Bell work... Bell ringers... Do-nows... Warm ups. Whatever you call them, it is important to have some sort of routine at the beginning of the class period. Your day will run so much smoother when students walk into class and know what to begin working on without being told.

I love using daily bell work assignments because:

• It allows me a few minutes to sit and take attendance,
• Keeps students from congregating around your desk (middle school teachers understand this!),
• Gives classroom structure to your SPED/ADHD students,
• Easy grading (without giving a "participation" grade),
• Reminds students of what we previously learned or gets them thinking about a new concept.

Here are some ideas on what you can use for bellwork.
Some teachers like to do the same type of bellwork every day and others like to vary it Monday-Friday. Do what works for you!

1. Questions from previous class period: This is my go-to. I have a blank template form that I give students every Monday and they turn in every Friday. On the board I give students a question that is something we discussed the previous class periods. They can use their notes if necessary and I go around and stamp for completion after a few minutes have passed.
2. Writing prompts: If you want to work on students' writing skills (which they always need) try using writing prompts. I like to use them before a new concept is taught to get students thinking and we can discuss to identify any misconceptions. If you would like to check  out some science writing prompts, click here.
3. Motivational Monday: Find a motivational video clip or quote and do a motivational Monday bellwork activity. Some days we all could use a pick-me-up!
4. Fake news Friday: In a world full of fake news, it's good to have students practice looking at information with a critical eye and identifying if the source is legitimate or not. Show students an article, website, video, or image, and ask them to discuss if they think it is real or not. (A great example is this hydrophobic shoes video clip).
5. CER practice: If you are utilizing the CER method in your classroom, it is always good to practice. I find students really need practice with the reasoning section. A fun way to review is to show a short video clip and have students identify the claim and any evidence in the clip. Check out this blog post  for some video clip ideas!
6. Brain teaser: A quick google search will pull up fun brain teasers you can do with students. These are a fun activity that you can use on Fridays.
7. Show a comic strip: I had a chemistry professor in college that would begin every class with a comic strip under the document camera. It wasn't necessarily science related but was a stress-free way to begin class and include some humor. His favorite was Calvin and Hobbes!
8. Cornell note summaries: If you have students take Cornell notes, filling out the summary section is another great way to refresh their memory of what was learned the previous class period. Randomly call on 1 or 2 students to read their summaries out loud to see if they understood the material.
9. Graphing practice: Want to work in some graphing practice? Check out graphingstories.org. They have 15 second video clips that students watch and then create a graph from.
10. Famous scientist highlight: Highlight a famous scientist each week and have students learn about their contribution. You can find posters of famous scientists here.
11. Brain Break: After a full day of classes, some students just need a quick brain break. Check out this blog post with a list of brain break ideas for secondary students.
12. Old state test questions: Testing season coming up? Most states offer practice questions students can review. I tend to do around 3 a day the week or two before testing begins.
13. Quizlet: Want to review vocabulary from the unit? Have students do a quick review using quizlet.
14. 60 second science podcast: Most podcast episodes are LONG, but check out "60 second science" podcast from Scientific American. (Want more science podcast ideas? Click here).

Grading:
How you decide to grade bellwork is completely up to you (and will depend on the activity). I tend to stamp for completion each day, turn in on Fridays, and add up the stamps for credit. It's easy points- all students have to do is show up and give effort. Whatever method you choose- don't create a bunch of work for yourself. You have enough to grade without the added stress of bellwork.

I hope you find a few of those ideas useful! 
​Rock on,

Are you teaching a new science class for the first time? Are you overwhelmed with what lab supplies you will need and how to spend (or save) your budget?

I've taught biology for many years, and compiled a list of 20 must-have items to get you started. Some materials can be found at the dollar store, while others will need to be ordered from a science supplier and will eat up some of your budget. If you have any questions be sure to drop me a comment!

I've also teamed up with some other stellar science teachers and included lists for earth science, chemistry, physics, and anatomy. Check them out below!

We all would love a picture-perfect-pinterest-designed classroom. But if you start adding up the cost of new posters, paint, flexible seating... you will break the bank. I remember as a first year teacher I felt like I had to spend a fortune on posters to fill up wall space (and I did...). But it IS POSSIBLE to decorate your classroom on a small budget. Here are some ideas!

