Liberty Science Teacher Wins Space Fellowship: Chris Taylor Says Science is ?Not Being Taught As Muc

Jun 20, 02:40 PM

Current Headlines: By Anne Wallace Allen, The Idaho Statesman, Boise

Jun. 20--This week, Liberty Elementary fifth- and sixth-grade teacher Chris Taylor leaves for a weeklong teacher's conference in Huntsville, Ala., sponsored by the aerospace giant Honeywell International.

Taylor, 36, was the only Idaho teacher this year to win a spot at the competitive 3-year-old program, which is run by Honeywell's U.S. Space & Rocket Center. There, he'll trade ideas with 265 science and math teachers from 21 countries and 43 U.S. states and will study teaching methods in space science and exploration.

Teaching and space are both passions for Taylor, who graduated from Kuna High School and holds a bachelor's degree in elementary teaching and a master's degree in administration. After 10 years of elementary school teaching, he served as principal at Pierce Park Elementary School for two years, but left that job a year ago to return to the classroom.

"We're lucky to have him," said Liberty Principal Betty Hoogland, who described Taylor as a leader in curriculum writing and a trainer for substitute teachers around the district. Taylor offers hands-on science opportunities outside the classroom, said Hoogland, such as science nights for his students and for other classes at Liberty.

"He makes science accessible to everyone," she said. "It's fun to watch him teach; he loves his job and he loves the kids."

In Huntsville, Taylor will complete 50 hours of classroom, laboratory and field training focused on space science. He will also take part in some astronaut training exercises, such as a high-performance jet simulation and land and water survival training.

We caught up with Taylor as his classroom duties at Liberty were winding down for the year.

What prompted you to apply for the Honeywell program?

"I've always really loved space and doing things with space," said Taylor, who learned about the Honeywell program in a National Science Teachers Association publication. "I think space is the future, I really do. The way our planet is changing so much, I think space is something we need to look at, and in the next 20 to 30 years, I think it's going to be more relevant to the students. I think there will be more space travel."

How did your interest in science develop?

"Science and math are my love," said Taylor, who entered college as a pre-med student before discovering that he loves to teach. "I had some great science teachers at my high school -- Kuna High," he added.

How do you get kids to enjoy learning about science?

"I think kids love science. In my classroom, we do science every single day. We usually try to do it in conjunction with other curriculum; we do a lot of writing with it, a lot of literature and reading, a lot of math.

"My first year of teaching, I taught science with a hands-on approach, and I could see the kids' light bulbs come on, and see them develop an enthusiasm for science. That made me want to learn more about science. I got more excited about it because the kids were excited about it.

"We need to promote science in the elementary schools because it's not being taught as much as it should be," said Taylor, who also noted that science teaching will probably increase now that students have started taking a science ISAT as part of the state-required standardized tests. The state Board of Education also recently increased the science and math requirements for high school graduation.

What are your future plans?

Taylor teaches classroom management to seniors at Boise State University as an adjunct faculty member. He said he would like to study for a doctorate in education and teach at the university level.

And Taylor said he wouldn't mind following in Barbara Morgan's footsteps one day. Morgan is a former McCall teacher who will become the nation's first educator astronaut on a space shuttle flight scheduled for August 9.

"That motivates a lot of teachers from Idaho," Taylor said of Morgan's work with NASA. "If there ever turned out to be an astronaut program from Idaho, I'd love it. I'd love to be flying in space one day. That's the next frontier."

Anne Wallace Allen: 377-6433

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