WELCOME TO MR. KIRCHER'S WEBSITE
This website is designed to assist students and parents at
Notre Dame Academy.
Within this site, you will find syllabi, home work assignments,
and helpful links to information about the courses I teach.
To access your particular course, click on one of the following links.
EARTH SCIENCE PHYSICAL SCIENCE
MESSAGE TO PARENTS
Parents/Guardians,
In my Science classes throughout the year, I try to discuss careers/jobs related to Science. I’ve asked some of my students about their parents’ careers. Several students got very excited about what their parents do. So, I’m inviting you to contact me if you’d be willing to come into class and describe your job or an experience you’d like to share. In one of my previous careers, I was often in classrooms talking about a mining project I was involved with. The students and teachers seemed to enjoy it.
I can be contacted via the school phone or my room phone is (920)429-6182. (It doesn’t ring, but you can leave me a message) My e-mail address is: skircher@notredameacademy.com . I look forward to meeting you and hope you have something to share with my students.
Steve Kircher
Earth/Physical Science
Notre Dame Academy
Teaching Philosophy
My classroom lessons, experiments and activities are designed around my belief that people learn best by doing. If you can see it, feel it, experience it, you're going to get it! Limiting my Science instruction to textbook readings and lectures limits the opportunities for learning. I choose to go beyond the traditional science classrooms of my past and provide a dynamic and engaging classroom environment focused on students. If my students are actively involved in the activity, experiment or lesson, I’ve found that they’re probably getting it and absorbing it.
My classroom environment encourages “hands-on” lessons and students to take the lead in their learning and accomplish much more than could ever be possible from a textbook and lecture format. I will usually divide my students into working groups, assigning duties, such as the team leader, reporter, supply person etc. I choose to be the navigator guiding students through the learning process, rather than being the process itself. Numerous activities provide the basic knowledge to preface learning, while extension activities allow many paths for the learning process itself. Regardless of their chosen path, every student, if they choose to, will learn during their time with me and build a foundation of knowledge from which to build during high school and beyond.
My students need to see the "big picture.” They need to ask “Why?” Why did something happen? Why does that work? How does that work? When we get to the point in a lesson when they begin to ask these questions, I’ve done my job.
As much as possible and as time allows, I invite the local community into my classroom. If there is a parent or community member that has something to share through presentations and/or discussions I encourage them to visit my classroom. Students need to see what careers and jobs are out there for them related to what they’re learning in school. I want my students to be able to apply what they’re learning.
Science has to involve the use of the newest technology because Science is all about new technology. Because our world and technology is constantly changing, I need to be a constant learner. I need to keep up with the ever evolving world of Science and then create an atmosphere where my students can learn to analyze and reason and figure it out themselves.
Contact Info
Steve Kircher
Earth/Physical Science
Room 221
Notre Dame Academy
610 Maryhill Drive
Green Bay, WI 54303
(920)429-6182
skircher@notredameacademy.com