Biology 101: A Crash Course

Biology 101 : A Crash Course The school bell rings on the first day of school. Your students start to trickle into the class little by little. They see the various microscopes and dissecting equipment, and their eyes go wide. Biology is a very fun and interactive subject for students, which makes it all the more exciting to be able to teach it. Ever since I took sophomore biology in high school I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. My teacher just always seemed like he was having as much fun as us. That’s what made me want to become a biology teacher, so I interviewed some people who are currently in the field to get some perspective on it. The reason for this is because a lot of people kind of just brush off the subject of high school biology, but for me it was one of the best classes I ever had the pleasure of attending. It’s what opened the door for my interest in the sciences; I just had so much fun learning about why all the things in the world existed and did what they did. I found that being a biology teacher is a very rewarding career choice because not only do you get to work with students, but you also get to work with your favorite subject every day. Every day as a biology teacher can be a new and fulfilling experience. It is also a very important part of how you will learn to adapt to the social environment you will be put into. The first thing you’ll probably do is prepare for the day’s labs. “This includes sterilizing materials, if necessary and putting out any other supplies that are needed” (Zermeno). You’ll also be working with students, so you have to be patient and have good communication skills. Another great thing about working in school is “there is no heavy lifting, unless you bring it upon yourself” (Dinnell). Apparently you get to set your own ambience of how you want your class, and students, to feel. This will ultimately affect how every day turns out. As you can see this career allows you to work closely with students, so if you have the patience for it then it is definitely the job for you. According to my interviewees becoming a biology teacher does require quite a bit of schooling. Although to me it is totally worth the knowledge you will gain while in school. There’s also a student-teacher program that all teachers have to go through so that the interested schools can see whether they have what it takes to be teach at their facility (Zermeno). Mr. Kim Dinnell, for example, acquired a four year bachelor’s degree in biology. Mrs. Danipour wanted to add that “you’ll also need an education minor or emphasis on another related subject”. Also “don’t forget to make sure the school you’re going to is accredited, or you’ll be taking courses for nothing” (Dinnell). I guess you have to be somewhat careful in choosing which school you go to get your degree. I learned that some institutions lie to their applicants just so they can pocket their tuition money. Then when you try to get a job as a teacher somewhere you are turned away because you weren’t taught from the right curriculum. These were just some examples for their personal lives, but I’m sure if I remember their advice it will help me in the long run. Even if you like biology and choose not to become a teacher, or do and then decide to change up your lifestyle, there are still many other careers that may interest you. Being a biology major will open up many opportunities for you in things you can be very interested in. Whether it’s to teach students or conduct experiments of your own, there are always jobs in the market for people who like to get hands on with the sciences. If the classroom environment isn’t for you, but you still want to teach, then maybe wildlife biology can be for you. You can work in a zoo or wildlife preserve and give the visitors some insight into what animals or plants they’re looking at (Zermeno). Another field you can delve into can be marine biology. This will put you right out there in the field with the things you’ll be studying (Dinnell). Once you have your biology degree in hand many of these careers can be made available to you. All you have to do is just take your pick. After learning what I did about actual biology teachers, it just makes me want to become one even more. I was even able to go back to my school and interview my old biology teacher from high school, then tell him that he was the reason that I decided to become a biology teacher in the first place. I also got to speak to my current professor from college and get an in depth look at the differences between high school and college biology. Their answers only added fuel to the fire that is my desire to be able to help other students like me learn the wonders of biology. I mean I already love working with kids and tutoring them, but to get paid for it would just be a plus. It seems as though I’ll be taking some more college courses on the sciences, which is great, because it’s what I’m mostly interested in. I don’t think I’ll be getting tired of teaching biology any time soon after I start, but if I ever do want to have a change of pace I know that I have many other interesting career choices. This has really proved to be an exciting and fulfilling job and also makes me all the more enthusiastic about seeing what’s in store for the future.