Eric Rhoades - Collaborative Teaching and Learning Group

Eric Rhoades has a Bachelor of Science in Biology, a minor in Chemistry, and a Master of Education in Education Leadership. He is co-founder and lead consultant for the Collaborative Teaching and Learning Group. This group aims to empower partners on their journey of continuous improvement toward a student-centered approach to teaching and learning through embedded and ongoing support. Prior to this endeavor, Eric served as the Secondary Science Educational Specialist for Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS) in Virginia. In this capacity, he undertook a multitude of responsibilities ranging from leadership development for administrators and teachers to curriculum design and program planning. One of Eric's notable achievements during his tenure at HCPS was spearheading the Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainability development focused on experiential and place-based learning in the environmentally and historically rich Varina community, showcasing his exemplary leadership skills. Eric is currently serving as President-Elect and Advocacy Chair for the Virginia Association of Science Teachers (VAST). Eric is also a current member of NSELA’s membership committee, where he plays a pivotal role in the planning and execution of the VESELS Scholarship program.

Tell us about your background as a science educator and leader.
I started as a classroom teacher in a couple of different school districts, one urban and one rural, which is interesting. I was a physical science, biology and chemistry teacher. So I taught everything from middle-school physical science up through chemistry. From there, I became a half-time science coordinator and a half-time teacher at a rural district. I had to do two things at once. It was a great experience because it taught me how to lead with empathy and understand what it’s like when you make changes. After all, the changes I was asking teachers to make I had to make, too, because I was still a teacher. From that role, I moved to the Virginia Department of Education as a Science Specialist. I worked in that role for a few years before I was promoted to science coordinator at the Virginia Department of Education. I was in that role for five years and then moved to the Stafford County School district, where I was the supervisor for mathematics and science. While I was in that role, I wrote a grant called VISTA or the Virginia Initiative for Science Teaching and Achievement. I was the director of the VISTA grant and was responsible for developing district leadership capacity and helping district leaders develop a vision and strategic plan. From there I went back to the Virginia Department of Education where I worked as the Director of Science for 10 years and then went on to be the secondary science specialist for Henrico Country until my retirement. In my retirement, I co-founded a consulting group called the Collaborative Teaching and Learning group that supports high-quality tier-one instruction in school districts that could use the support. The Collaborative Teaching and Learning group works to support district leaders, teachers, and many areas. We also work on workforce development projects, anything that supports students seeing themselves as scientists and mathematicians. I am also the president-elect for the Virginia Association for Science Teachers and serve on the NSELA membership committee and lead the VESELS program. I am also going to work as a mentor for the VESELS program because of my experiences as a science leader.

What’s the best advice anyone has given you as a science leader?
My first advice is to embrace a vision for science education and develop a vision and goals for what you want to achieve. The vision and goals need to be ambitious and inspiring and aligned with whatever education initiatives that are coming in your district. You need to know how that vision is going to support your community and move the students in your district forward, making sure they have high-quality science education. I think that a good, solid vision would be my biggest piece of advice.

What advice do you have for those pursuing science leadership?
I think that those pursuing science leadership should think about always being in a position where they are staying informed. Being a part of organizations like NSTA and NSELA and your state affiliates can help you stay on edge regarding what is happening in science education. And you are always a part of a community. This can be a lonely job, and often you are the only one at the district level who is doing the work of promoting high-quality professional learning in science to others. You should build a culture of innovation in yourself when you take on a leadership role. To do that, you need to evaluate and reflect constantly. Think about “Where am I being effective?” “How can I be better tomorrow?” Do not take it to heart or let it hurt your feelings but asking questions as a self-evaluation or self-reflection is important. Also, be a role model. You should always demonstrate that passion for science and education and enthusiasm and commitment. Not every day is easy, but you have to be the one shining North Star, where you are always talking about what is important for students, and how we can make things better for students.

What hobbies do you have outside of your professional life?
I love to kayak, hike, and hunt for fossils. I am big on biology and chemistry but I am a big nerd when it comes to finding fossils.

How do your hobbies outside of science leadership contribute to your professional life?
I think it is important to have a curious mind and ask questions. Whether outside on your own time, with students and teachers or administrators, you need to ask questions. I think that always asking questions is one thing that rings true. I have spent a lot of my time making connections in environmental education and spent a lot of time working on the Chesapeake Bay Education workgroup building that educational program and materials.

Fill in the blank. I could not be successful in science leadership without ___________________. Why?
I could not be successful in science leadership without teachers and administrators who are willing to grow and work with others. Even though I am a science leader, I cannot do it alone. Collaboration is so critical to the work we do. As a district and a state leader it took others who were willing to sign on to the vision and move the vision forward. I spent a lot of time in my career building young leaders in my district because I knew that I wasn’t always going to be there. I knew that sustainability is important to a program, and for sustainability to occur you need the next group of leaders who will take over when you retire or move on to your next role.

How do you get to know your colleagues or students and build relationships with them?
I think the first step is being a good listener. With my students, it was easy because at the beginning of the year, we would do the typical survey to find out about their interests, family, and their background. After that, it is just listening and understanding what they do. This is the same with adults that I have worked with. Listen to what is important to them because it is not just about moving my vision forward but making that our vision and finding those touch points where everybody is moving in the same direction. I like to think of it like a magnetic domain. If you get all those electrons moving in the same direction, there is much more power than when they move in different directions. Another part of building relationships it to be interested in their personal lives. Ask them how their families are doing, how things are going in their personal lives. Ultimately we are all humans, and education is a human endeavor and not just work.

