Learning from Future Scientists: Insights from the VBio Voelker Bootcamp for Teachers at UTHealth

Our biology teacher had the opportunity this summer to participate in the Voelcker teacher program at UTHealth, an experience that has already begun to shape how we approach science education at Lutheran High School. This short but intensive program provided both inspiring student interactions and practical insights that are directly applicable to our high school classroom.

The program's professors emphasized that preparing students for higher education requires intentional partnership between high schools and universities. They specifically highlighted three critical areas where high school teachers can make a significant impact:

• Professional Communication Skills
  
  • Students entering university programs need to know how to engage with educators, administrators, and guest speakers professionally. This encompasses everything from appropriate dress and confident posture in conversations to professional email and text communication. It's a reminder that academic success isn't just about content knowledge—it's about presenting oneself as a serious student and future professional.
• Extended Attention Spans
  
  • Perhaps most eye-opening was learning that university lectures can run over two hours, with some requiring sustained attention without visual aids. During our program, we experienced a 50-minute seminar where the doctor never stopped talking and used no slides—a challenging but realistic preview of what our students will face. The professors shared practical strategies for helping students develop these crucial listening skills, including proper posture, aromatherapy, adequate hydration, and what they called "brain fuel" to maintain focus during extended periods of learning.
• Information Retention
  
  • The emphasis on requiring students to retain large amounts of information was particularly validating. The professors confirmed that our approach of using comprehensive semester exams is exactly what students need to develop the memory and study skills required for university-level coursework.

Beyond the professors' insights, the program featured two unique Q&A sessions where teachers could speak with incoming seniors about their experiences in scientific research. What made these conversations particularly valuable was their authenticity—since we weren't their teachers, the students felt comfortable sharing genuine insights about their educational journey and what had prepared them for advanced scientific work.

The format was refreshingly simple: third-year students sat at the front in a panel style, introduced themselves and their schools, shared their research interests, and then opened the floor for questions. The genuine interest our teacher cohort showed when speaking with these students created an atmosphere of mutual respect and learning.

Some of the most illuminating questions that emerged from these sessions included:

• What did your freshman biology class do that really prepared you for this program?
• What was the biggest learning curve when you got into the lab?
• What motivates you in the classroom?

These weren't just casual inquiries—they were strategic questions designed to help us understand how to better prepare our own students for advanced scientific thinking and research opportunities.

One student's suggestion particularly resonated and has already begun to influence our classroom approach. She recommended that during labs or activities, teachers should have optional scientific articles printed for students to practice reading scientific journals, complete with questions and answer keys for self-assessment. Her honest admission was refreshing: "Almost no one in my class at school would do it, but the high achievers would do it, and that is worth it."

This perspective reminded us that not every intervention needs to reach every student to be valuable. Sometimes, providing opportunities for those ready to stretch themselves can have a profound impact on their academic trajectory.

The beauty of this professional development experience wasn't just in the immediate insights gained, but in the reminder that our current freshmen and sophomores have the potential to become the confident, research-ready students we met at the Voelcker program. The question isn't whether our students are capable—it's whether we're providing them with the right stepping stones to reach that level of scientific literacy and confidence.

As we implement these ideas in our biology classes, we're excited to see how small changes—like optional scientific reading opportunities—might help identify and nurture the next generation of young scientists right here at Lutheran High School.

The Voelcker program reinforced something we already knew but sometimes forget in the day-to-day work of teaching: our students are capable of far more than we might imagine, and sometimes the best way to help them grow is simply to provide the right opportunities and then get out of their way.