Going through different seasons of life and experiences will definitely change your perspective on teaching. From teaching in a classroom with no windows, sinks, or up-to-date posters to display to taking maternity leave during a sub shortage, our guest today has had a wide range of experiences that have influenced her mindset around teaching. I am so excited to have @the_weird_science_teacher, Rachael Lasky, with us today!

Rachael has such great experience when it comes to teaching middle school science and is sharing amazing wisdom on using visuals for teaching, work/life balance, and so much more! This episode is full of excellent insight, especially for middle school science teachers. Rachael is sharing why she loves teaching middle school science, her experiences and advice for taking maternity leave at the beginning of the school year, how she uses visuals in her lessons, and advice for middle school teachers. 

Resources Mentioned:

• Science Scaffolded Notes/Anchor Charts: DNA and Genetics
• Anchor Charts: Identifying Variables
• SECONDARY SCIENCE SIMPLIFIED™️ Professional Development Course
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.

Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode49

It seems we never have enough time to do what we want to do in our class periods. How are we supposed to get labs, demos, lectures, assessments, and more squeezed into a 45 or 90 minute class? The answer: Reclaim your precious class time! You may be wondering how in the world you can do that, so today, I am sharing 5 simple changes you can make so you can cover all that you need to.

If you are looking at everything you need to get through and aren’t sure when you’ll have time to do it all, this episode is for you! I am giving you practical and simple changes you can make in your classroom to reclaim your valuable class time. I am sharing the three places time is most often wasted, how procedures are key to reduce wasted time, why you should have an agenda on your whiteboard, the power of timers and bells, and how an efficient turn-in system is a game-changer.

It is amazing how much time you can reclaim by implementing these five tips! I want to hear about what you try and how it goes. Send me a message on Instagram and share what changes you are making and if they are helping you!

Resources Mentioned:

• FREEBIE: Anatomy of a Class Period Lesson Plan
  
• Purchase the Bell I Use Here
  
• SECONDARY SCIENCE SIMPLIFIED™️ Professional Development Course
  
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.

Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode48

How can we make learning more natural and more meaningful for our students? Simply put, learning happens best through asking questions and making mistakes. If you’re thinking about your classes and realizing that your students aren’t asking many questions and are afraid to make mistakes, this episode is packed with tips for you about how to move students to the center of their learning!

We are quickly approaching the “Ask me Anything” 50th episode of Secondary Science Simplified! I want to answer any question that you have - nothing is off limits! Submit your questions by DM-ing me on Instagram or send me an email to [email protected] with the subject line “Questions for Episode 50” by NOVEMBER 8th.

Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode47

Resources Mentioned:

• SECONDARY SCIENCE SIMPLIFIED™️ Professional Development Course
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.

STEM is so important to teach our students to create lifelong learners and problem solvers. Integrating STEM into secondary science classes doesn’t need to be overwhelming or stressful thanks to @Science.Bae, Dr. Sarah Habibi! She is joining us today to give us some insight on STEAM and how we can teach it in our classes.

We are so lucky to have Dr. Sarah Habibi join us today to share her experiences and knowledge! She is sharing all about her unique career journey, why we should teach STEM to our students, how to integrate STEM and STEAM into our secondary classrooms, why she loves teaching on social media, and simple ways to incorporate STEM at home. 

Sarah is so enthusiastic and encouraging when it comes to teaching STEAM! You’ll walk away from this episode feeling fired up and inspired to incorporate more STEAM in your classroom and at home.

Dr. Sarah Habibi is a molecular biologist, educator, digital content creator, and new mom to her son Noah. Sarah uses the power of social media to promote experimentation in STEAM and enhance student learning, through her popular page Science Bae on Instagram and TikTok. Sarah uses her 4+ years of teaching and curriculum development experience, Bachelor of Education Degree, PhD in molecular biology, and Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT) designation to make her teaching educational, accessible, and engaging.

To celebrate the 50th episode of Secondary Science Simplified, I am doing an “Ask me Anything” episode! This is your chance to ask me any question at all! Submit any question you have by DM-ing me on Instagram or send me an email to [email protected] with the subject line “Questions for Episode 50” before NOVEMBER 8th.

Resources Mentioned:

• FREE STEM Activity Package: www.sarahhabibi.com/free
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.

Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode46

Using phenomena is a great way to engage your students but it can be so overwhelming trying to figure out what to do or how to get started. If you’re using NGSS or other standards that utilize phenomena, but are struggling to incorporate them in a meaningful way, I’m going to break it down for you! In this episode, we’re diving into engaging students through phenomena.

