My name is Aaron Turner, and I am a science teacher in Cincinnati, Ohio. I have been teaching since 2021, after graduating from Miami University with my Bachelors of Science in Integrated Science Education. I am currently working towards earning my Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction at Miami University with an expected graduation date of August 2025.

I have taught at Robert A. Taft Information Technology High School for the entirety of my teaching career thus far. Although my scientific passion is for chemistry, I have primarily taught 9th grade biology, and a variety of other courses including: botany, chemistry, forensics, and physical science. In addition to my classroom duties, I have also ran an after school program in conjunction with Miami University’s Urban Cohort to conduct Youth Participatory Action Research with some of my students. My experiences with YPAR began in my undergrad, and have been a major influence on my pedagogy and the inspiration behind the title of this blog: Critical Science Teaching.

The use of the word critical in the title of this blog does not refer to the traditional “critical thinking” that comes to mind when we think of science classes. I use the definition of critical pioneered by Brazilian scholar Paulo Freire to refer to a theory of education that is rooted in social justice. Education is seen as a means of changing the world, not just understanding it. In the traditional science class, the focus of nearly every course is to “better understand the natural world”, I like to take this goal a few steps forward: how does understanding the natural world prepare us to make change in our communities? This is the theme of this blog, reimagining science education so that our students leave our classes with the ability to take what they have learned and become leaders and changemakers in their communities.

This blog will feature a variety of information and resources that I come upon in my own journey to be a more critical science teacher. I am by no means an expert in critical theory nor do I claim to be a perfect practitioner. My goal is to share what I know and what I learn as an active science teacher, and to make that information applicable to science teachers and others who wish to use their classroom as vehicle for social justice. Join my mailing list below to receive updates from me in your inbox that way you don’t miss out on the latest post.