I've been teaching for 27 years at Dorris Place Elementary in Elysian Valley, and I think I've finally got the confidence to teach good, hands-on science. Why did it take so long? My dad taught Junior High science, so I grew up with white rats, steam engines and lunar eclipses. My husband works with astronomy and computers. We're both amateur radio operators.

But I love history and children's literature. I started teaching in 1966 at our beautiful brick, two-story, red-tile-roofed school and soon found that teaching English and reading were number one. I got involved with the district's library services and a wonderful math program.

Well, of course I taught science--right out of the science book. I lectured and demonstrated, we read and Experiments discussed, the children wrote their answers to the questions at the end of the chapter. were not only scarce, but I thought they were too noisy and messy. And who wanted to track down or buy the supplies and equipment that were always missing from the science kits?

I was involved with the "Gifted" program when mandatory extra credit for high grades was imposed, so I developed centers and long-term homework assignments, often with science or math activities. I integrated science with social studies ("raise silkworms when you study Japan") and tried to work in cooperative groups.

And then along came LAEP's Target Science! I was dragged to classes on Urban Environment, cajoled to conventions at Rosemont, intrigued by leadership conferences at Catalina and Lake Arrowhead, and fascinated by all the enthusiastic people I met. The Target Science Teacher Network treats you like a person whose time is valuable. They give you supplies and equipment to carry out experiments in your own classroom, provide meals and refreshments, and pay for a substitute!

After a couple of years, Target Science started wanting me to do something. I got on a computer network with a modem they supplied. It took some prodding and a lot of advice, but now I'm in my second year of National Geographic Kids' Net. When I offered to help with refreshments for the Target Science North Central Leadership Team's first workshop series on astronomy, I ended up presenting elementary lessons linking mythology of many cultures to constellations. I helped organize our earthquake workshop series, and thus was ready to in-service the teachers at my school this past February.

Target Science had me dissecting owl pellets in my classroom with the aid of some high school students, observing insects downtown, collecting weather information at my school, and counting birds and plants in the L.A. River. Through the LAEP program Partners in Science and Industry, two of my colleagues and I have for two years run an after-school science club based on the activities of Future Scientists and Engineers of America. Just recently, encouraged and supported by our Target Science North Central Leadership Team, we hosted our first Family Science Day. More than 200 people participated in 20 activities, and the only complaint was that no one had time to make it to all of the stations!

I'm finally ready and willing for things to get a little noisy and messy....

The Target Science Teacher Network is part of the SMART Plan. For more information, or to register for a Target Science workshop, call 1-800-83-SMART.