Teacher Tuesday – Ms Laura Jane Service

Teacher Tuesday – Ms Laura Jane Service

We head to Secondary Science for this week’s Teacher Tuesday, where we talk to Ms Laura Jane Service:

How many years have you been in teaching and where have you taught?
18 years. I have taught in Buxton and Stockport in the UK, Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland and at KIS since 2017.

How would you describe the KIS community?

It is like a family. I love that the school is so small that even though you donโ€™t work with everyone, they become friendly and familiar. The students are generally fabulous and the support environment here allows them to develop and grow.

What do you find most rewarding about being a teacher?

The interactions with the students. They are always expressing different notions and innovative ideas so that I can rediscover science in a different way. I also enjoy the opportunity to share my interest and appreciation of the world around me. It is very rewarding to see the spark of understanding or the flame of enthusiasm lighting in the eyes of a student as you discuss one of your own passions.

What is your favourite classroom resource and why?

My favourite resource is the students, because they bring so much into the lesson, from their enthusiasm to the joy as they discover more about their own existences. They can take a good lesson and turn it into an unforgettable experience through their willingness to participate and curiosity about the world around them.

As a Science Teacher, what is your favourite experiment and why?

The one thing that biology specialists do which really draws the crowds is the dissections. The element of gore rivals the fascination of the students. They all start off โ€œfeeling illโ€ and shying away but by the end of the lesson they are leaning in and have forgotten the smell because they are captivated by the discovery of the new and unknown. I also relish the challenge-based lesson. โ€œThrow the egg off the balcony without it breakingโ€ or โ€œbuild the fastest car with these materialsโ€. Project-based learning develops their imagination, team-building and, most of all, is great fun.

Youโ€™ve been at KIS since August 2017, what is your favourite memory of your time here so far?

I loved the Science Day last year. I presented an assembly to the Primary section and it was fun to do something unique with a different age of student than I am used to. I also took a group of A Level students to Mantanani, where we worked with the Marine Research Foundation. Dr. Pilcher performed a laparoscopy and I helped with measuring and weighing a turtle. As they are a protected species, I have never touched one before and found the whole experience extraordinary.

If you could have dinner with an iconic legend who would it be and why?

I would have dinner with David Attenborough. He has explored so much of the world and has such a diverse biological knowledge that I would love the opportunity to chat about the places he has been and the things that he has seen. The sad fact is that he has also seen the serious decline of the environment and the dangers that we face from global warming and I am concerned that our conversation would end up drifting towards these more difficult topics. His recent address to the U.N. is extremely somber and worrying but something that we all need to act on, as Global Citizens.

With Christmas rapidly approaching, what is your favourite Christmas tradition?

Meeting up with family. Last year I surprised my Mum and Dad by going home without telling them. It was brilliant. This year I am not going home but a part of me wishes I was.

What do you enjoy doing in KK when youโ€™re not working?

I love snorkeling and have visited the islands a number of times to do this. I also enjoy the Quiz at El Centro and swimming in the pool. And shopping, of course!