I made Class Points my classroom management system my first year teaching, and it’s worked ever since. Keep reading if you’re looking for a strategy that can help you improve student behavior, communicate effectively with students, and manage a more efficient classroom. In this blog post I share my tips to implement Class Points asContinue reading “How to Implement Class Points as a System for Classroom Management”
Category Archives: Teaching Tips and Strategies
Introduction Lesson to DNA: Twin Study Film Clip, Questions, and Discussion
This 30 minute lesson is my favorite way to start our unit on DNA. The film clip and the conversations we have around it introduce DNA as an intriguing phenomenon in science. It seems mysterious and almost magical to students, which inspires their curiosity and desire to learn more. That makes it fun and easyContinue reading “Introduction Lesson to DNA: Twin Study Film Clip, Questions, and Discussion”
12 Study Tips to Teach Middle School Students
In this blog post I share some of my best study tips for middle school students. I learned them over the years from my amazing teacher mentors, while supporting my students, and becoming a better learner myself. Whether you are a teacher, student, or lifelong learner, these tips can help make studying easier and moreContinue reading “12 Study Tips to Teach Middle School Students”
9 Routine Assignments that are Easy to Prep and Make Great Sub Plans
The ideas in this blog post are great routine assignments to cycle through during the year. Plan ahead and have these assignments ready as emergency sub plans, or prep them quickly when you’re planning for a substitute. Students become familiar with doing these assignments. My students complete them independently and with minimal confusion. This makesContinue reading “9 Routine Assignments that are Easy to Prep and Make Great Sub Plans”
Everything You Need to Know About the First Day of School and Tips for New Teachers
If you’re a new teacher this year, I bet you are bursting with ideas, inspiration, and energy! That is the pure beauty of being a new teacher. You are unclouded, unjaded, and hyper focused on your objectives to create the best learning environment and experience for your students. That new teacher magic is an asset,Continue reading “Everything You Need to Know About the First Day of School and Tips for New Teachers”
Why Class Points is My Favorite Classroom Management Strategy
One of the hardest parts of teaching can be classroom management. What’s the point of the most awesome lesson you planned if no one will listen or follow directions? I started using “Class Points” my first year teaching and it transformed my classroom and my teaching. At the end of the day, I want toContinue reading “Why Class Points is My Favorite Classroom Management Strategy”
List of Vocabulary Terms for High School Biology
I hope you enjoy reading about my favorite science terms to teach in high school Biology. I hope this list of vocabulary terms can give you some good ideas and save you valuable planning time. In this blog post I share the vocabulary terms I teach during each unit throughout the year: How I UseContinue reading “List of Vocabulary Terms for High School Biology”
Learning Styles: A Valuable Beginning of the Year Lesson
Everybody learns in different ways. Have you ever sat looking at a page in the book, just staring at the words and nothing is going into your brain? Well that might be because visuals are not conducive to your learning style. It’s beneficial to know what style we are so that we can hack ourContinue reading “Learning Styles: A Valuable Beginning of the Year Lesson”
Have a Great Summer! 10 Easy Ideas to Implement Next School Year to Streamline Your Classroom and Start the Year Off Right!
Congratulations on making it to the end of another school year. I hope you feel satisfied with the learning you and your students accomplished. And I bet you’re tired. It usually takes me a few weeks of sleeping in and decompressing before I feel like a normal person again. Not to be a buzzkill toContinue reading “Have a Great Summer! 10 Easy Ideas to Implement Next School Year to Streamline Your Classroom and Start the Year Off Right!”
How She Teaches Presentation Skills
Students already know what a good presentation looks and sounds like. They just need to be reminded. It is crazy the difference this short exercise makes. If students have a vision and some goals in mind, their presentations are much, much better. I do this Presentation Skills discussion before we do presentations in class, andContinue reading “How She Teaches Presentation Skills”
How She Teaches Infectious Diseases and Pathogens
The immune system, and especially infectious diseases, have always been interesting topics to students. They already know a lot about infectious diseases, but many have never defined it or put it into context before. I still remember my Health classes in middle school. The impact of seeing pictures of sores and growths due to infectiousContinue reading “How She Teaches Infectious Diseases and Pathogens”
How She Teaches Body Systems
Biology is the study of life, and in Biology the main system we study is the human body. Body Systems is a great topic to teach in Biology at the beginning of the year. My students are so curious about their bodies and their health. They have so many questions and they spark interesting conversationsContinue reading “How She Teaches Body Systems”
7 Effective Test Review Teaching Strategies That Don’t Take Extra Planning Time!
These test review strategies are quick and easy to plan for (assuming I already made the test). I just don’t have time to make Jeopardy. Sorry, not sorry! These strategies are also effective for helping my students learn, and preparing them for tests. Hopefully these ideas are helpful and can save you some valuable time.Continue reading “7 Effective Test Review Teaching Strategies That Don’t Take Extra Planning Time!”
How She Teaches What is a System?
I really enjoy doing this lesson with my students. We have a lot of great conversations because they have lots of relevant life experiences and they come up with lots of interesting ideas on this topic. It is often one of the first science content lessons that I teach in the year. This lesson isContinue reading “How She Teaches What is a System?”
My Top 16 Classroom Management Strategies
I have way too much to do during the day teaching and grading to deal with all the extra stuff that happens in the classroom. I can’t waste any time on unnecessary questions, losing stuff, waiting, cell phones, extra talking, distractions, bad behavior, and unpreparedness. They all take away from my instruction time and learning.Continue reading “My Top 16 Classroom Management Strategies”
How She Teaches 