I am a Scientist!

Funded Dec 24, 2014

I teach in a school where life challenges are the norm. I have done so for 14 years. And every year I think about how much more I wish I could serve my students and their families. I wish I could give them just a little more this (vocabulary) and a little more that (exposure to diverse cultural experiences). But the one thing I never have to wish for is for their curiosity. Kids always have that. They wonder about the world, albeit a smaller part of the world, usually limited to their life experiences, but none-the-less...

Science is about looking at the way things are and wondering, questioning, and exploring. Kids do it instinctively, but not indefinitely. There comes a time when kids that cannot get answers to their questions may either pursue a life of inquiry and exploration, or they resolve themselves to things as they are without room for the questions whose answers won't put food on the table. My desire is to show them that they can seek answers- whether the answers come from others who asked the same questions or, better yet, from their own investigations. I want them to see that answering scientific questions can lead to a job that earns money that buys the food that gets put on the table. You are now a part of that process.

I was brought to tears by the Christmas Eve present that completed the funding for my project "I am a Scientist". To me, your support meant that you too see the value of my students and a value in giving them access to teaching materials to rival the any school.

As one student held the model eardrum up to their head, they asked, "So this is what the eardrum looks like?" And another student wanted to know why bees came in the seed kit, which led to a discussion of pollen and nectar and how life would possibly cease to exist without bees. I saw students eager to have a turn using the word building game on their new magnet boards. Kids clamored to get their own copy of Scholastic News, put their names on them and read about Ruby Bridges. It brought a tear to my eye once again when I sat back and watched 25 children choose books from book bins and read. You did that! You made it possible! Thank you for believing!”

With gratitude,

Ms. McKnight