science."

"These three presentations we did further cemented my desire to become a professional educator, to be able to educate young children and to make a difference with a smile :)  ."

"I know that now I am a step closer to become the really amazing teacher that I want to be."

London ISD Summer II 2012!

"Science is a subject that I have always enjoyed, but been a little apprehensive about teaching. I always fear that I will not teach something correctly, won't teach it enough, or that students will ask me questions that I don't know the answer to. Family Science Night showed me that it is perfectly acceptable to not know all of the answers and that teaching science can really be fun."

"The advice I would give to future science teachers is to please, please, please make their activities engaging and interactive; something the students will go home remembering. The idea may take a while to come up with, but it will be worth it."

"The main thing I learned from this event is that is so incredibly important to provide students the opportunity to learn with their parents and to participate in fun, risk-free learning activities."

"I liked Family Science Night a great deal because it allowed our group to address a sensitive topic (hyperactivity) in a fun and friendly manner."

"This event was not only fun for the family and community but me too!"

"This sounds crazy but kids intimidate me a bit like they know I'm not a real teacher but I was surprised and very pleased a how quickly I found my confidence."

"As Einstein said, "You really do not understand something unless you can explain it to your Grandmother." I felt we must understand our topic well, because we explained it - successfully - to many Grandmothers, four year olds, Dads, Aunts, and Moms."

"In all honesty, I initially thought that the subject of Science and Nutrition was going to be boring, but as we formed our idea and then saw the reaction of those around us, I immediately changed my mind. Turning what could be a potentially boring topic into something fun and hands-on was an experience that I will never forget."

"What I originally thought would be a hassle and a waste of my time was actually fun and beneficial for me and my future career. I can take it with me wherever I go, an awareness of how these family nights work as well as all the benefits for all that are involved."

"I found that you can incorporate science into many different areas. It was easier than I thought because science is all around us."

"It was interesting to see how we had to remain flexible and adjust to the students' level of curiosity and demeanor....The main thing I will remember from participating in this event is how important is to remain flexible and have the materials necessary to be flexible for all the students as they each learn differently."

"It was a wonderful way for me to try out my teacher voice and practice interacting with families....I had a blast!"

Flour Bluff Junior High Spring 2012

"What I truly appreciate about the opportunity provided to me by teaching Family Science Night is the belief I've gained that extra-curricular, organized instruction might allow for better learning opportunities and increased absorption of information by the kids involved. While it tends to be a struggle to engage children in this age range with anything they might perceive as extra work, I do believe its is important  to try and the looks of pure, unadulterated interest that I have viewed throughout the course of this assignment have led me to believe that it is quite possible to be successful."

"One thing I love about these Family Science Nights is that we are all doing the same thing, working towards our future goals of being educators and that we are all going through the same thing. I also like how each and every one of us is helpful to one another. This make the transition so much smoother and rewarding!"

"This last event proved how much I actually knew about this topic and how much more confident I had become."

"I used to think that being involved with parents was as simple as sending something home with the child and hoping that the parent received it or having a parent teacher conference and calling the parent once a month. Clearly I was wrong, there are so many different way to be involved and family science nights are one of them."

"I felt that I have grown a lot this semester, because before I came into this class I did not know anything about science. I now feel way more comfortable presenting scientific information to my students and having a positive attitude about it. I am also more comfortable in presenting information to the parents as well."

"Now I remember the honor roll assemblies and the attendance assemblies that my parents attended but even then they didn't come into contact with my teacher and I do not want to be the teacher who doesn't talk to parents."

"I remember in the beginning being very nervous  and thinking to myself that i would probably stumble over my words and sound like I don't know what I'm talking about but actually going through the experience I found that it all came naturally."

"Through this experience I have developed more useful skills that I will use when teaching students and helping them grow cognitively, emotionally and physically."

"I have become increasingly more confident in my science teaching abilities!"