1. FIND FREE POSTERS ONLINE
There are a TON of awesome graphics and posters online made especially for teachers. Some sites will even mail them to you for free! But if not, you will need to print them yourself. Check with your school library and see if they have a poster machine. You might be able to send them a PDF and they can enlarge and print it for you! Check out this blog post that has a MEGA list of free science posters.

2. MAKE YOUR OWN POSTERS
Have a creative side? Try making your own posters! I have a bulletin board in my classroom that says "We are learning about..." and I like to change out the posters with each unit. I design a powerpoint slide for each unit and have the library print and laminate them for me. (You can also have them printed at an office supply store, but expect to pay over $10). If you want to make multiple images you can hang a bunch of regular sized pages and not worry about printing anything poster size.

3. CHECK THE DOLLAR STORE
Most of the time the dollar store carries more elementary-themed decor, but you'd be surprised at the number of science posters and decor I've found over the years! I've had the best luck at Dollar Tree. I've picked up periodic table posters, water cycle posters, and science themed borders. Be sure to check often because their inventory changes regularly.

4. TRY USING WRAPPING PAPER
Have a large space you want to cover but are stumped with what to do? Try finding a science-themed wrapping paper! This idea is from Ashley Bible- she covered one wall in her English classroom with bookshelf wrapping paper. She found it on Spoonflower.com- be sure to wait for a sale to save even more.

5. REPURPOSE STUDENT WORK
Hanging student work on the walls is completely free! You could have students make one-pagers, infographics, or  hang up paper models. Every year when my students learn about DNA I string together their paper models and hang them across the room.

6. LOOK ON TPT
There are a ton of posters and banners on TpT! I have a bunch of posters listed in my store, including this Twitter Science Bulletin Board which is free!

Happy decorating!

Most of US schools are preparing to go back virtually in a couple weeks. Going virtual in the spring was definitely a transition, but since we already knew our students and had existing relationships with them, it wasn't as hard to call home and stay on top of them with assignments and grades.

But STARTING the school year virtually without those existing relationships will be a different ball game. You will need to take some time the first week to really reach out and try and get to know your students, which won't be as easy to do through a computer screen. Here are some tips you can try the first week:

1. CREATE A WELCOME VIDEO.
The first thing I would do is post a welcome / about me video on the homepage of your virtual classroom (Canvas, Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, etc). Could you just post a message you typed out? Sure. But having students see your face and hear your voice is so much more valuable.

Find a fun way to introduce yourself. Since you are at home you have a unique opportunity to introduce yourself in a way you haven't before. Show them your pets! Show them your favorite hobby you like to do at home. Get creative!

2. LEARN THEIR NAMES.
Learning student names and pronouncing them correctly is one of the first things I worry about during back-to-school season. When you have a new group of students online, you may be tempted to skip over this step. I wouldn't! I would ask students to send me a 5-10 second video of them introducing themselves and pronouncing their names. Make it the first grade in the grade book so as long as they do it, they start off with an A.

3. HAVE STUDENTS FILL OUT A QUESTIONNAIRE.
Normally during the first week of school I send home a questionnaire that I have students fill out. It asks fun questions like their favorite hobbies and movies, and more pertinent questions like do they have any problems hearing the teacher or seeing the board. I think during COVID a questionnaire is even more important. Kids may be struggling with not having enough food at home,  parent unemployment, lack of internet, having to care for siblings, etc. The quicker we can address these issues and relay that information to school support staff the better.

4. TAKE TIME TO REACH OUT TO EACH STUDENT INDIVIDUALLY.
A personal message goes a LONG way. We all know what it's like to get a card in the mail or a text message from a friend letting them know they were thinking of us. We should do the same for our students.
If you can make a quick phone call home to each student, awesome! Now, if you are a secondary teacher I know you are thinking "but I have 150 students, I don't have the time for that." You could instead send each student a message through your virtual learning platform. Heck, you could even copy and paste the same message over and over but change out the name. But taking the time to let students know you want to get to know them, answer any questions, listen to their concerns, and even check in on their home welfare situation is really important.

