Spoiler Alert!

I was recently reading the September/October 2021 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the section “Teacher’s Toolkit” written by Daniel J. Bergman.  Daniel wrote an article entitled “Spoiler Alert! Avoiding Hazards to Science Inquiry and Classroom Creativity.”

Spoilers can infiltrate our classrooms.  Science education “spoilers” are elements or behaviors that sabotage, short-circuit, and short-change the learning process and student creativity.  Here is a listing of several possible science education spoilers—hazards to authentic learning and creativity:

1.  Objectives

2.  Terminology

3.  Cookbook Labs

4.  Teachers

5.  Students