Early on in life, John David Hartman learned to be an excellent communicator, a quality that has greatly enhance his teaching. Raised by two hearing-impaired parents, John learned how to communicate in a variety of ways. Explains John, “I grew up in a deaf family, learned to speak sign language, and often interpreted for my parents. It was largely this upbringing that led me to realize I am an effective communicator.” Later, John’s experience as a military supervisor helped him learn to appreciate the unique strengths of each individual – another skill which he now uses as a teacher to address the learning styles of all his students.

 

A 6th-grade teacher at Lakenheath Middle School in England, John teaches science, social studies, and mathematics. One of the things John likes most about JASON is its interdisciplinary nature, and he is familiar with all the different aspects of JASON from incorporating various Webcasts, online labs, and live broadcasts with his experimentation with fertilizers, investigation of local wetlands, and many other classroom activities.

 

Most importantly, John has a strong passion to continue to learn, another quality he considers vital for any teacher looking to motivate students. John maintains a “been there, done that” philosophy, where he likes to experience life and learn in a hands-on fashion. He also encourages students to do the same, through real-world, hands-on activities. “Science is real world,” explains John, “it is not the man in the white coat, but around you every day.” Appropriately, John explains his favorite moment in Denver was standing on a bluff with Tim Samaras, watching as a storm rolled in and playing the role of the student by peppering Tim with questions and soaking up the knowledge. 

 

In addition to his work in the classroom, John also helps kids grow through outdoor activities. Currently John is an outdoor coordinator for his local Boy Scout Troop, for whom he sets up outdoor adventures, including 20-mile hikes, rock climbing, canoeing, and rope courses that involve teamwork.

 

In his own words:

 

Teachers can always be heard repeating the old phrase “knowledge is power.” The problem is knowledge is not always readily available when you need it, or access to it is too difficult. However, this is not the case when you travel with Tim Samaras. Being with Tim over the last few days has been like having your own up-to-date weather reference at your fingertips. I live for questions, and Tim lives for making answers. So, we got along perfectly. After peppering Tim with a million and one questions for a couple of hours on our first day, we ventured out to a bluff overlooking downtown Denver to watch thunderstorms build, move, and eventually die. That experience itself was too cool, but being able to ask Tim questions as the drama unfolded was icing on the cake.  I got to play the part of a student with Tim as the teacher, and I milked it for all it was worth. “What does that mean? Will those clouds come together? Why is the sky a deeper blue after the storm?”  These questions and many more were answered that day. The second day was no different. I’ve learned more about thunderstorms, tornadoes, and simple weather patterns in the last two days than I have in a long time.” 

 

You need to show them the passion. You need to show them you are excited about science, because kids will rise to the challenge. If they know you as a teacher are excited about your program, they will be excited. If they feel you are just going through the motions to get a paycheck, then all they are going to care about is getting in, getting out, and finding a way to get a grade. But when they see the excitement, they become interested. And there are so many hands-on activities – and again, I can’t stress enough, JASON has already laid out everything for you. So, if you can adapt it to your program or use it solely, then you are only going to win over the students.

To truly make an impact beyond education, I challenge the students to become environmental activists by participating in the Duck Stamp Program endorsed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Interestingly enough, I found the program in National Geographic in 1999, and that year my class purchased six-tenths of an acre. I have done this now every year for seven years, and my class has the distinction of being the only school outside of the United States to participate in the program.  To date my students have purchased roughly three-and-a-half acres of U.S. Wetlands.

To help everyone get to know each other, one of our first activities was a game of Frisbee Football. It quickly became apparent that these students were up for the challenge. When Cameron scored the first touchdown, he exclaimed, “I’m an all-American baby,” and this set the tone for a whole host of nicknames and entertainment throughout the week. However, do not let the kidding around fool you; these Argonauts know how to work together. In fact, each Student Argonaut took it upon him or herself to make sure everyone was involved in all activities. Being a competitive person, I was happy to see so many Student Argonauts who shared my passion to do better. Cindy, our activities coordinator, challenged us to keep a blow-up ball in the air for as long as possible. Our first game ended with the ball being in the air about 10 seconds. However, the Student Argonauts quickly raised the bar, and when all was said and done, we managed to keep the ball in the air for almost 30 seconds. This scene played itself out over and over during the week. Any activity we participated in found the Student Argonauts setting their goals higher and higher.