The Science and Engineering Practices are geared toward getting students to learn how to do the work of scientists. The first Science and Engineering Practice focuses on asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering). Questions drive the scientific…
Science education isn’t just about memorizing facts and formulas. Its a journey of exploration and discovery. At the heart of every great scientific endeavor is curiosity. But how do educators cultivate this sense of wonder in the classroom? Enter the…
Learner engagement is a vital part of the classroom. If students aren’t engaged, learning suffers. But, increasing engagement is an art form. Also, its difficult for teachers to recognize why participation is low in class. In this blog post, I’ll…
Are you a science teacher getting ready to head back to school? I’ve been making content for science teachers for years. But, sometimes, it’s hard to find EXACTLY what you need. So, I decided to put everything you need to…
One of the most frequent complaints that I hear from teachers is that their students aren’t able to work independently in their classroom. While this may be true, this can totally be learned. In fact, a major focus of my…
As teachers, we understand the challenges of running effective classrooms. We have so much to cover. And our time is incredibly limited. Not to mention, it’s difficult to challenge and engage students while taking care of all of the logistics…
The 3 dimensions of the NGSS are at the heart of the instructional shifts that come with these standards. Older versions of standards focused on the memorization of facts. But, understanding student ideas are only a small part of what…
We know that providing students with targeted and timely feedback is one of the most effective ways to improve student performance. But, it’s also incredibly time-consuming. So, how do science teachers find a balance between providing feedback and maintaining a…
I haven’t assigned science homework for over 10 years, aside from a brief stint a few years ago. When I started a new job, the teacher handbook said I was required to assign a certain amount of homework each week….
Over the years, I’ve gotten tons of questions about lab write ups. And, at the beginning of my NGSS journey I thought about formal lab reports quite a bit. I was teaching high school chemistry and biology at the time. …
