Fair / 52° F
Earth science made interesting
Published 4:54pm Wednesday, October 21, 2009From the outside, Steve Szczodroski may be known as the new teacher with the flashy bike.
But inside the classroom, it’s a whole different story.
As the new Earth Science teacher at the Fergus Falls High School and Area Learning Center, Szczodroski is able to share with students his passion for science, and do so in a way that makes learning a bit more hands-on.
After studying both life science and earth and space science at the University of Minnesota – Duluth (UMD), Szczodroski began to think about passing on his knowledge and enthusiasm to students.
His first teaching adventure took him to Costa Rica, where he underwent the student teacher portion of his studies. He also student taught in Duluth and on the Iron Range.
After graduating from UMD, Szczodroski accepted a three month position as a long term substitute teacher in Fergus Falls.
That’s how he eased into his current role as a full time teacher for the district.
And he’s quite pleased he did.
“The faculty support is excellent,” Szczodroski said. “That makes it a lot easier.”
Working with high school kids is something that he both enjoys and finds to be a healthy challenge.
Maintaining high school students’ attention and finding a way to make lessons intriguing is his ultimate aim.
“I use a lot of visuals,” he said.
He also uses science lessons to relate to students’ own lives.
Plate tectonics, for example, can teach students how the earth is constantly evolving.
“Our earth just keeps changing,” he said. “It’s the differences and changes that make things perfect.”
That also plays into his passion for earth friendly practices, such as recycling, which allows products to change and evolve into something new and useful.
