“Every kid starts out as a natural-born scientist, then we beat it out of them. A few trickle through the system with their wonder and enthusiasm for science intact.” Carl Sagan

​

From my experience in school projects’ mentoring and implementation of ocean literacy initiatives, in both formal and informal educational approaches, teachers are motivated and deeply interested in changing their teaching practices to deepen students’ understanding of science-related concepts, while at the same time encouraging their enquiry and feeding their curiosity.

​

But teachers feel they need support to improve their skills and become more proficient, which is most frequently gained through continuing education.

In Portugal, teachers’ training is fairly common, but most frequently focused in pedagogical issues and less in science-related topics. To overcome this gap, since 2016, I have been developing and implementing training courses in natural-science-related themes such as Ocean Literacy, Ecosystem Services and Marine Spatial Planning.

​

I have, in the meanwhile, learned a lot about my students’ - who are also teachers - struggles and needs and have been adapting my practice to reduce their fear of the unknown and to make their life easier and learning effective. 

My expectation is that they feel empowered after each training and confident to navigate in less-turbulent waters.