We are excited to share a progress update from Joshua Selep, one of our three dedicated pre-service STEM teachers who participated in our summer research and professional development program. Joshua, a senior at Iowa State double majoring in chemistry and secondary education, has immersed himself in hands-on research and classroom teaching, continually seeking ways to enrich his future practice. In this Q&A, Joshua reflects on his journey so far, his ongoing commitment to STEM education, and what he’s learned through both research and teaching placements.
Read on to hear Joshua’s insights and see how his passion for chemistry and education is shaping his path as a future STEM educator.
What have been some of the most rewarding moments during your student teaching at Johnston Middle School, and how do you think these experiences will shape your teaching style?
- My most rewarding experience during my student teaching at Johnston Middle School was building my relationships with my students and learning their names and personalities. My first day where I was the full-time teacher in the room, was also so rewarding because I felt like a real teacher instead of just a student teacher. My cooperating teacher, Mr. Kleve, also started a research club at Johnston Middle School because of his time being an RET a few years ago. So, helping that club was very rewarding. On that same note, I supervised a few research club students on a field trip to Iowa State and took them on a tour through Balaji’s lab. The students loved it, and seeing them want to do research was so rewarding.
How has your participation in the RET/REU program and your student teaching experiences evolved your teaching philosophy, especially in terms of incorporating research into your curriculum?
- The ideas and topics covered during the RET/REU program set my teaching philosophy's core tenets. I realized that philosophy with my student teaching, where I got to put my abstract philosophy into practice and ground it with experience. Incorporating the scientific method and research is the core of how I want to teach. It has made me do more phenomenon and inquiry-based teaching where the students are driven by curiosity.
How has your experience in Balaji's lab influenced your approach to teaching chemistry, and what specific research methods do you plan to integrate into your classroom?
- My experience in Balaji’s lab has influenced my approach to teaching chemistry by making me focus on getting the students to ask questions and not just take what is written down as fact. I also make the student design the procedure for their labs instead of just doing cookie-cutter labs.
What advice would you give to other pre-service teachers considering similar programs or experiences, based on your journey so far?
- It's a great experience if you can do it. Before the experience, I was worried that I couldn’t do it because I've never done research. The researchers understand, and you get integrated very smoothly. I also think I couldn't have deep discussions with teachers because I was only an undergrad, but I had so many I can't even count it. It was revolutionary to my philosophy and ideology. It also helped me decrease my stress about not being good enough. The whole experience and program helped me develop a sense of belonging in the teaching and research industries.
Looking ahead, how do you see your experiences in research and teaching shaping your career goals in education?
The REU/RET experience helped me set goals for my education career, whereas before, I only had goals of getting a job and hoping to survive. I now have concrete goals for setting up my classroom culture/environment and lessons/labs I want to implement into my curriculum. With my experience from Johnston, I also want to set up or assist an already established research club in the future.
Related Articles:
Introducing our three summer pre-service STEM teachers
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No.2242763