Sandi Nichols

Sandie Nichols, James Island Middle School, Charleston, SC

A new challenge is as exciting for me as it is for a child. I suppose most people enjoy a change every so often. For me, teaching is a new challenge every year. However, I've made a habit of not staying in the same grade level for more than three years. It was supposed to keep me from becoming stale. Now that I'm in middle school, I've found that the process of teaching is what needs to change. Elementary school science was a walk in the park! The older children get, the harder the "whys" are to explain. At the middle school level, children have forgotten how to discover and wonder.

Science was always my favorite subject. In teaching elementary school students, I thematically adjusted the curriculum to encompass the concepts of science in all subject areas. It was years before I realized that is what I wanted to teach. The GK12 Lowcountry Partners has given me a network of teachers and scientists to help me broaden my experiences in teaching and the use of scientific processes in the real world. It's enlightening to see the different perspectives brought to class by the scientists. It's truly amazing to find that high school teachers are doing some of the same things that elementary and middle school teachers are doing. The program is not only a link between teachers and scientists, but also a link between schools. 

The work in a "real" lab over the summer will be quite exciting for me. I had the opportunity to visit and get a small taste of what goes on behind the scenes. Wow! I can't wait to go to other labs and see what the other Fellows are doing. These observations lead to some great discussions in my own classrooms. My knowledge base is growing and that can only benefit my students!

Click here for more class photos!

Parts of a flower video and pictures!