"At the beginning of the semester, inquiry-based science was new to me. I realize now how important it is in the classroom or even at a science event to help the student to get his or her own understanding of the content as they play an active role in the learning process."

Ella Barnes Elementary Spring 2012

"This event was a dream come true because not only was there more parental participation but also the children were eager to learn science. Family Science Night at Barnes Elementary was the best event ever....The students became effective thinkers and the world of science started making sense!"

"I was glad we got be be around a lot of parents because it gave me the confidence I needed to believe I knew what I was doing." 


"I learned from our own research and the other groups' projects that we need to pay more attention to what we eat and act in our daily lives to keep being healthy and happy."


"We really got to show and explain our research and show that we really worked hard which felt rewarding."


"I realized that elementary students know a whole lot more than I thought."


"Its pretty amazing to see kids so young so interested in something like medicine. She says she is planning to go to medical school."


"Its always fun to see what kind of personalities the students have. It makes me so excited to be able to work with the age group one day."


"The reward  of seeing and being a part of a student's breakthrough when understanding a new concept of working through data is an experience that words cannot describe."


"Its funny because every time I eat something now I always think about my poster and I think about, "Am I making the healthier choice or not?". 

Hamlin Middle School Spring 2012

"I actually really enjoyed teaching science. I NEVER thought about teaching science but is surprisingly really fun and very interesting. You learn a lot as you teach and I think that would be the best aspect of being a science teacher."


"The way I thought about teaching science before this has completely altered. For me, science has always been a foreign language that I have had a difficult time mastering. When I did this event, I felt like was able to completely understand and teach science to these participants without overloading their brains with too much information."


"Science is everywhere and in our daily lives. By researching this topic and seeing how common it is in our everyday lives, I saw that science can be implemented and be interesting."


"Getting exposed to these interactions is a better experience for me as a future teaching in learning to handle different situations. "


"Growing up I never took much interest in this subject as I do today after this experience. I never realized that there is science in just about everything we do and that it surrounds our everyday living."


"Family Science can be a stepping stone to get parents comfortable in getting involved."


"Just reaching one person to become healthier and take charge of their life is worth all the work to me."


"I wish when I was going to school we had things like Family Science Nights that I could have attended with my parents."


"I realized there are way to to teach any lesson and adapt the lesson to fit your specific grade level."


"The specific costs should be priceless as long as your students and parents leave with more than they came in with."


"Science was always my worst subject and I never felt like I was smart enough to learn or teach it. This is why I was so nervous for this project because I felt as if I was not qualified. However after this Family Science Night, I realized I could teach science to children and in a way that they could understand it. I definitely felt accomplished."


"The benefits gained were the connections made with my own community, helping families learn about the scientific method, exploring science, and using problem solving skills that were enhanced by the inquiry-based teaching methods."

Baker Middle School Fall 2011

"The experience gave me a new perspective about working with middle school students....I believe I would enjoy teaching at a slightly higher level than I thought now that I see how I can relate to the students and engage them in learning."

"All in all I absolutely loved these experiences and think it is most definitely worth our time and effort!"

"Their school's band was authentically inspiring, and to see how dedicated and proud they seemed to be with their music was a great sight."

"I am forever thankful in partaking in the Family Science Nights because the experiences have given me confidence to give a speech in front of a large group or to even have a discussion with a complete stranger."

"In a way the Family Science Night experience has altered my perspective on teaching science. I am no longer intimidated by the subject and I am open to teaching it in the future."

"I have never had more fun learning and teaching science than I've had this semester."

"The thing I will remember most about events like this is the reason why I want to be a teacher. I love kids and I love their excitement when it comes down to learning new things about science and about life."

Family Learning Institute Fall 2011

"I would advise future students who participate in teacher in-service not to be nervous. The ladies were very friendly and easy to relate with....we may at times feel science is a "weak subject" area for us and that those in the field may look down at us if we answer a question incorrectly. Don't think so. Teaching is a continual learning process. There are techniques we can teach them that are new because a lot of them have not been in a university setting for several years."

