Summer is in full swing and I could not be happier! It’s time to soak up the sunshine and enjoy the much needed time off. But if I’m honest, summer has always been a time of tension where I struggled with feeling guilty when I’m enjoying the fun because I’m not preparing for the next school year and also feeling guilty while I was working because I should have been enjoying summer more.

I know if I’ve struggled with this, most likely there are others that do as well!! I am here to tell you that there totally can be a balance between using the summer to reset while still preparing for the upcoming school year and I am giving you all the details of the 4 things I do to achieve this balance.

In this episode, I am sharing the importance of playing during the summer, why you need to unplug, how you can serve future you, and my number 1 way to use summer well.

Be sure to follow or subscribe to the Secondary Science Simplified podcast wherever you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss any of the summer Podcast PD episodes or the BONUS Curriculum Design 101 episodes that’ll be released on Thursdays for the next 5 weeks. Better yet, share the Podcast PD with a friend so they can join in with you!

Resources Mentioned:

• Sign up for the FREE Summer Podcast PD
• Download your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge.
• Send me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.science
• Send me an email: [email protected] 
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.

Show Notes: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode79

Let’s be honest, we all have certain topics that we have to teach but just absolutely dread teaching. Whether it’s because they are boring, unnecessary, or just depressing, we just don’t want to teach them! I’m sure you know exactly what topics you would skip over if you could and you are not alone, teacher friend! Sam Holcomb of Engineer Does Education is joining me today to chat about our least favorite topics to teach.

Be sure to reach out to your secondary science teacher friend and encourage them to join you in the FREE Podcast PD! It’s the perfect way to get your teacher friends together and take in some bite-sized PD episodes all summer!

Resources Mentioned:

• Sign up for the FREE Summer Podcast PD
• Sam’s Energy Hero Project
• Sam’s Current Event Project
• Grab the Photosynthesis Relay Activity
• Watch the City of the Future Video
• Get the Human Impact Project
• Grab Rebeca’s FREE Children’s Book Project
• Simple Systems with Sam - Ep. 2: Delegate Tasks: Is it really yours?
• Download your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge.
• Send me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.science
• Send me an email: [email protected]  
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.

Connect with Sam:

• Listen to her Podcast
• Shop her TpT Store
• Follow her on Instagram
• Check out her YouTube Channel
• http://engineerdoeseducation.com/episode-2/

Show Notes: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode78 

Are you an email addict feeling like you need to constantly be checking your inbox and responding immediately to anything that comes in? Guilty!! I like to think of myself as a recovering email addict. For years, I let email take way too much of my time and energy that I should have been focusing on other things. 

I want to help you break away from the constant email checking so you can have a much healthier outlook on your work email as you head into summer! In this episode, I’m debunking 5 lies you might be believing about your work email and 5 practical ways you can combat them so you can spend your time focusing on more important things. Plus, I’m sharing some of my favorite tools to help with limiting the time you spend in your inbox!

If you have a teacher friend who needs some help setting email boundaries, share this episode with them! Better yet, send them the FREE Podcast PD so they can join in on all the goodness that’s coming this summer!

Resources:

• Sign up for the FREE Summer Podcast PD
• Inbox When Ready for Gmail™
• How to Record Calls on Google Voice
• Download your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge.
• Send me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.science
• Send me an email: [email protected]  
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.

For all resources mentioned, head to the show notes: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode77 

If you’re anything like me, you want to just make it through the last couple weeks of school and say GOODBYE AND GOOD RIDDANCE to another school year! But, before you close up your classroom for the summer, I encourage you to take a few minutes to reflect on the school year and ask yourself, “How did I do?” 

In this episode, I’m sharing six questions to ask yourself to help you reflect on the year. Once you reflect on these questions, WRITE them out and put them in your pencil drawer or paper clip them to your planner so when you return in August, it is the first thing that you see!

Remember to grab the calendar for the next few months of our FREE Podcast PD and share it with a science teacher friend and encourage them to join you in a summer filled with practical, relevant, and SIMPLIFIED PD.

Resources Mentioned:

• Sign up for the FREE Summer Podcast PD
• Download your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge.
• Send me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.science
• Send me an email: [email protected] 
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.

For all resources mentioned, head to the show notes: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode76 

Get out your big black trash bags and label makers, because it’s time for an end of year classroom cleanout! If cleaning out your classroom causes immediate overwhelm (or dread if you’re also tackling the supply closet 🤢) don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. 

Simple systems are my love language, and over the years I’ve managed to get cleaning out a classroom down to a science. In this episode, I’ll will walk you through exactly how to handle your end of year classroom cleanout in a stress-free way.  I know you’re ready for summer, but I promise if you take the time to do this well, your future self will thank you!

Do you know a secondary science teacher friend who you want to join you in the FREE Podcast PD? Get your teacher friends together, hold each other accountable, and take action on these bite-sized PD episodes all summer!

Resources Mentioned: 

• Sign up for the FREE Summer Podcast PD
• Join the Secondary Science Simplified virtual professional development course waitlist
• Send me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.science
• Send me an email: [email protected] 
• Grab your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge!
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.

For all resources mentioned, head to the show notes: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode75

We are kicking off our Summer Podcast PD with a topic I get asked about most - LABS! There is so much to cover when it comes to labs and how to simplify them.  But let’s be honest, you likely aren’t in the headspace at this point of the school year to strategize about how to simplify your lab days. So today, I am sharing the one thing you can do NOW to help simplify every future lab day. 

