Teach Middle East Magazine May 2014 issue 1 vol. 1 | страница 13

Sharing Good Practice

FOUR SIMPLE TIPS TO HELP MAKE
TEACHING SCIENCE FUN
By Barika Bettis

T

eaching science in a new
educational setting can be
a challenge. Teachers may
discover differences in the
students’ levels. There may also
be a wide range of ability interests
among students. Many students may
perceive learning science as a difficult
content area due to the requirement
for extensive readings, the learning of
scientific jargons and concepts.
Many teachers struggle to help
students make connections between
what they are learning in their science
classes and the world around them.
As educators, we can overcome these
obstacles by integrating some simple
tips in a bid to make learning science
fun. Below are three research-based
strategies that you may find helpful in
keeping students engaged and curious
about science.

Provide a nurturing
learning environment
Teachers should aim to be supportive
and patient by constantly using praise
and encouragement. Allow students to
make mistakes and/or ask questions.
This is key to facilitating the learning
process. Take time to guide students
in a positive direction by modeling the
expectations. Praise them with words
of kindness to increase confidence in
their learning. Research shows that
providing a nurturing environment
builds teacher-student relationship,
which allows students to feel
comfortable in the classroom.

“Tag you’re It” Fun with
Reading
Learning can be made easier by
utilizing interesting games. ‘Tag you’re
it’ is a great game to use as a class
activity. The teacher designates how
many sentences the student must read
before they randomly choose another
student to read. Each student can
only be tagged once to read. This is
to ensure that all students are given

a chance to participate. If students
struggle during reading, the class
pledges to assist them. This may
further encourage class participation.

“Story –Time”
This activity can be done individually
or collaboratively. Students read the
science content and summarize it
using the format of a story. The story
may include characters that are na YY