Sadie Peterson: Helping Students Discover the World is a Beautiful Place
By: Jennifer Whalen
St. John’s sixth and seventh graders are working together to discover more about the world around them. At least that’s the goal of Sadie Peterson, the school’s new science teacher.
Mrs. Peterson teaches sixth and seventh grade science, as well as seventh
grade literature. She has a B.S. in secondary science education from the
University of Maryland, and her seven years of middle school science
experience include stints at both Holy Redeemer and Holy Cross.
Spurring Curiosity
“I want all students to believe that they can do science. I want them to enjoy learning about the natural world,” said Mrs. Peterson when asked about her teaching philosophy. “My job is to fan their curiosity and motivate them to want to learn.”
Part of her motivational strategy includes a hands-on approach in the lab. “In science, the students have the opportunity to design their own experiments and come up with their own investigative questions,” she explained. “I also try to take the content they are learning and apply it to their lives. If the students can relate to the material, they are much more apt to learn it.” She also cultivates cooperative learning, by having students work together in groups.
Technology is another big motivator for her students. “The students like being on the computer. I post homework assignments on our web site and also links to items of interest. There is so much science information on the Internet - models, simulations, educational movies - it’s a great motivating resource.”
Understanding the World Around Them
Mrs. Peterson says that watching the students get excited about science and discovering things they had never known before is one of her favorite things about teaching.
“The worldview of a sixth grader, which is focused more on school, and an eighth grader is very different. In middle school, their world just opens up. Their critical thinking skills accelerate greatly, and they start understanding the world around them. That’s fun for me to watch as a teacher,” she explained.
Mrs. Peterson hopes that her students will come to learn that the world is a beautiful place. “I want them to understand that this world is full of questions. It’s very mysterious. There is so much to explore, but it’s beautiful, and there is a place in the world for them.”
Long-Time Parish Member
Although this is her first year as a teacher at St. John’s, Mrs. Peterson isn’t new to our community. She was a parishioner here as a child, and for the past 10 years has been singing in the choir. Her husband Michael and her four children - Isabelle, Sam, Dylan, and Gus - are parish members, and her three oldest children attend school here.
Mrs. Peterson admits that being on the same schedule as her kids is a big
advantage of working at St. John’s. “I also like the atmosphere
here,” she said. “The kids help each other out. The teachers have
been great, and I love that we have the sisters of the Immaculate Heart of
Mary here.”
