The first day of class brought to light an interesting point about science, and what exactly comes to mind when someone thinks of a "scientist." Realizing conscious or subconscious thoughts about those who work as a scientist can be very important when teaching young students because of a variety of commonalities seen in the pictures everyone in class drew, but the common point I found most interesting was that the majority of the pictures were of men. The attached video shows the view from a young girl, who, despite being passionate about science, felt uncomfortable and as if she didn't belong dissecting a fish in an upper grade science class, the way she had in pre-school. Working in a daycare over the summer, it is sometimes upsetting to see or hear children tell others that they cannot play with a certain toy because "that's only for girls/boys." This is important to realize because as a teacher, students need to be motivated and excited about a topic regardless of gender. Teachers need to be aware of what society as a whole tells their students, because that is likely the mindset students come into class with each day. One way to perhaps encourage all students to be excited and motivated about science particularly is to recognize and challenge the second commonality in our class' pictures: the scientist were represented in lab coats and goggles doing an experiment in a lab. A lab setting might not be the best fit for everyone, which is why it is important to realize all the different professions available in the scientific world. A scientist could be someone who goes out to study wildlife, and do so in the animals own habitat. It would be interesting perhaps to have students in kindergarten or first grade draw a scientist, and repeat the activity again in high school to see if their ideas of what a "scientist" looks like has changed. Every student should see themselves as a scientist, especially in the classroom. It is a teacher's job to help ensure this happens.
