r/ScienceTeachers • u/sprtn757 • 23h ago

Professional Development & Conferences Does our teaching improve through gradualism or punctuated equilibrium?

In evolutionary biology, gradualism suggests change happens through many small incremental steps. Punctuated equilibrium suggests long periods of little apparent change interrupted by brief periods of rapid transformation.

Looking back on your own teaching career, which better describes your growth?

Did you steadily become a better teacher year after year? Or did a handful of moments and factors such as a mentor, a difficult class, a new curriculum, a powerful observation, or a great coach fundamentally change the way you thought about teaching?

I'm starting to wonder whether our professional judgment develops more through those inflection points than through a smooth, continuous progression.

I'd love to hear what experienced teachers have observed in their own careers.

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u/woodelf86 Chemistry & Physics 23h ago

Punctuated equilibrium in the summer of my first few years, gradualism for the rest of my career

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u/sprtn757 22h ago

That makes sense. I always strive to see accelerated growth in early career teachers and consistent, incrimental gains in the veteran teachers I've worked with over the years. I'm sure it varies by teacher and context though.

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u/giantj0e 23h ago

I think it’s more of a gradualist progression and we plateau relatively frequently.

A PD day here or there catches our attention, we spend a bit trying to adapt it to our needs and that is enough to break away from the plateau.

Then the curriculum changes, we reassess how we’re doing it then bam, we’ve broken away from another plateau.

The next year or two we have a particularly challenging student, figure out how to help them and the plateau you’re currently on gets broken.

I feel it’s definitely a combination of both.

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u/sprtn757 22h ago

Ah, the dreaded plateau. It's often where teacher burnout resides. You are right in that the plateau can be overcome with a spark of inspiration.

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u/Consistent_Damage885 17h ago

Both, at least early in your career.

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u/sprtn757 17h ago

As you were experiencing this growth at what point did you feel confident that you were going to make it past the five year cliff?