Hi, Im trying to come up with my statement of purpose for a PhD program in Science Education. Im not trained in Education which makes it kind of weird, my bachelors and masters are both in Earth Sciences. Im currently taking a couple classes in Early Childhood Education. Right now I work as a PreK teacher (I love it!!!) but in the long run I would like to teach science in either high school or colleges. So, any help will be greatly appreciated, this is what the school ask for:
Describe your career goals and research interests, as well as your publications, work experience, and academic honors and organizations. You may also include an optional statement of your achievements, talents, background, experiences, and traits that will contribute to the enrichment or diversity of the University or community, beyond your academic credentials.
Well, what you need to do is what you started to do here: Say why you want to go into science education and what your experience and background it. Definitely do include the optional statement, into which you can put anything that doesn't fit within "career goals and research interests, as well as your publications, work experience, and academic honors and organizations."
First step: List everything you want to say.
Next step: Organize these things into an outline.
Next step: Choose one story or fact to lead with, and use that to craft an introduction that will draw the reader in (rather than make him/her sigh with boredom at having to read one more application that sounds like all the others.
Next step: Draft the rest of the statement.
At any point, you can post things here for feedback. But, please do honor our ethos and, now that you've gotten some advice, be sure to visit other threads to give advice or feedback to others!
The hardest thing about this type of writing is getting started, so just write down whatever you can think of that answers the prompt. You can worry about organizing it later (though you will eventually have to go through the steps Simone listed). For now, just try to get past the curse of the blank screen.