What are you reading for enjoyment?
This is going to sound super nerdy, but I am reading the book “Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics” by Peter Liljedahl. I can see where math and science intersect, and I have already used some of the principles in the book during professional learning. So, where we are at is not just a teacher-centered classroom but a student-centered classroom.

Why did you join NSELA?
So it is interesting because someone just asked me that. I belonged to NSELA a while back. I was president of the Virginia Science Educational Leadership Association (VSELA) and an NSELA member. And to be honest, I was in too many organizations so I slipped away from NSELA for a while. But when I retired I wanted to stay connected with a remarkable group of people. I am still in VSELA but I wanted to reach out and look to the broader community of science education nationally as well. I was impressed with what NSELA has been doing over the last couple of years and knew it was an organization I wanted to join. I could see that NSELA has a clear vision of what they wanted for science education nationally, and I was impressed with what was going on. I got involved with the membership committee because I have always felt like when you are part of an organization you need to serve in some way. It does not need to be something huge, serving on a committee is relatively painless and easy to do.

What has been a success of your leadership in your district that you are proud of? What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the work with VISTA because, at that time I could work with new science leaders from across Virginia. Where I was able to help them develop their vision and strategic plan which included what they wanted the curriculum to look like and the professional learning that was needed to support that curriculum. There are many facets to being a science leader, it is pretty complex, but you need to know how to do that in your district. I think that helping emerging science leaders with that is one of the most memorable experiences and one that I am most proud. What has been a challenge for you as a leader? I think that the biggest challenge is when it is clear that we need to have a change. I will give you an example, science education at the elementary level. When it is clear that something is needed, you work hard to make policy changes and advocate for changes but cannot make that move and see a shift. There is a knee-jerk reaction in education that kids cannot read, and kids cannot do math. They do not see the bigger picture of students actually reading in science class and it is very motivating for them. And that we do mathematics in science class and it is not just graphing. I think the most frustrating part is seeing state, district, and school leaders who do not recognize the importance of building curiosity in our students from a very young age. Everybody is a science person. I think that it is important to build curiosity in our students from a very young age and not just from upper elementary or middle school. We are all science people from the time that we are born. That is how we learn to walk, we are constantly testing things to figure things out. But lack of movement of science education in elementary grades is my biggest struggle throughout my career.

In addition to your leadership role in your district, what other leadership activities are you involved with? (e.g. publications, presentations, professional association involvement, volunteer work, etc.)
I am the president-elect of the Virginia Association of science teachers. Also, because I am no longer in a public role, I can say whatever I want and be free to communicate with legislators and advocate for science education. I am also working with the Central Virginia Biotechnology Association and developing a pilot right now to ensure we have more diversity in the biotechnology workforce. I am currently working with two schools, one in central Virginia and one in Tidewater. We have peer mentors who are going in and working with students to expose them to biotechnology principles that are curriculum embedded. The peer mentors come and work with students in the lab and also take them to professional labs so they can have that experience. We continue working in a local community college to help build a program that will open this fall. I am also a volunteer for the Department of Wildlife Resources, and I go out to do Project Wild Workshops and work with community members.

Who are some of the leaders in education that have inspired you?
I think most recently is Phillip Bell because his sessions at NSTA were inspiring. His work around equity in science is critical. I always want to grow in that area. Also Mark Windschitl with Ambitious Science Teaching. I have followed his work since it was just a website. I am drawn to the ideas of how we can make science more equitable. Also, Brett Moulding from Utah is an important science leader as I was in CSSS (council for state science supervisors). There was also a fellow here in Virginia named Jim Firebaugh. He is retired now and lives in South Carolina, but Jim was my mentor from my early days as a science leader. He was a remarkable mentor and helped me focus and think about the decisions that I was making as a science leader.

As a lifelong learner, what are you more interested in learning more about?
I want to know more about how we can ensure equity in science and make sure that everybody is a science person with the work that I do now. My big focus now is to change the story around science education. In meetings, I hear someone say they are not a science person. People say that about math too. I want everyone to feel like a science person and, through that, have teachers build a culture of science in their classrooms through student-centered approaches. Currently, I work with school districts or workforce development, ensuring that our workforce in industries like biotechnology reflects our population.

What advice do you have for science educators who want to step into leadership roles?
I currently mentor a handful of folks, and one of the things that I help them do is develop a plan that puts them in leadership opportunities. Build a plan that also includes making sure that you are doing public speaking and professional learning, and that you are always putting yourself in a situation where you are learning and staying abreast of what is happening in science education. If you want to be a leader, join a committee here, join your local science teachers association, science leadership association, fill in the blank, any group. As a committee member or doing some work in your community as a leader, you are going to learn by doing it. Stay involved and join forces with other science leaders. I was fortunate in my early career to hitch my wagon to a handful of young leaders and we grew up through the ranks together. Always stay connected and have a cohort of young leaders that you can bounce ideas off of and be critical friends.

What do you do for personal enjoyment outside of your professional life (family, hobbies, travel, anything you want to share!)
So you have heard of love languages, well, my love language is service. My wife would tell you that I had a hard time with work/life balance. But enjoyment in life is time with my family, my wife, and two adult children. Just being a husband and father is the greatest job ever in my life. It is the best ever because I have watched my kids grow, helped mentor them, and taught them along the way. Now, I see them grow into amazing adults. It is fantastic.