Abstract
What is at the core, the very heart, of teaching biology? When you ask teachers what gives them the most pride (as one of us did informally at a recent NABT conference), more often than not they describe a special relationship with individual students. That is, they rarely mention how successfully they conveyed the intricacies of the mitochondria or the nitrogen cycle. Sometimes, it's about guiding students to a higher level of awareness and appreciation – typically about connecting to a personal or social issue. Or just personal growth. Scores on the AP, PISA, or other standardized exam? Alas, not among the Top 10 Achievements identified by biology teachers. By comparison, when students talk in retrospect about what they valued most in their biology course, inevitably they refer to their teacher, not the content. Imagine that. The most memorable dimension of education was the people, not the biology. Not the science. Not the concepts. But the interpersonal dimension. These primary values may seem ironic given our self-professed commitment to teaching difficult concepts and our oft-voiced concerns …
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