Since I started teaching, I always got my students trained pretty quickly to start working on bellwork when they came in to class. It is a great way for them to have a few minutes to settle down, remember what we learned the previous day, and also gives me time
I just finished my 10th year of teaching and to say it wasn’t my best is an understatement. I had a rough group of students this year, was feeling teacher burn-out, and was just getting negative. Throw in all the school shootings and changing political climate and it was hard
Earlier this month I had the incredible opportunity to get a behind the scenes tour of NASA (I’m still pinching myself). It was amazing! I can’t claim to have been a NASA nerd since birth… it wasn’t until I was in high school that I picked up the book October
We all have those few students who slack during the semester, have a 57%, and come begging for extra credit before grades are due. For many teachers the answer is…. … and I totally get it. Grading late work is no fun and I’m not going to go out of
Teaching human evolution can be a topic many teachers shy away from. Depending on the type of school you teach at and your student demographic, you might come across a few obstacles. In my 10 years of teaching I haven’t had any push back or complaints from parents, but I know
Ready to teach protein synthesis? (If you missed my DNA structure and replication blog post, back up and start there). Protein Synthesis is actually a fun concept for me to teach. For me, there are 2 barriers you need to cross in order for students to learn protein synthesis:1. Learning
One of the hardest parts of being a teacher is making sure you are providing instruction at the level of all your students in the classroom. In classes of 30+ students, it can seem daunting to modify for kids that still need help, while also increasing the rigor for kids
It’s almost April Fool’s Day and time to start thinking about how to trick your students! While it may be funny to scare students with a pop quiz or sending your best student to the principal’s office, I like an April Fool’s joke where the students learn a science concept
This is a great inquiry lab for your physics unit! In this activity students will be asked to figure out which of the following variables affect the period of the pendulum swing: the mass, the length of the string, or the angle the pendulum is released from. All you need
Physics is really exciting to teach because there are so many fun labs you can do. After teaching students about speed, velocity, and acceleration I wanted to do a STEM lab to follow up the unit. I decided to have students build a parachute out of a plastic grocery store
Have you been this teacher before? You think you had a great lesson, students understood the material, and then you go to grade the assignment and it’s clear they didn’t get it? Part of the problem may be you… (sorry, it’s true). I have come to realize over the years
Virtual labs are a great tool to try if you have computer access. I love them because: They are FREE! If you are tired of spending your own money on lab supplies, throw in a virtual lab instead. They are great for visual learners. If students mess up, they can
