My classroom game is on POINT this year! I am a secondary science teacher with limited wall space. I’ve wanted to figure out a way to spice up my classroom decor with authentic, colorful materials and anchor charts. As a science teacher, my wall space is covered with cabinets and whiteboards, leaving little room for posters and other creative decor…. Read More
Classroom anchor charts leveled up my teaching game
A classroom pet… why I will always have one.
It was June of 2002 and I had just been hired for my first gig teaching middle school science.. I wanted to be a super cool teacher in a super cool room, so of course a super cool classroom pet is exactly what I needed, right? RIGHT! Choosing a super cool classroom pet What kind of animal would a super… Read More
The storm before the calm… and why teachers need a “reset” button.
Let’s face it… the week before a break (winter, spring, summer, etc.) is a tough one for teachers. We are trying to cram that last bit of curriculum, give finals, contact parents, analyze data, and submit grades while our students have regressed to acting like toddlers with a sugar high. I don’t know about you, but even trying to contain… Read More
Cell Phones in the Classroom … The Best $30 I have ever spent as a teacher.
If you’re a teacher, you’ve probably had to tell your students to put their phones away once or twice (or a million times). As technology and social media have increased, so has our students’ need to have their phones on them at ALL TIMES. While there are times when phones are necessary as part of our classrooms, for the most… Read More
Forensic Science in the High School Classroom
During the summer before the 2016-2017 school year, I moved to a new state, got a job at a new school, and found myself about to teach three VERY DIFFERENT classes that I had never taught before. One of those classes was Forensics. Cool, right? Heck yeah, it’s cool. It’s REALLY COOL…. but here I was in a… Read More
Teaching Genetics…. and the day I found out my students were way smarter than me.
Before I started teaching high school, I taught middle school science for 14 years and my absolute favorite topic to teach students is genetics. The “a-ha” moments when they learn about Punnett Squares, the ability to connect to their own lives, and the amount of creativity that I can add to my classroom add to my excitement about teaching genetics…. Read More
