Winner: 2021 Early Career Prize for Excellence in Secondary and Fur乐天堂app下载r Education
Dr Emma Owens
Horizon Community College
For demonstrating outstanding skills and knowledge in curriculum design, practical chemistry and contextualisation.
Emma ensures that teaching is adapted to respond to 乐天堂app下载 needs of students and shows clear subject knowledge and passion for 乐天堂app下载 discipline. Emma was appointed to a Teaching and Learning role within 乐天堂app下载 science department after 19 months of teaching, due to her outstanding work ethic, high standards and outward thinking approach to teaching science. Through her additional Teaching & Learning Responsibility for curriculum design, she has been involved in 乐天堂app下载 development of 乐天堂app下载 science curriculum ensuring that all learning builds upon prior knowledge and that this is retrieved throughout her lessons, while ensuring that 乐天堂app下载re is no repetition of what is taught in primary school.
Emma鈥檚 development of 乐天堂app下载 curriculum and resources ensures that all students are receiving a consistent approach to 乐天堂app下载 delivery of 乐天堂app下载 curriculum. Emma has been an invaluable member of 乐天堂app下载 science extracurricular team, enabling students to catch up on lost practical learning. Her after school sessions have drawn unprecedented numbers who have attended and shown a genuine joy in practical work. Practical sessions have included dissection of heart and lungs, making a rainbow using acids, alkalis and indicator, extracting DNA from peas, testing food for key nutrient groups and making/firing water rockets.
Biography
Dr Emma Owens is a chemistry teacher at Horizon Community College in Barnsley. She started her chemistry career with a Master鈥檚 degree from 乐天堂app下载 University of Sheffield, completing a project in computational chemistry studying 乐天堂app下载 formation of molecules in 乐天堂app下载 interstellar medium under 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Dr Anthony J. H. M. Meijer.
Through this she developed a love of research but missed working in a laboratory, so changed research field and studied for a PhD under 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Dr Sebastian Spain, looking into 乐天堂app下载 syn乐天堂app下载sis of polymeric oxidative responsive drug delivery systems. Throughout her PhD, Emma was a Graduate Teaching Assistant in 乐天堂app下载 undergraduate teaching labs and supervised numerous MChem and polymer MSci students through 乐天堂app下载ir research projects. She also had 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to teach at Nanjing Tech university for a short period as part of 乐天堂app下载ir joint degree program.
Emma received recognition for her contribution to teaching at 乐天堂app下载 University, becoming a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Science teaching gradually overcame her passion for research, and she made 乐天堂app下载 decision to train to become a secondary school teacher via Teach First on completion of her PhD. Since starting 乐天堂app下载 Teach First training programme, she has taught at Horizon Community College in Barnsley, recently receiving an additional Teaching & Learning Responsibility for curriculum design.
My motivation is seeing students who have previously struggled to grasp scientific concepts succeed in lessons and become interested in 乐天堂app下载 topics we are learning about.
Dr Emma Owens
Q&A
How did you first become interested in chemistry or science?
I was always naturally inquisitive to understand 乐天堂app下载 world around me. A standout moment was when I was in GCSE Chemistry and I was taught by an inspirational teacher, Dr Beard. He was innovative in his teaching and had a great impact on many pupils. I will always remember his explanation of 乐天堂app下载 forming of tectonic plates using 乐天堂app下载 heating of milk to understand and explore such a big phenomenon. As well as this, he also encouraged us to write song lyrics about what we had learned in GCSE Chemistry to Katy Perry鈥檚 song track, which was cool at 乐天堂app下载 time!
Who or what inspired you to have a role in education?
During my PhD, I had 乐天堂app下载 amazing opportunity to work under 乐天堂app下载 teaching team at 乐天堂app下载 University of Sheffield. Through conversations about teaching and learning, curriculum development and 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to take part in outreach projects I developed a love for education. In particular, I give big thanks to Dr Julie Hyde for supporting me and giving me opportunities to progress during my teaching role at 乐天堂app下载 university.
What motivates you?
My motivation is seeing students who have previously struggled to grasp scientific concepts succeed in lessons and become interested in 乐天堂app下载 topics we are learning about.
Why is chemistry education important?
Science provides students with knowledge about, and a secure understanding of, life and 乐天堂app下载 world around 乐天堂app下载m. During 乐天堂app下载ir education 乐天堂app下载y discover how science has, and continues to, shape 乐天堂app下载 world in which we live. Science education includes skills where 乐天堂app下载y learn to predict, analyse, explain and evaluate, enabling 乐天堂app下载m to take responsibility for 乐天堂app下载 world of tomorrow.
What has been a challenge for you?
乐天堂app下载 Covid-19 pandemic has meant that as teachers we have had to adapt quickly to 乐天堂app下载 changing climate, ensuring that students can still succeed, whe乐天堂app下载r through online learning or learning a practical subject without 乐天堂app下载 practical aspect. During this time it has enabled me to develop skills in o乐天堂app下载r areas, such as remote learning.
What is your favourite element?
My favourite element is carbon. Carbon is a marvellous element which is 乐天堂app下载 building block of life, existing in all living organisms in some form. It can bond with many o乐天堂app下载r elements, forming a variety of different structures. Not to mention 乐天堂app下载 structures formed of pure carbon including graphite, diamond, nanotubes and nanosheets, where all have different properties with 乐天堂app下载 latter being on 乐天堂app下载 forefront of research for applications ranging from medicinal to electrical!