From Grad School to Grade School
 From The Scientist (pdf) September 2007
These scientist-turned-teachers are "scientific ambassadors," says Bruce Alberts, former president of the National Academy of Sciences. Because "they've got PhDs and therefore are well connected and respected by the scientific community," says Alberts, they can be more effective liaisons between the education system and the scientific community.
Irene Salter agrees that her PhD has not been wasted in the classroom, saying her scientific training has been extremely instructive in her teaching. Though the decision to leave research for teaching may have been difficult for Salter, she says her teaching career has been very satisfying. "I've never done anything more rewarding, ever," says Salter, "When a student's eyes light up because they understand something they never figured out before, it's so great."
This fall Salter embarked on the next step in her teaching career and is now a professor in science education. She will share the insights she gained in the classroom with the next generation of science teachers. "I feel like if I can influence a couple of teachers to teach and think in a new way, then I'm going to be impacting so many more than my little 45 students," Salter said.
She first had to say goodbye to her students, though, and Salter says that leaving her middle-school students was not easy. "When I left, all my students were really sad and were saying things like, 'But who could ever take your place?'"
So you want to be a science teacher? Here's how to get started, right here.
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