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 start your school year in one place, just for you.
4 Back to School Essentials to Think About – for Science Teachers
There are so many things that you need to think about at the beginning of the school year. I’ve started by breaking these into categories to make it easier for you to find what you need.
1 – Setting Up Your Science Classroom and Procedures at the Beginning of the Year
Procedures are important in every classroom. But, there way more things to consider in a science classroom. Here are some questions you might have?
How do I set up my classroom, lab notebooks and all of that stuff?
- 3 Things to Consider When Setting Up Your Science Classroom – Blog Post
- Interactive Notebooks for the Science Classroom – Blog Post
- 5 Ways to Improve Your Interactive Notebook – Blog Post
- Updating Your Notebook for NGSS – Blog Post
- How to Use Science Notebooks Now – Podcast & Recap
How do I make my classroom run smoothly?
- Student Jobs in the Science Classroom – Blog Post
- 7 Ways to Increase Student Independence in Science Class – Blog Post
What are some other things I should consider in my science class as I head back to school?
- Thinking About Homework – Blog Post
- How to Create a Super Simple Science Warm Up – Blog Post
- How to Teach Science Vocabulary – Podcast & Recap
- How to Teach Science Vocabulary – Best Practices – Blog Post
2 – What to Teach in Science When you Head Back to School
If you’ve been teaching science for awhile, the start of your school year should look different than it used to. And, it probably looks way different from what it did when you went to school. So, let’s talk about what that looks like.
Stop Teaching the Scientific Method
- 5 Surprising Reasons You Should Ditch the Scientific Method Now – Blog Post
- 3 Back to School Activities to Avoid – Blog Post
- What to Avoid When You Head Back to School – Podcast & Recap
- How to Ditch the Scientific Method – Podcast and Recap
- Say Goodbye to Lab Write-Ups for Better Science Instruction – Blog Post
If I’m not teaching the scientific method, what do I do instead?
- How to Use the Science and Engineering Practices – Blog Post
- 3 Easy Ways to Add Purpose to Your Science Investigations – Podcast and Recap
- Using Science Demos – Podcast and Recap
3 – Classroom Culture & Community Building as You Head Back to School
A HUGE part of the first few weeks back to school is establishing the feeling of your classroom. Ideally, you create a safe, nurturing and collaborative environment in the first few weeks.
But, if you are a veteran teacher, you’ve probably noticed that the things you used to do don’t seem to work as well anymore. So, here are podcast episodes, blog posts and more to help you start your school year on the right foot.
How do I build classroom community and culture without using an authoritative classroom management approach?
- How to Use Respect Agreements In Your Science Classroom – Podcast & Recap
- The Importance of Building Relationships in the Science Classroom – Podcast & Recap
- Rethink Your Classroom Management Plan Now – Podcast & Recap
- How to Use Relationships to Support the NGSS Classroom – Podcast and Recap
4- Student Engagement in Science During Back to School
If engagement is low in the first few weeks of school, you have an uphill battle on your hands. Instead, focus on engagement right away.
How do I think about engagement in my science class in the first few weeks of school?
- The Brain Science Behind Your Students Missing Engagement – Podcast & Recap
- How to Teach for Student Discovery – Podcast & Recap
- How to Get Your Students to Ask Questions – Blog Post
Bonus: Back to School for Newbies to NGSS Science
I get countless emails from panicked teachers during the back to school season. It’s not uncommon for a non-science teacher to be tasked with teaching science. And, some teacher prep programs aren’t doing a good job of explaining what science teaching looks like now. Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered. Here is everything you need to know in one place.
- How to Read the NGSS, A 10-Minute Guide – Blog Post & Video
- Everything You Need to Know About NGSS Simplified – Blog Post
- How to Start Teaching the NGSS – Podcast & Recap
- Everything You Need to Know About 3-Dimensional Learning – Blog Post
- How the NGSS Changes it All – Podcast & Recap
- How You Know It’s Not NGSS – Podcast & Recap
- Your Questions About NGSS Phenomena Answered – Blog Post
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