It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! Here are a few of the billions of reasons why your community appreciates you: the compassion you show your students when they’re having a bad day the enthusiasm with which you celebrate your students’ success the email reminders you send when there’s a project almost due the time you watched yourContinue reading “Teacher Appreciation Gifts”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Eclipse Reflections
We had an absolute blast at the April 8 2024 eclipse! This was our second total solar eclipse, but definitely not our last. We viewed it from a parking lot in Plattsburgh, NY, after a long drive from Buffalo where the skies weren’t as cooperative. 3 1/2 minutes of totality, absolutely gorgeous corona and aContinue reading “Eclipse Reflections”
Engaging Science Review Games That Require Minimal Prep
How do you review for assessments? I spend at least one class period reviewing the key parts of the unit – defining vocab, answering practice questions, and reviewing concepts. And I also like to spend a day playing a review game. It’s easy to create engaging science review games for your middle schoolers to practiceContinue reading “Engaging Science Review Games That Require Minimal Prep”
Celebrating Earth Day with Middle Schoolers
Celebrating Earth Day with middle schoolers instills a sense of environmental stewardship and responsibility and cultivates an appreciation for our planet’s beauty and fragility. These students are the future leaders, so let’s empower them to become proactive advocates for sustainable practices in their communities and beyond. What is Earth Day The first Earth Day wasContinue reading “Celebrating Earth Day with Middle Schoolers”
What to do when your middle schooler makes a bad choice
In a world of peer pressure, impulsivity, and TikTok, how can we, as middle school educators, guide our students to being their best possible selves? Here are some ways we can help middle schoolers make good decisions. Teen Brains Teen brains are still developing, and the slowest part to develop is the control center. ItContinue reading “What to do when your middle schooler makes a bad choice”
Spring break
It is just me, or does the stretch from December break to spring break get longer each year? Well, it’s finally here, and it’s time for teachers to do what we haven’t been able to do for months! Here’s my check list for this spring break: Eat a meal, drink coffee, make phone calls, andContinue reading “Spring break”
Celebrate Women in Science
History classes around the Country are celebrating Women in History Month this March, but what are you doing in your middle school science classroom? We celebrate Women in Science in my classroom all month with activities and mini-lessons on some of the amazing women who have helped pave the way in science. Read aboutContinue reading “Celebrate Women in Science”
Planning for the April 8th Total Solar Eclipse!
I’ve been completely speechless only a few times in my life. At the Grand Canyon, on top of Mount Washington, and when I observed the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017. We were in Kansas City. After a few days of enjoying the sights and sampling lots of barbecue, we headed to a fieldContinue reading “Planning for the April 8th Total Solar Eclipse!”
The Genetics of Budgies for middle schoolers
Budgies are small parrots and are one of the most popular pet birds. Occasional breeding by their owners has built a impressive amateur database of budgie genetics and creates a great hook for middle school science teachers to engage students in the study of genetics. Traits such as feather color, wing color, and cheek colorContinue reading “The Genetics of Budgies for middle schoolers”
Preventing Burnout: 12 Self-Care Strategies for Middle School Science Teachers
How to Put the Joy back in teaching and Prevent Burnout For the last 10 weeks, it’s been dark when I get to work in the morning. After school, my life is consumed by prepping for dinner and then, by the time dinner is served, the sun is down again. It was really starting toContinue reading “Preventing Burnout: 12 Self-Care Strategies for Middle School Science Teachers”