I hate grading research papers. And I’ve met very few kids who get excited about writing a research paper. But research skills are important! Students have so much content at their fingertips and don’t always know how to sift through it to find the good stuff. I want them to gain confidence with this because …
We hear it all the time: relationships are key to a smooth school year. Good relationships mean that we have fewer classroom management issues, a more positive classroom environment, and ultimately a higher level of learning. Students will learn more from people they like and trust. I like to use something in my high school …
A Simple Routine to Promote Reflection and Positive Relationships Read More »
Students love YouTube. As educators, we need to embrace this! The great part is that YouTube has a ridiculous amount of amazing science and math content! I recognized this a few years ago and leaned in to develop one of my most low-prep assignments, and it has led to high engagement and some serious authentic …
Using YouTube for a Low-Prep Science Bell Ringer Read More »
Anyone else remember being SO EXCITED in school when your teacher rolled the TV into the room? Part of my philosophy of education involves ensuring that my classes are full of variety, and so I am a big fan of using high quality science movies in the classroom. And between PBS, BBC, and National Geographic …
I’ve been teaching since 2010, so I’ve had a lot of “first days of school”. Hands down, what I’m about to outline is my favorite activity to use on the first day of a high school science class. My goal on the first day of school is to make students get to know me a …
My Favourite Way to Start the Science School Year Read More »
I know it’s summer, but I also know that lots of teachers immediately start thinking about how they want to set themselves up for next year. I’ve lived and taught in a lot of different places, and it’s given me some perspective on things that are necessary and things that aren’t. Any time that I’ve …
If you appreciate long term engagement and student-directed learning, you NEED to try this. When I first started teaching there were a couple of units in my biology and chemistry courses that were not fresh in my mind from university. In biology, it was definitely the metabolism unit. I vaguely remembered that glycolysis existed but …
Student-directed learning and high engagement? Yes, please! Read More »
I love review classes. I think it’s because I like helping kids jog their memories and making them realize that they know more than they think they do. It’s satisfying! And of all the different ways I like to review, my #1, top-notch, best of all time, favorite review activity is the vocabulary chain. I …
My Favourite Way to Review Vocabulary in High School Science Read More »
I find science endlessly interesting. Throw any new piece of scientific info at me and I’ll be all ears. I love math, too. It is not as naturally interesting to me, but the act of solving problems is very satisfying. Every math problem is like doing a puzzle, and I’m a puzzle fiend! But you …
An Unexpected Way to Foster a Positive Classroom Environment Read More »
Teachers have heavy workloads. It’s 11 am on a typical school day, and I’m sitting in my class as my Year 8s are doing a test. I arrived at school at 7:30 am and have already complete 12 different tasks! (Yup, I counted!) It’s a lot, and that’s in a few hours. And I actually …
