Staff Spotlight: Mrs Bernadette Norton, Senior Science Teacher
This month, Ruby C (Year 9) sat down with the legendary Oxley institution herself, Mrs Bernadette Norton.
How long have you been teaching at Oxley?
8 years at the end of this year – I started in January of 2018.
What inspired you to become a Science teacher?
For 20 years I worked as a microbiologist in infectious diseases and biotechnology, then one day one of my colleagues told me that he had just switched careers to teaching. I thought, “What? Are you completely mad?” Long story short – here I am.
What do you believe fosters problem solving and critical thinking in Science?
You can’t do either of these if you have not delved deeply enough into the content. Do not believe this nonsense that we no longer need content, that we just need skills. When you dig into the content, that is when the interesting questions arise and the conflicts in thinking that you have to resolve. Of course, this usually leads to more questions!
What area of Science do you specialise in?
My background is medical microbiology and biotechnology applications so the HSC subject that best aligns is Biology – it’s great, I just love it because it is so integral to our health and it’s rapidly evolving. Kids these days learn all about DNA and bioengineering processes that I didn’t encounter until Uni. What will be taught in classrooms in 2050?
What do you think is a remarkable scientific discovery of our day?
In recent years, the mRNA vaccine for Covid-19. We have it to thank for saving millions of lives and saving world economies from collapse. The result of many years of collaborative research and the great minds and persistence of many scientists.
Why is Science such a crucial and important subject for students at Oxley?
Students at Oxley are citizens of the world. To live responsibly and meaningfully in our world we must be grounded in reality. Science directs us to think logically and base our understanding on justified knowledge and not opinion and feelings. Science is based on valid experimentation and evidence, and I think it essential that we train our students how to do this or at the very least recognise when an opinion being thrown around as factual has not formed from such rigorous investigation.
At Oxley, what opportunities does Science offer to students?
Very often Year 7 Science is the first real experience of formal science for our students. From there we build on their knowledge, understanding and skills so that they will be well equipped to specialise in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth and Environmental Science and Extension Science in Years 11 and 12. We have a high proportion of our students study one, two or even three sciences for the HSC, and so many students from Oxley go on to study a field of Science at Uni – so the Oxley Science teachers must be doing something right.
When it comes to teaching Science, what are you most passionate about and proud of?
It is so satisfying for me when students tell me that they have decided to go into science at Uni. I love that because I know they have caught the bug! Good on them – we need more scientists and good thinkers to solve many problems and many future ones. I know too, that they will never have a dull moment.