A Girl With A Dream

The Road To Miss Murray

Stop #2: Where is the Wonder?

Now that you have become familiar with my lifelong desire to teach, where does my passion for science come into play? Well, that is an interesting and rather complicated story. Although it may seem like this post serves as yet another unnecessary detour on the road to discovering my research project, I assure you that this information is absolutely integral to understanding the importance of the events that are to follow. Throughout my educational career, one particular story stands out from all of the rest. As a sophomore in college, my literacy teacher asked her students to read a book entitled "A Place for Wonder" by Georgia Heard and Jennifer McDonough. Although I would be lying if I said that I was thrilled by receiving yet another assignment during an already stressful year, throughout the introduction and first chapter of this informational text, I found myself engrossed in the ideas that the authors were presenting. For a long time now I have been a major enthusiast of creating a classroom full of wonder. Although I do understand a school's need for structure, I agree with the author's idea that much of the educational system is becoming too test centered. In fact, I can actually remember the switch happening in my own life. As a child, I loved science! The whole idea of stepping outside into this world of wonder and exploring the unknown was a concept that I found to be both inspiring and exciting. I looked forward to science and could not wait for my teacher to tell us about the new experiments that we would be doing in the classroom. However, as I grew older, things began to change. I felt myself becoming more and more afraid of science, recognizing that every lab came with a grade and every grade brought me one step closer to my next test. From that point on, I began to fear this subject. In fact, I still remember rushing to meet the high school graduation requirements for science so that way I could have a senior year free of all this anxiety. Although I do believe that testing is beneficial, where has the sense of wonder gone? Who is going to teach kids that it is okay to explore without knowing what you are looking for? That it is okay to question the things that you know and to research the things that you do not. I want children to understand that experiments and research should be encouraged, not for the purpose of a grade, but merely to feed one’s own curiosity. With that idea in mind, and this internal desire to make a difference, I decided to venture back into the field that terrified me the most: science. I can honestly say that becoming a science major at Mount Saint Mary College has been one of the most simultaneously difficult and rewarding things that I have ever asked myself to do. Although I may have lost many hours of sleep over the years, I have also learned more than I can ever put into words. I have fallen in love with research and exploration and it is because of this love that I have never been more sure of my future. Although it is impossible to know if you are going to make a difference, it is my hope that one day I can go back into the classroom and inspire young children to love the world around them. I want to bring a sense of wonder back into the classroom where students are reminded to not fear the things that they do not know but to pursue them all while understanding the beauty that this world has to offer. I want to do my part to create a generation of students that no longer fear science and curiosity but are excited to experiment, research, and explore this magnificent world of awe and wonder.

A great read by Heard and McDonough!