In today’s episode, I am walking you through, step by step, how to audit your current labs so you have all the information you need to improve your labs and ensure you are doing the right labs! Be sure to grab the FREE lab audit sheet to help you audit your labs.  

Do you know a secondary science teacher friend who you want to join you in the FREE Podcast PD? Get your teacher friends together, hold each other accountable, and take action on these bite sized PD episodes all summer!

Resources Mentioned:

• Grab the FREE Lab Audit Here
• Sign up for the Summer Podcast PD Series
• Join the Secondary Science Simplified virtual professional development course waitlist
• Send me a DM on Instagram:@its.not.rocket.science
• Send me an email: [email protected] 
• Grab your Classroom Reset Challenge
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.

For all resources mentioned, head to the show notes: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode74 

Happy teacher appreciation week, my friend! I truly hope that you are being celebrated and shown how much you are appreciated this week! Unfortunately, I know that Teacher Appreciation Week doesn’t always go the way that we hope it would. Sometimes, how we are shown “appreciation” is simply unbelievable and today, we are hearing some stories from listeners about their ridiculous teacher appreciation gifts.

I want you to know that you ARE appreciated for all your efforts! So to show my appreciation, I am offering 10% off the It’s Not Rocket Science resource shop for the month of May using code MAYPOD10. This code is stackable so you can use it in addition to any other codes! PLUS, I am doing FREE PD all summer on the podcast! Each week, I’ll be sharing practical, actionable, and specific PD on the Secondary Science Simplified podcast so you can take the information to prepare for next year. I am so excited to share this with you starting next week!

Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode73 

Resources Mentioned: 

• Grab your calendar and notes sheet for the FREE Summer PD on the podcast
• Shop the It’s Not Rocket Science Shop with code MAYPOD10 
• Join the Secondary Science Simplified virtual professional development course waitlist
• Send me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.science
• Send me an email: [email protected] 
• Grab your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge!
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.

The end of the year is fast approaching which means that benchmark and EOC exams will be here soon. If you’re anything like me, you HATE reviewing! If you dread review days as much as I do, I have some ideas and tips to help make them a little less painful for you. Today, I am sharing 4 tips for review strategies for your upcoming EOC and benchmark exams. 

End of the year exams can be incredibly stressful for students and for teachers as student performance can impact your job. I want to help reduce the stress of preparing your students for these exams by sharing tips to simplify this year’s test prep and review. In this episode, I am sharing 2 tips for if you are working on a team and 2 tips for all secondary science teachers. We are diving into how to divide and conquer review topics, the benefits of rotating teachers/students, why you should prepare with as many practice problems as possible, and how to effectively use review stations.

Let me know if you’ll be using any of the tips I shared today. I love it and feel so encouraged when you send me a DM on Instagram and share the podcast with others!

Resources Mentioned:

• Giant Sticky Notes to use in review stations
• Biology Vocabulary Review Game
• Anatomy and Physiology Vocabulary Review Game
• Physical Science Vocabulary Review Game
• Join the Secondary Science Simplified virtual professional development course waitlist
• Send me a DM on Instagram:@its.not.rocket.science
• Send me an email: [email protected] 
• Grab your Classroom Reset Challenge
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.

Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode72 

Working with difficult admin or difficult coworkers can make or break a teaching position. Last episode, my high school chemistry teacher Zach Matson joined us to talk all about dealing with difficult parents. He is joining us again today to share all about his experience and insight into dealing with difficult admin and coworkers. 

Talking with Zach is always so incredible, entertaining, and helpful! In his 20+ years of teaching, he has experienced some difficult situations that he is sharing to help other teachers who may be working with challenging admin or coworkers. In this episode, we are discussing, working with difficult coworkers and in PLCs, advice for how to know when it’s time to move on because of difficult admin, tips for what to look for in admin when interviewing, and his advice for new teachers. We covered so much information in this episode and I know you are going to love this conversation as much as I did!

Resources Mentioned:

• Check out Zach’s YouTube Channel, Matson Chemistry
• Join the Secondary Science Simplified virtual professional development course waitlist
• Send me a DM on Instagram:@its.not.rocket.science
• Send me an email: [email protected] 
• Grab your Classroom Reset Challenge
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.

Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode71

Dealing with difficult parents can be one of the worst things about teaching secondary science. So many of us would love advice on how to handle challenging situations, what to say when issues arise, or how to stop taking things personally from teachers who have been there and figured it out. That is one of the reasons I brought my high school chemistry teacher, Zach Matson, back on the podcast!

Zach is a 20 year teaching veteran who is full of amazing insight and advice for high school science teachers and today, he is talking all about dealing with difficult parents. He has had his share of difficult parents over the course of his career and he is sharing some great advice and tips for handling these situations. In this episode, we are talking about how to handle emails from difficult parents, setting boundaries, how to deal with a potentially failing student, and what he has done in cheating situations.

Zach will be back again next week talking about admin and coworkers. Be sure to follow or subscribe to the Secondary Science Simplified podcast wherever you listen so you don’t miss it!

Resources Mentioned:

• Check out Zach’s YouTube Channel, Matson Chemistry
• Send me a voice recording for the “Teacher Appreciation Week Gone Wrong” episode
• Join the Secondary Science Simplified virtual professional development course waitlist
• Send me a DM on Instagram:@its.not.rocket.science
• Send me an email: [email protected] 
• Grab your Classroom Reset Challenge
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.

Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode70