“Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of truth and knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.”

Albert Einstein's words are a powerful driving force within my teaching style. Some teachers might be appalled to be proven wrong or not being able to answer a question asked by their students, holding onto some sort of pride that reinforces artificial power structures. I believe that questioning is the most incredible skill a student can learn. Learning is a process, a cycle in a sense. It does not cease to progress, although we may come back to certain things we learned to reflect and ask new questions.

Today was a great day. We are finishing up an introduction to cells and cell theory in preparation to move into the realm of ecology. I think it is important to begin with a knowledge about the most basic unit of life (cells) and move outwards to think about interactions between complex organisms.

My grade sixes are in the midst of completing their first bit of group work. Their task was to work with a group of 4-5 students to create a poster about one of the 7 Life Processes. Each group had to summarize a short bit of information and create pictures to represent how living things work through these processes.

It has gone well so far! It is interesting to watch some of the students work together in groups. The students whose heads are closer together, collaborating and sharing ideas seem to have produced the most incredible depictions. This activity has allowed me to see how different students and classes work in groups. It gives us a chance to reflect also on group dynamics and what it means to work as part of a team.

Their final science project in May will be completed in teams. I want to build a strong foundation before this task so that the students are more likely to be successful with the intricate project. Stay tuned for more information about this.

In one of my classes, a student inquired about the usefulness of learning about the structure of cells. We began discussing how studying cells leads to innovations in the medical field. We talked about how this might connect to their lives and the lives of people close to them. One student posed a question:

"How much money do you think you would make if you discovered a cure for cancer?"

This lead to a discussion about morality. The majority of the class indicated that they would not expect any compensation because they would be happy to cure those who are suffering. About 5-6 said they would sell it for as much as they can.

I found this to be an interesting insight into the minds of these students. It got me thinking again about the influence society and institutions have on us as we begin to understand them.

I sure hope the 26 or so students who raised their hands for no compensation hold on to these values as they become more aware of the way the world works.