"By the time the teacher were almost leaving, I was not as nervous. It felt like they were colleagues -- that we were all teachers (even though we are preservice). This was a great opportunity to step into that role will soon have. Interacting with them made me feel more like a professional."

"It was a great experience and got my day off to a great start!"

"My nervousness changed to pride as each teacher went by the table and encouraged our work."

"The teachers made me feel excited about teaching and made me feel good when they complimented by enthusiasm and teaching style."

"I also liked that there were Hispanic teachers that liked our board being in Spanish because I as able to communicate with them in responding to their questions."

Webb Elementary Fall 2011 - SUPER SIZED Science!

"Those kids from the family science night were so interested and I have never really seen kids excited about science. They really wanted to learn about science and that's so cool to me!"

"I saw those students and how excited they were and I thought to myself,"this is going to be a piece of cake" and I did well.

"It means so much to me to help others and to be a part of something so special in their lives. I hope to get this experience in the future."

"I would do this all over a million times."

"I was finally able to conquer what's been my enemy since elementary school: science projects...it was important that I cure this doubt, fear and resentment I'd been harboring about science. This new attitude I have toward science - that anyone can do it - will be beneficial to my future students since I want them to have a positive attitude about their abilities, too."

These are the kinds of events we all benefit from so we should all do our part that we can continue to have these sorts of events in our community."

"While researching my experiment I was amazed by the amount of calories I personally eat on a daily basis."

"I believe Family Science Night is an assignment that should be stuck in the future teacher's curriculum until eternity."

"I love to learn new information and science is constantly growing and advancing, it is truly an exciting subject!"

"When I am a teachers, I will be sure to make science fun!"

"Being at Family Science Night made me want to graduate and become a teacher even faster!"

"I love kids and love their excitement when it comes to learning new things about science and about life."

"The main thing I learned from participating in Family Science Night is that these elementary school students are fully capable of doing all kinds of science."

London ISD Summer II 2011

"I remember always being afraid of science. I was intimidated by the big words and new concepts. This fear followed me all the way through high school....Family science night opened by eyes to a whole new world. Science could actually be fun, and students can love it. Students were so excited about the activities and they listened with great curiosity."

"This was one of the most interesting experiences for me since I've been back in college."

"I think this may have been the most positive group project experience during my college career, where all members were eager and willing to participate."

"I became more confident in communicating with parents, and learned how to modify my presentation of material according to the differing audiences I was presented with."

"The one main thing I will remember from this particular event is that there are parents out int eh public school systems who are interested in their student's education."

"Doing this assignment helped me to gain the confidence I needed to teach science better and most importantly to me, more comfortably."

"There was a such a great turn out which goes to show you that there is a community of learners, including teachers, students, and parents, that care."

"I fell in love with this project. I really like how were asked to find the "science behind it" because I feel it gave purpose and meaning to the project other than just doing another project...and moving on to my next class....I will remember participating in this event and learning that everything has to have a purpose and meaning in teaching it - otherwise it is pointless."

"This is one night that I'm sure not going to forget."

"All of the projects done in our class were genuinely meaty learning chunks in a short snippet of time."

"One thing I will take with me form Family Science Night is knowing that I may have changed someone's life or informed them enough to make healthier decisions in life. I had one woman tell me that she felt her life was over when she was diagnosed with Type II diabetes but she now knows that she can manage her diabetes and she can help with diabetes prevention for her children."

Webb Elementary March 30, 2011

"I came into this night believing that I was going to be the one teaching them but honestly, they were the ones teaching me....I think the most important thing that I learned was how to become a better teacher of science."

"Even though at Webb there were not as many families that showed up, I think that these interactions were just as important. Regardless, if we had one or two families come over to us we need put in just as much work as we did the first family. No one deserves a half price show. We need to give our lesson the credit it deserves, and be proud in what we learned and provide a fun and good lesson for all participants."

"I felt good about being able to participate in such a worthwhile activity."

