Doctors in the department Vital role behind the scenes

Doctors

in the department

Science teachers, Dr Young-Wook Song, Dr Antony Crowther, and Dr Heidi McIlroy

Alongside the broad experience and diverse backgrounds of the 17 Science teachers at St Andrew’s College, three of them have also completed doctorates, which brings another layer of learning into the department.

Dr Young-Wook Song (OC 2001) is in his fifth year as a Physics teacher at St Andrew’s College. He says his PhD research was a meaningful learning experience, which has aided his classroom practice. “There were many challenging hurdles to cross involving the immense amount of study but at the same time it was really fun. Together with the skill sets and knowledge I gained throughout the course of my degree, I try to instil my passion for Physics into my classroom, where students can take ownership of their learning and think outside of the box. It is my absolute privilege to deliver these learning experiences in my old classroom, where I first began my lifelong learning process as a student at St Andrew’s College.”

In her ninth year as a Biology and Senior Science teacher at St Andrew’s, Dr Heidi McIlroy says the continuous learning, open-mindedness, and curiosity she experienced during her PhD studies are also important in teaching. “My PhD taught me key Science skills that I am able to pass on to our ākonga, including how to collect and interpret data, to evaluate information, ask good questions, come up with innovative solutions, and reflect on my work.”

Completing his PhD gave Chemistry teacher, Dr Antony Crowther, experience working in industry, lots of opportunities to interact with students and the public, and made him think about clever ways to communicate Science. “My confidence in Science ideas and practicals, along with the ability to conduct research and critique written material on the internet, are valuable skills I developed during my PhD studies. I enjoy sharing these skills with students, discussing how Science is used in real world applications, and helping them to positively engage with Science.”

Vital role

behind the scenes

As Laboratory Manager, Jasmine Harrison heads a small team which ensures all practical Science lessons across the Secondary School are ready for the class, which is a very busy role. “We’re currently averaging around 12 practicals a day,” she says.

To fulfil requests, Jasmine can be found anywhere from preparing chemicals in the Prep Room to collecting organisms from streams. “While some scientific ideas require specialised equipment, others are best served by everyday items that the students are already familiar with. It’s amazing how many pipe cleaners I go through.”

Along with setting up whatever is required for the students’ practical work, Jasmine has the responsibility for health and safety, and the safe storage and handling of items. “What is allowed in schools when it comes to practical work is generally quite safe, but we are dealing with a lot of moving parts and students, so it’s important to have a high level of risk management in place.” Jasmine says she couldn’t do without part-time Science Technicians, Elizabeth Ashton and Marco Casamassima. Together, they look after two Prep Rooms and around six different storage areas housing all the chemicals and equipment. Other aspects of her role are to advise teachers, and work alongside students during certain experiments, to ensure they are using the technology safely and properly.

After joining St Andrew’s as a Science Technician in 2016, Jasmine took over the Laboratory Manager’s role from Head of Science, Brent Cummack, due to the rapid growth of the Science Department. Jasmine holds a Bachelor of Science from Lincoln University majoring in Environmental Biogeoscience, and a Post-Graduate Diploma from the University of Canterbury in Water Resource Management. She is also on the executive of the Science Technicians Association of New Zealand.

Laboratory Manager, Jasmine Harrison gets equipment ready for a Science class.

Jasmine enjoys the well-resourced environment at St Andrew’s and the opportunity to play a key support role to the busy Science teachers. “Our team does the invisible things that make everything tick. Without our support the Department wouldn’t be able to do anywhere near the current practical load.”