Dear Parents/Guardians,

I would like to welcome your students into my classroom this year. I am genuinely
excited to be instructing the second half of the biology course here at Chandler High School and
hope that the students develop, if not a passion for biology, an appreciation for science and
scientists. Students will focus on biological phenomena, but will also be able to practice general
educational skills in class such as mathematics, language arts and literature comprehension. I
hope to keep in contact with you regarding your students or students progression throughout the
rest of this school year and keep you up to date on all major projects and assignments.
A little bit about me; I am beginning my student teaching here at Chandler High. I
received my bachelors from the University of Arizona in ecology and evolutionary biology
where I also minored in science education. I participated in a research team that studied how
undergraduate students learn about biology and how they are able to make the transition from
being a novice and becoming an expert in science. I started student teaching in the Teacher
Preparation Program at the University of Arizona. I am now working on receiving my masters of
education from the Teach Arizona Masters Program, also affiliated with the University of
Arizona.
The understanding and progression of your students is my top priority. The door to my
classroom will always be open and my contact information will be readily available for you or
your student. Attendance in my class is necessary for understanding. The homework
assignments that I will assign are for the benefit of the student. Homework is not viewed as
busy work, rather a tool to solidify an idea developed in class while the student is on their own.
I have created a no tolerance environment for bullying and deconstructing criticism from other
students. Troublesome students will not jeopardize others learning, as well as their own. I base
my classroom off of a positive and optimistic environment with enthusiasm for new knowledge.
It has come to my attention in my years of education that many students think that
science is not for them or that science is too hard. My goal for this year is to show them that
science is not something that should be feared and that the scientific method is something that we
practice within our daily lives. It is true that not every student will fall in love with science, but
they will develop a skill set complete with the ability to think critically and ask the question
why?
I hope to keep in touch with you,

Ms. Kathryn Bryant