"Sadly, we did not have any other visitors come by our table the rest of the evening, but I really enjoyed the atmosphere and being able to mingle with my classmates and teachers from the school."

"I think this was the best family night I have attended, just because I actually got to see what the families at family science night get the opportunity to enjoy."

"I learned that no matter what happens at an event you can still have a great time and let the kids that do show have a great time and learn as much as they can. So always keep your head held high and have a good attitude because this will help things turn out for the better."

"This is a very good way of meeting parents, teachers, and administrators and informing the community of certain subjects that could help them tremendously and in our case even change lives for the better."

"I enjoyed this experience and I enjoyed talking to the parents one on one. I felt a special sense of love because there were parents that cared about the well being of their children."

"There were a lot of good projects and it made me feel hopeful as a parent and future teacher that we will have many good teachers out there in the near future!"

Family Science at Gregory Portland Intermediate - March 22, 1011

"I came into this night believing that I was going to be the one teaching them but honestly, they were the ones teaching me....I think the most important thing that I learned was how to become a better teacher of science."

"I think this was by far the most memorable and successful event that I have participated in, and I hope to continue to participate in such events and spread the enthusiasm of science and nutritional awareness throughout my teaching career."

"I have always wondered if I would be interested in teaching science and after doing this event I realized how much I enjoyed teaching science and am going to consider pursuing it as a career."

"I will never forget that father talking to me about how happy he was that we put this event on...."

"Any time the parents are involved in their children's learning, children have better self-esteem, more motivation, and a more positive attitude towards school."

"The one thing I will remember from this activity is that science is a process, and that students must be actively engaged in it."

[This event]"gave me a reality check that I need to start exercising and eating healthy. And if I can make a difference in children's lives about eating healthy maybe it will be passed on through word of mouth and people in general will see that fast food is killing us and our youth."

"To me this project meant that we were not just opening the doors for thep ublic we were exposed to on that night, but we were opening a door that has the potential to reach out to EVERYONE at some point. It is a beautiful think to realize, that this one night, could change the world on a small scale, which could grow to a giant scale."

"We as future educators must be prepared to be able to explain the lesson orally, visually, and with hands-on lessons in order to reach all levels of learning."

"I was really uncertain about teaching science and now I feel more confident and I know because of this Family Science Night I will be a better teacher in the future."

"Science takes all the curriculum skills in reading, writing and math and I acknowledge that fact how."

"My whole life I was taught science out of a book.....However, being able to engage with students and parents in a fun, relaxed environment helped me to see that science can be interesting and fun. Mostly, it showed me that they are actually able to enjoy it."

"This project helped me learn many new things about myself, students and their parents."

Boys and Girls Club - Summer II 2010

"The adults are having more fun than some of their kids. And the kids are really engaged. "

"One of the B&G club reps asked me how we did it...held the students attention for more than 5 minutes."

"I wish we could have allowed the students without their parents to join in. Their faces look so sad because their friends keep telling them how fun everything is and about the candy."

"I can't wait to get to my school and incorporate this. I know it will be a success."

"Our project was on a level too high for some of the kids, especially this one little boy. And I was scared I couldn't explain it on his level so we just started talking about the beach and having fun.... I realized I may have to change my lesson instantly when I have a student that isn't getting it so they can learn something too."

"The students were so smart, it really kept me focused. I learned from them probably more sometimes than they learned from me."

Life Science Extravaganza with Governor's Academy of Teaching Excellence (GATE) students!

"The one thing I will remember from this experience is that no matter what age or what subject I will be teaching in the future, teaching is my passion....As long as I am watching the connections that student make as they learn, that is something I will ALWAYS remember."

