Alex Hartley's
E-portfolio
The experiences of a science educator in the Boston Area
Physics, Biology and French teacher at Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia
In the summers of 2008, 2009 and 2010, I was a Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia teacher at the St. Joseph's University site.
Breakthrough is a tuition-free academic enrichment program for motivated, low-income middle school students. The students complete an extensive application process to be admitted and then they go to school for six weeks during the summer. All the teachers are high school and college students. Teachers undergo two weeks of training before the students arrive and write all of their own lesson plans. Teachers are supported by experienced teachers who observe them, read their lesson plans, and provide feedback on a daily basis.
Breakthrough Collaborative
During my first summer, I taught an immersion French class to students who had never taken French before. During my second summer, I taught 7th grade Biology and 8th grade Physics, and during my 3rd summer I taught multiple sections of Physics. In my second two years, I created and ran a science fair for all of the students. Each small group completed their own project and made a display board demonstrating how their project followed the scientific method. While at Breakthrough, I also was a Small Learning Community head, a department head, and a member of the Celebration committee, which plans the end-of-summer performance.
Biology Class, Summer 2008
Physics Class, Summer 2009
Breakthrough Students and Staff on Twin Day, Summer 2009
Do you know what you are?
You are a marvel.
You are unique.
In all the years that have passed,
there has never been another child like you.
~ Pablo Casals
How does the option of being removed from a program impact students' actions? What happens when removing a student is not an option, like in public schools?
How does removing one student from a program impact the ones who remain?
When you are trying to help students and teachers learn at the same time, sometimes what is good for the teachers is not good for the students. How to you negotiate that tension?
What benefits and limitations arise from a required lesson plan format or way of teaching? Is there a different way to do things that works better?
Can you value both student motivation and student learning? What can you do when these two things are at odds with each other?