After earning a bachelor’s degree in integrative biology from the University of Illinois and master’s degrees in plant biology and science education, Alex Riley took his first job as a science teacher at Urbana High School this year.
It didn’t take long for Riley to show his enthusiasm for teaching science, according to an article in Urbana’s student newspaper written by one of his students, Santiago Gonzalez.
“From the first day of school, Riley’s aura of positivity was bouncing off the walls in the classroom,” Gonzalez wrote.
I find my work important because … science is such a powerful, beautiful lens to view the world through! When students understand science, they can understand so many of the issues facing our world today and what we can and can’t achieve with technology. Additionally, when students can integrate science into the way they look at what they see in their lives, even the most basic daily occurrences can become something amazing. If I can help them reach these points, I’ve given them a new tool, and perspective, they’ll have for the rest of their lives.
I became a teacher because … I’ve always loved to share my love of science and nature with other people. I still remember going into my first grade class and telling anyone I could find about whatever I had seen the night before on “Animal Planet,” or read about in a book. In high school, I worked as a kayak guide and discovered that I loved teaching other people new ways to explore nature. In college, I got into research, but in graduate school, when I started teaching courses, I rediscovered a love for sharing science with students, and now here I am!
My favorite or most unique lesson that I teach is … I really love projects where students get to learn new things while solving problems they see in their daily lives. For our first unit this year in my AP environmental science class, students designed an audit of the school’s energy and water use. Students got to learn about things like power generation and waste-water treatment, all while trying to measure things in the school and come up with ways to make it better. It was definitely a highlight of the year!
My most fulfilling moment on the job is when … students find connections between what we’re doing in the classroom and the world around them. So many students have trouble with the “why” of what they’re learning in school. As many times as I can explain why what we’re doing is important, when students find connections on their own, it shows that they’ve not only really gotten the content, but also that they’ve been able to meaningfully build it into how they understand the world around them. It’s a really special experience, and it’s a lot of why I love to teach!
I keep students engaged by … building relationships with them, and trying to connect what we’re learning to things they care about. I could have the best curriculum in the world, but if students don’t know that I really care about them as people they’ll never engage with it. On the other hand, no matter how great my relationship with the kids is, if they don’t see the point of what they’re doing, they’ll never engage with what I’m trying to help them learn. Both pieces are critical.
Something else I’m passionate about is … spending time outside. I love to get out and explore, especially through climbing, kayaking and hiking. All of which is even better with my daughter, Violet. She’s 6, and watching her grow up and develop her own interests and relationship with the outdoors has been a blast (even if she does take some convincing to get out sometimes).
My favorite teacher and subject to study in school was … my high school biology teacher, Scott Horlock at Sycamore High School. He made biology such a blast to study. My senior year I also got to pilot a new class he offered on the local watershed, where we spent the summer wading in rivers and collecting samples, which has still really informed how I think about making meaningful experiences for my students in the outdoors.
If I weren’t a teacher, I would be … some kind of outdoor guide, maybe kayaking on the great lakes. Like I said, I absolutely love helping folks explore the world around them, whether it’s intellectually or through an activity like climbing or kayaking. It also fits great with my love of being outside, so it feels like it would be a great fit!
— Anthony Zilis
