Teacher-Scientist Pairing Scheme
In 2021 the EGU Outreach Committee, in partnership with the Education Committee launched the annual Teacher-Scientist Pairing scheme; an initiative designed to connect scientists, teachers and their classrooms, supporting the teaching of scientific concepts by the lively video presence of a ‘guest’ scientist and hands-on activities that are carried out in the classroom under the guidance of the in-class teacher. The Pairing scheme supports the Teacher-Scientist pairs in collaborating as equal partners, to develop and teach a lesson plan that is relevant to participating teachers and their classrooms. Initially only run as a digital activity during the General Assembly, the Teacher-Scientist Pairing scheme has expanded into a year round project that supports both a live Teacher-Scientist Pairing Session, and recorded Teacher-Scientist Lessons.
The live Teacher-Scientist Pairing session happens during the week of the annual General Assembly, where the selected participant pair create and teach a 50-minute geoscience lesson plan designed to be taught in their classroom together, with the ‘guest’ scientist joining the classroom virtually (or in-person if possible). The teaching session is live-streamed online from the teacher’s classroom, to allow EGU General Assembly participants to observe and learn from the session.
The recorded Teacher-Scientist Lessons are short videos created by the participant pair, with guidance, practical support and financial assistance provided by the EGU Outreach Committee. The participating pairs co-develop a lesson plan based on the approach known as paired teaching or ‘teaching duet’. The result is a full 50-minute lesson plan, accompanied by a 10-15 minute video of either short (1-3 minutes) video segments of the guest scientist speaking, or both the guest scientist and in-class teacher sections recorded together.
Read about the research behind paired teaching lessons here.
Past and Present Teacher-Scientist pairs
Recorded lessons
- 2024: Sarah Coulson (teacher) and Laura Coulson (scientist)
- 2022: Vibeke Aune (teacher) and Giuliana Panieri (scientist)
Live sessions
- 2025: Maria Zambrotta (teacher) and Ronan McAdam (scientist)
- 2023: Vibeke Aune (teacher) and Claudio Argentino (scientist)
- 2022: Teresita Gravina (teacher) and Giuliana Panieri (scientist)
- 2021: Hélder Pereira (teacher) and Susana Custódio (scientist)