*I always thought science was all research that teachers have to do and present the information to students. In my schools years in science, I never got to do any projects...Learning science is an amazing subject for the student and for them to discover new things.
*The one thing I will remember from the experience is as soon as I made the topic relevant to the students they were interested.
*This experience reassured how much I personally love science and how much I am going to enjoy teaching it to my future students.
*The one thing I will remember from participating in this event would be not to be afraid of high school students!
*To be quite honest, teaching science is easier said than done no matter what grade you are planning to teach!
* I was able to relate the outside world and bring it in to their world.
*Inquiry is central to science learning.
*I learned a lot about myself and my abilities that I did not think I possessed.
*The impact that this project has on students is priceless and if I can give th same experience to other students I would do it again and again.

Flour Bluff Intermediate School Family Science and Math April 15, 2010

*The key word here is family. When you make something about someone's community, it gets everyone involved. You are able to see parents wanting their children to participate. It holds family accountable for each others success."

*Its an odd feeling to go from not liking a subject such as science to thinking, "hmmm, maybe science is something I want to get certified in!" It just goes to show if you get exposed to something, your horizons can only broaden and that is exactly what we did with the students at the family science nights."

*Overall I give Family Science Nights an A+!

*I think the most important thing I learned was how to alter our lessons for different students; students that differ in age and in culture.

*Over the course of these three family science events, my confidence in teaching science has increased significantly....After each of these events my passion for teaching grows, especially now that I see all the different ways science can be presented and made fun. I'm excited to get out there and teach!

*I do see the value of having multiple events and honestly it is not even the amount of practice that we receive. It is the privilege to go out into the community and meet teachers, principals, students and parents. It is the opportunity to practice being a teacher and working with small groups of children and their caregivers. But most of all, it is the honor of sharing our knowledge with so many children and their parents and hopefully touching their lives in a significant way.

*I haven't had much interaction with kids. It's like a dry spell and you can become unsure of your purpose in education. Thankfully, Family Science night was an outlet for me. I was able to express myself naturally the way I know I am supposed to. I no longer have those questions. It was reinforcement to me that this is where I belong.

*I hope one day I can say to myself, " I feel really good today, because I have seen progress in a child that everyone else said would not succeed". This will be really good enough for me.

*What I learned the most from these events is that culture really does lay a huge role in learning. Where you come from does affect your learning. It is up to us as teachers to try to overcome these barriers for the sake of the students. And I feel that because of family science night, I now know more than ever that I have chosen the right career for me and for the future students I hope to teach.

Garza-Gonzales Charter School Science Night April 12, 2010

"Everytime I go to one of these it puts me in an awesome mood and gets me pumped to be a teacher!"

*I have learned to adjust my presentation to make sure that all students that participated could learn something. I think that is how I have changed the most.

*We were asked about college....My group and I answered honestly and at the same time we tried to encourage them as much as possible. I really liked that this happened because I think college is so important and I love that they were really interested in it.

*As I reflected on our interactions with this student population I realized that...they are all overcoming great hurdles and huge obstacles that we can only guess at. As educators it will be our responsibility to look past the exterior and find the learner underneath.

*What inspired me was that these students may have been from a socioeconomically challenged area but they were not by any means challenged in their learning skills.

*When we began to talk about the social and community aspects of our project they began to see the relevance of the issue and then they kept their focus.

*I like that the teachers from the school were there to support their students but also to participate in our activities. I think it was important for the students to know that their teachers were there to support them and give them some guidance.

*I am grateful for this experience and am glad that a charter school like this one was integrated in our class schedule.
*I think that the teachers need to have endurance, understanding, and confidence that these students can meet high expectations because most of them were minority and low income students which disgracefully puts them in the low achievers category. I have a feeling that these students have experienced many hardships and rejection. I believe that it requires a good and dedicated teacher who has the tools and knowledge to meet their needs.

*I would really love to work in a Title I school and I feel I honestly need to be more educated in Spanish in order for me to educate students as well as their parents....I'm also truly thankful to be able to see what I need to change or can build on before I graduate to make me a better educator.

Ella Barnes Elementary Science Night - March 9, 2010

I have never been exposed to teaching science in all my life - and I am about to graduate. I wish at a younger level of college I was exposed to experiences like this. The benefits go even go into the confidence of teaching science....I am very grateful for the exposure.