Resources Mentioned:

• Next Generation Science Standards
• It’s Not Rocket Science Units
• Biology everyday phenomenon: Cancer Statistics 
• Biology anchoring phenomenon: Comparing Genetics
• Ecosystem in a Bottle investigation
• Support and motion unit 
• Anatomy everyday phenomena: Wellness Trends
• Anatomy everyday phenomena: Heart Health
• Antibiotic Resistance Lab
• Matter Unit
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.

I want to hear from you! We are coming up on our 50th episode! To celebrate, I am doing an “ask me anything” episode where no topic is off limits. Submit any question you have by DM-ing me on Instagram or send me an email to [email protected].

Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode45

Managing large classes can be a challenge but engaging small classes can be equally as difficult. If you are struggling with engaging your small class, you’re not alone! I’ve been there twice (teaching class periods with only 6 students!) and today, I’m sharing what I’ve learned about engaging small classes.

Trying to keep the excitement and energy up in a small class isn’t easy and finding ways to do activities without enough students is challenging. 

So in this episode, I am sharing my four BEST tips for helping you engage your small classes. We are covering why you should lighten up when you’re teaching a small class, the power of discussion and how it helps build a culture that encourages questions, how to use unique rewards as a means of motivation, and what to do when you just don’t have enough bodies for labs.

Don’t forget to grab your Halloween-themed FREEBIE for biology, anatomy, chemistry, and physics!

Resources Mentioned:

• FREEBIE: Halloween-themed resources
• Photosynthesis Activity - Class Relay
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.

Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode44

If you’re looking at your class roster and feeling absolutely overwhelmed by the crazy numbers you are seeing, you’re not alone! I am seeing so many teachers saying they have 30+ students in their science classes and they have no idea how to make teaching, let alone labs, with that many students, work.

If you are one of the teachers that has too many students in your science class, this episode is for you! I’m sharing six tips I’ve learned on how to manage large class sizes. We are going to cover why you should arrange desks into pods, how seating charts are crucial to managing large classes, why you need to include small group work into your lessons, how to use stations for labs with large classes, the importance of procedures, and how to use my favorite whole-classroom management strategy. Plus, I am giving you practical ways to incorporate each one of these tips!

Don’t forget to grab your Halloween-themed FREEBIE for biology, anatomy, chemistry, and physics!

Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode43

Are you stuck teaching a class or a grade that you absolutely hate teaching? You’re not alone! I’ve been there and so have many other teachers. 

It can be such a struggle to make it through the year when you don’t want to teach the classes you’re assigned to teach. But perspective and a plan can make getting through the school year a little easier.

In today’s episode, I am talking all about what to do when you hate what you’re teaching. I’m covering my experience teaching a grade that I hated, four pieces of advice for what to do, why talking with admin is so important, and what to do if admin isn’t willing to work with you on what you want to teach. I’m also covering what to look for in great admin and three things you can do to help make it through this school year.

This episode was inspired by an email I received from a teacher and I would LOVE to do an episode on a topic that would benefit you or that would answer a question you have! If you are struggling with something or have a question, chances are there are many others who do as well. DM me on Instagram and let me know what you want to hear!

Resources Mentioned:

• FREEBIE: Halloween-themed resources
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.

Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode42

You know that building relationships with your students is crucial. You know it leads to more memorable learning experiences but you aren’t quite sure how to build that relationship with all of your 100+ students. Today, I am giving you some of my favorite tips for building solid relationships with students.

We all know building relationships is foundational for reaching every learner but building these relationships doesn’t have to be exhausting! In this episode, I am sharing four practical tips to start building relationships with your students today, how to easily and realistically implement these tips, and how I found time to support students in extracurriculars pre and post-kids.

Looking back, my most memorable learning experiences were the ones where I knew my teachers cared about me as a person, not just my grade. Building strong relationships shows our students that we care about them, we want them to succeed, and we are rooting for them!

Do you have a tip on how to keep every learning engaged that you would love to share on the podcast? I have decided to keep the submission form open and would LOVE to hear your tips! You can find all the details for submitting your tips here.

Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode:

https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode41

As teachers, we know how important it is to reach every student that walks into our classroom. But how do we go about doing that when there is such a diverse group of students in every class? Today, I am sharing 4 tips on how to reach every learner in your high school science classes.

Reaching every single one of your students can seem overwhelming but I am here to help give you practical tips to help you do just that. In this episode, I am sharing the importance of getting to know every student as a person, how eliminating homework can benefit you and your students, why you should use a variety of assessments, and the importance of checking your test questions for bias. 

Our students come to us with so many different backgrounds, home lives, experiences, and preferences but there are simple things we can do in our classrooms to make sure we are reaching them all and making an impact. 

Resources Mentioned:

• Complete Secondary Science Units 
• Biology Midterm and Final Exam Review and Test Pack
• Anatomy Midterm and Final Exam Review and Test Pack
• Physical Science Midterm and Final Exam Review and Test Pack
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.

Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode40