Misconceptions Die Hard

"Teachers should learn about preventing misconceptions before they encounter them on their students' final exams." Misconceptions that students have can really destroy a student understanding if not addressed right away or at all.  In my Chemistry class, I seemed to hold onto the idea that an atom's electrons rotated in a circle like the classic picture shown.  And because of this huge misconception, all the way from my high school Chemistry class to my Organic Chemistry class in college I had the hardest time understanding orbitals and hybridization. Fundamental ideas in order to understand reactions.  This is one of many things that can happen to students in the field of science and so the article is absolutely right that teachers have to be able to prepare for these issue right from the start and try to beat the students to the punch basically.  One way for me to address this, is at the beginning of every lesson plan, under the objectives, I like to map out the major misconceptions my students will most likely have on the topic. That way the are on my mind from the beginning.

The research study on floating properties, was a huge eye opener. Along with the idea that there are college students wondering around right now thinking that a crumples aluminum foil will sink.  It is so important as an elementary teacher that many of these basic ideas are taught properly for two reason, first being that they don't hate science because they simply don't understand, and second so they can continue to expand their knowledge of science.  I think the first step to solving this issue is know that misconceptions can destroy a students understanding.  The second step to address how to fix the misconceptions. That is something I hope to learn how to do.