Teachers everywhere are feeling the weight of their students’ lack of motivation, and it’s no surprise this topic has resonated so strongly—it’s the third most-listened-to episode of 2024! The pressure to carry the burden of student success is exhausting and unsustainable, leaving many educators burned out and questioning their future in the profession.That’s why now is the perfect time to rethink your approach and head into the new year with a fresh perspective. In today’s episode, I dive in...
We all have unique experiences, but one thing teachers all seem to share is the overwhelming challenge of grading. When I talked about ways to cut your grading time in half on the podcast earlier this year, it was clear that it was a hot topic, so let’s dive into it again! In today’s replay episode, I’m sharing the number four most listened-to episode where I provide four tips that instantly decrease your grading time. If you think January is too late to switch things up, it’s not! The b...
It’s crazy to think that we’re nearing the end of 2024! We’ve covered so many topics this year, so I wanted to spend the last five weeks of the year replaying the top five most listened to episodes. I want to encourage you to take this opportunity to either reinforce the routines, systems, and strategies in these episodes or prioritize them starting in 2025. In today’s episode, we’re starting with the fifth most listened to episode where I talk about how to increase student retention of ...
In teaching, there are a lot of balancing acts, but none come close to preparing your students for success while NOT teaching to the test. I hear from many of you that struggle with this, and honestly I did as well while I was teaching, but I have since adopted a few philosophies that will help minimize the pressure you feel and start prioritizing what matters most to you in your classroom. In today’s episode, I’m sharing two main ways that you can balance “good teaching” and the pressur...
I don’t know about you, but I love growing and learning, especially when it has anything to do with teaching science. This is exactly what happened when I interviewed Alyse of Keystone Science. Throughout our entire conversation, we discussed a wide range of topics that will help students have success in a secondary science classroom, particularly English Language Learners.When it comes to the use of AI in the classroom, Alyse has embraced this innovative technology tool. She shares why her p...
Let’s talk about something that is all too familiar for teachers: navigating micromanagement from school administrators or districts. I’ve encountered my fair share of overbearing directives, from mandated curricula to unreasonable data tracking, and I know you have too.I’ve heard from many of you about the struggles you face with being micromanaged when it comes to grading, classroom management, and more. Whether it’s coming from the district or your direct admin, being micromanaged never fe...
Over the past several years, one of the biggest complaints I’ve heard from teachers is the student apathy that exists in post-pandemic students. I’ve addressed this topic on the podcast before by the ways of classroom management and building resilience in students. And while those are important to tackling the problem, I want to share a new approach. So in today’s episode, I’m discussing how to get students to be active in their own learning and ways to hold them accountable!➡️ Full Show Note...
If you’ve been around long enough, you know just how quickly technology changes and advances. But one of the most resourceful and useful technology tools out there is AI. AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is quickly becoming how our world plans vacations, assists us with our work demands, and even plans lessons and activities for our students. And while half of teachers are embracing this new wave of technology, the other half have concerns and are apprehensive about its capabilities. No m...
Even though you may love the science discipline you teach, that doesn’t mean that you’re excited to teach every topic, let alone your students enjoying everything you teach. Unfortunately, there are certain topics that are considered boring but still need to be taught! Knowing the topics that are deemed boring for you, how can you turn those around to be more engaging for everyone involved? In today’s episode, I’m discussing two concerns when it comes to approaching less than thrilling conten...
There are many elements of teaching that are unpredictable and out of your control, which can make it difficult to handle or prepare for. One of those things are student absences. Let’s be honest, it’s a miracle when all of your students are in class on the same day! So, you need to prepare and determine how you’re going to deal with the absences of your students and when you miss a day of teaching as well. I think we all can agree that the most tiresome aspect of a student’s absence is ...
I love celebrating podcast milestones with my listeners so much that I couldn’t celebrate with just one episode! Last week, I hit 150 episodes and decided to answer questions sent to me from listeners. Although I covered a variety of different topics, I received so many questions that I needed to do another episode to answer them all. So, in part 2, I’m continuing the celebration by answering more listener questions. These sets of questions range from content help, how to handle negative feed...
Wow, y’all, I can’t believe I’m at episode 150! I’m always amazed at all we cover on the podcast, so I like to celebrate every 50 episodes with a “Dear Abby” style episode. Since I started this podcast to reach and support more teachers, I want to make sure I’m giving y’all exactly what you need to succeed. So, in today’s episode, I’m answering all your questions related to secondary science content, engaging labs, classroom management strategies, and more! There’s so much content I could cov...
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been discussing how to cover all of your content in so little time. And while every teacher feels like they’re limited on time, if you teach on a block schedule, you actually have the least amount of instructional time in a school year. If you’re someone who teaches on a block schedule, you’re probably thinking about what you can do with the time you’re given. So, in today’s episode, I’m sharing the positives of teaching on a block schedule, how to lean int...
I know it's early in the school year, but at some point this year, you're going to ask yourself, "How am I going to get through all of this content before the end of the year?" And if I'm being completely honest, you're probably not. While that might seem harsh or pessimistic, that's unfortunately the reality. I'd love to be able to give you practical solutions to fix that problem, but I can't. Instead, I'm going to ask you to have a mindset shift when you have too much to do and too little t...
I don't have to tell you all how much is on your plates and everything you have to deal with as teachers on a daily basis. You're constantly juggling student behaviors, building relationships, parent communication, feedback and professional development from your administration and district, and so much more. But with all of those, one of the things I hear about most from my audience is how to fit in all of their content. With this being a very popular concern for teachers, I'm sharing ways to...
I remember being a new teacher and feeling nervous and panicked every time an administrator came into my room for an observation, either formal or informal. I had a pit in my stomach and wondered if I was doing what they wanted or anything right. However, as time went on, I got used to observations and actually welcomed the opportunity to have others in my room. But I didn’t get there overnight. So, in today’s episode, I’m sharing what you need to do to nail your next observation, whether tha...
I always tailor my podcast episodes towards topics that I know my listeners need, ask for, and would find helpful in a secondary science classroom. Today’s topic is one I know will resonate with y’all, which is seeing a lack of resilience in your students. Teachers are constantly struggling with this issue, so I’ve worked to find solutions and come up with ways to help build your student’s resilience. Although I’m not an expert in teaching in a post-pandemic classroom, I’m sharing six ways yo...
In the past, I’ve always chosen a word of the year to help guide what I want for myself, my family, and my career in the upcoming year. However, this year, I chose a mental mindset for the year, which was “no rules.” I was so used to finding efficient ways to run my business and classroom when I was in it that I wanted to make a change and make decisions through a different lens. So, in today’s episode, I’m sharing four ways having “no rules” has changed my life and how it could change your s...
Whether you’ve been in school mode for a while or are still enjoying your summer, I always try to spend August helping teachers prepare for the upcoming school year. We all know how stressful and demanding the year can be, so I wanted to really be intentional about finding ways that were super helpful and simplify your life as a secondary science teacher. So, in today’s episode, I’m sharing my top 5 favorite teacher hacks for the new school year. Each of my 5 teacher hacks is a personal thing...
I’ve talked many times about my experience teaching AP science courses before, and I even did an entire series talking to teachers who teach various AP science disciplines, so y’all know how challenging it can be. However, think about if you’re still a beginning teacher and being thrown into teaching an AP course. That’s what happened to my guest on today’s episode, Laura Tice. Laura is sharing her reflections as a first-year AP teacher, including how her students did on the exam, her highs a...