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Forecast for bright spells
It was a 'fantastic' science teacher who made physics exciting for a young Heather Reid in the 1980s. Now, the Scottish meteorologist and former BBC presenter, known affectionately as "Heather the Weather", is using her own passion and enthusiasm to help a new generation of youngsters get excited about science.
We talk to Heather about her career and her projects with Learning & Teaching Scotland to help support teachers in the provision of science education.
What got you interested in science in the first place?
Heather Reid (HR): Although my father was a PE and biology teacher, it was the way my school teacher taught physics. He was fantastic - he made it really exciting and helped me appreciate how fascinating the subject was, from the sub-atomic level to the vastness of the universe.
This motivated me to study physics at the University of Edinburgh and it was there that I really got interested in atmospheric physics and went on to research a Masters in meteorology using satellite data.
How did you move from research to presenting the weather?
HR. After my Masters, I joined the Met Office and part of the induction process involved learning presentation skills. One of the course tutors suggested I'd make a good weather presenter. I wasn't at all sure about this, but I said I'd give it six months - and then ended up presenting the weather for BBC Scotland for the next 15 years!
What's involved in presenting the weather on the TV?
HR. A lot of work! It's a long day, from 10am to 7.30pm, but the hectic schedule of meeting lots of deadlines during the day makes it go fast. I'd typically collect weather data from the Met Office at various points during the day, decide how to present it, discuss this in lots of conference calls, write forecasts for local radio, as well as the presenting on the BBC several times a day.
But I loved it! I was a one-woman show and I ate, lived and breathed the weather - even getting up at 2am to look out the window to see if the snow I had forecast had arrived yet!
What made you give it up?
HR. The nature of the job changed in the later years, when the regional weather reports were decided down in London, so the job became more of a presenting role - and I missed doing everything myself!
So what have you been doing since you left the BBC and Met Office?
HR. I have always been passionate about science and always taken the opportunity to promote it, particularly in schools, so it seemed a natural progression to work with organisations involved in science and education.
With Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS), one of the first projects I was involved in was the launch of the Weather and Climate Change website last year.
I really like it because it's very children-led: all the videos feature schoolchildren involved in the discussions and experiments, so it's not preachy at all. It's very inspirational and I hope teachers will use it as a great idea generator to help see how they can introduce these subjects into their classes.
In the meantime, I'm working with the University of Glasgow on a pilot study to see how we can better support primary school teachers with the teaching of science.
A recent survey showed that less than 20 per cent of teachers are confident about teaching science, so we are developing a range of easy-to-use experiments that they can introduce across a range of topics to make science interesting and fun.
I'm also working with LTS to promote outdoor learning as I think it's a brilliant way of letting children learn a wide range of interdisciplinary subjects in stimulating environments. It's not only good for their physical and mental development, but also helps their confidence by teaching other skills such as teamwork - and gives those who are less academically gifted the ability to shine.
Are you looking to promote science as a career choice?
HR. Yes, we have seen science slip as a career choice over recent years so we have developed the STEM Central online resource which is going to be launched soon.
STEM stands for science, technology engineering and mathematics and this resource, aimed at CfE Level three and four, provides learning journeys based on five environmentally relevant engineering contexts, including: electric rally cars, water infrastructure, sustainable development, bioenergy and renewables.
As well as providing useful resources for teachers, STEM Central also contains career information to show young people the exciting jobs they can get in these new fields of engineering and applied science.
What role do you think science plays in schools?
HR. Science is so important in our schools as it helps children and young people understand the world they live in.
Scotland has a great history of innovation and we need to continue to inspire the next generation of scientists and inventors.
To do this we need to help young people develop the skills that will benefit them in the real world, either for science-related jobs where there is great demand, or to carry on further research.
But even if they do not go into science careers, it's still important that young people have the basic knowledge so they can understand about the big issues affecting all of us in the 21st century, such as climate change or GM foods. This will enable them to make informed and responsible decisions on issues which will affect their futures.
Heather helps shape the future
Heather now works as a science education consultant with a variety of organisations, including Learning and Teaching Scotland.
She is a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society, on the Board of Trustees of the Glasgow Science Centre and a member of the Scottish Government's Science and Engineering Education Advisory Group.
She was awarded an OBE for services to physics in 2006.