* I did not know that using the methods we used in Family Science would be successful in teaching science....It really makes the kids want to learn science and they get to spend time with their family as well.

* Teaching science is really about the approach - especially if you want to try any sort of inquiry process. The opportunity is definitely priceless.

*I didn't really consider the fact that Mexicans don't really burn like the rest of us...nor African Americans for that matter.

*...you can help students and their parents to learn and realize that science is not only for a few people.

*I confirmed that I like doing things with "ganas" (meaning with desire) and not just for a grade.

*Give opportunities to all and you will see miracles!

*A good project doesn't have to have twenty different steps and take you to the moon, all you need is a little enthusiasm!

*I was stunned to learn that many of the students had not even been to the beach before....One child said he'd never been to the beach. The beach is part of our culture here in Corpus Christi. That is why it is important that if our students can not experience it first hand that we, as teachers, do our best to teach them about it through various experiments, showing them the actual sand, seaweed, and shells.

*Teaching is a wonderful job and I know I was meant to do it.

Carroll Lane Elementary - October 28, 2009

Cotton Candy! Pickles! Popcorn! People were lined up at the door an hour before the event even started!! It was a GREAT evening at Carroll Lane Elementary with families and students ALL enjoying themselves!

"The one thing I will remember at this event is how many children actually showed up....especially because of the economical background I heard about that school. I thought it would have less family involvement because the parents were busy with work. I felt that they were really thankful that we came out to their school. I really enjoyed Family Science Night this time around! It was so much fun!!"

"I felt that the parents were as eager to do the activities as the children. I had many parents comment that our activity was interesting and that they were going to try this activity at home."

"I was shocked that some of the students said they have never seen a full moon....I have to remember to take in consideration that everyone has a different experience or different background that they bring to things."

"I noticed that many parents were timid to become involved and I soon realized that many of the parents spoke Spanish as their fist language.....This was the most interesting part of the night because it was so incredible to see such loving and intellectual conversations between parents and their children."

"Seeing how many parents showed up that night showed me how much they really care about their student's education."

"I have learned that EVERY DAY the students need to be actively involved and interested in the education they are receiving, EVERY DAY they need to feel motivated to attend class, and EVERY DAY they need to learn something new."

"There were so many children and parents; it was truly a family night."


"As I went to sleep I found myself thinking that it would be an amazing experience to teach the students new aspects of science everyday."

"It was awesome to see how much these kids love science and how interested they are in it. Every opportunity like this reminds me why I am going to school to teach and just how rewarding of a profession it really is!"

"The parents of this school seemed to be a community. The principal knew the parents and students by name. The teachers did too. It was obvious that these people have built a community and we were invited to contribute...it was a honor to be here."

"...when I was observing the parents, they didn't give their child enough time to think about how to do the activity. They jumped right in and did it for them....My lesson learned for the future is to be patient and give the students time to think on their own....I never really thought about giving the students time to think as being part of the process of instruction."

"I saw grandparents, cousins and many parents interacting together from station to station....I even saw Dads taking pictures. There were so happy to be there and so excited for their students to be learning something new and especially something that can be connected to the real world."

"As I was teaching [the student], a man walked up and said, "there you are son, I knew I would find you somewhere around fish!". I smiled and asked him if they were fishermen and he answered with an excited "yes". He looked towards his son and I could just see all the love that he had for him. He then walked up to him and gave him a big hug and told him that he loved him. It was so wonderful to see just how caring and loving this man was toward his child. It made me feel absolutely wonderful to know that this family was going to take everything that I taught them and apply it in the real world. Words cannot explain how I felt at this point. I was absolutely ecstatic."

"Clearly, Carroll Lane Elementary supports their students and families, and shoots for the highest when it comes to their success."

The staff, students and their families at Carroll Lane Elementary showed me what a school community looks like."