5. SET UP RELIABLE OFFICE HOURS WHERE THEY CAN CHECK IN WITH YOU.
Everything in life lately feels up in the air. Is it safe to go to stores? When can we go back to school? Are Mom and Dad's jobs safe? Being a stable figure in their life is something students need. Setting up reliable office hours each week where they KNOW they can reach you is something they will appreciate. Yes, they can still send you messages at midnight, but if they want to speak to you face to face, office hours are great. Provide a reocurring Google Meet or Teams meeting link where students can click to join a meeting and chat with you. It doesn't have to be every day, for example you can say they can chat every Wednesday from 10-noon or whatever works with your schedule.

6. TRY BREAKOUT GROUPS WHERE THEY CAN MEET WITH YOU AND THEIR PEERS.
Some students won't feel comfortable meeting with you one-on-one and that's okay. Try providing them a more comfortable place to chat with you and their peers. Breakout groups are one way you can do that.
Within your online learning platform, you can set up small groups where students can collaborate on assignments and chat with each other. If you use Google Classroom, you can set up Google Meet links. In Microsoft Teams, I would recommend creating different channels within each class. (I'm not familiar with Canvas so I can't help you with this one... sorry!) Have students join and collaborate on assignments or even eat lunch together virtually (they are really going to miss socializing with their friends!) As the teacher you can pop in to each group meeting, say hi, and provide help if needed.

7. MOST IMPORTANTLY- REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT.
After the first week or two it may be tempting to back off the relationship building, get comfortable posting assignments and sitting in bed at night to grade after you get the kids tucked in. I would caution against this for a few reasons. First, we all know relationships are VITAL to student success. Students work hard for teachers they know and trust. Second, school will resume eventually. When you meet them in person you don't want it to feel like the first day of school all over again. If they already know you and know your expectations, you should be able to transition back to school a lot easier.

The 2020 school year is a going to be a learning curve for us all. What are you nervous about? What do you need help with? Lets chat! Feel free to leave a comment or head to my Facebook or Instagram pages where I have a great following of secondary science teachers who love to engage in these conversations!

I posted on Instagram last week pictures of preparing agar for my go-to first week of school lab: testing the 5 second rule. It’s a great lab for back to school because students are super engaged and it’s a good way to review variables and how to set up a controlled experiment. I had a bunch of people ask questions about how I prepared the agar and set up the lab, so here is a blog post to answer all your questions!
 
WHAT MATERIALS WILL I NEED?
-Sterile petri dishes
-Dehydrated nutrient agar
-Distilled water
-Hot plate with stir capabilities
-Stir magnet
-Heat resistant gloves
-Goggles
-Optional: Autoclave and incubator

DO THEY NEED TO BE STERILE? DO I NEED AN AUTOCLAVE?
If you want to have accurate data, yes, your petri dishes need to be sterile.
Each year, I open a new sleeve of plastic petri dishes so I can assure they are sterile. If you don’t have access to new ones you can re-use petri dishes, but make sure to either sterilize them in an autoclave or clean them thoroughly in a bleach solution followed by a distilled water rinse.
 
HOW DO I MAKE AGAR PLATES?
Methods will vary slightly depending on the agar you ordered, (directions should come with your nutrient agar, or should be available online from the vendor) but here is the general process:

1. Measure out the desired amount of nutrient agar and distilled water and pour into a clean beaker. For the agar I order, the recipe calls for 23g of dehydrated agar per 1 liter of distilled water. (Note: 1 liter of agar will fill roughly 30 - 40 petri dishes).
2. Add a stir magnet to the beaker and place on your hot plate. Turn on both the heat and the stir settings.
3. Continue to heat and stir your agar until it is boiling. This may take a while, but be patient- if you don’t wait for it to boil, your agar won’t solidify once it cools.
4. If you don’t have access to a hot plate, you can use the microwave. Place beaker and agar mixture into the microwave and heat for 3 minutes. Continue heating in 1 minute bursts until the agar is completely dissolved and the mixture begins to boil.
5. As you are waiting for the agar to boil, lay out your sterile petri dishes on a heat resistant counter. Keep the lids on as much as possible to avoid any contamination.
6. Once agar has come to a boil, remove from heat using heat resistant gloves. Lift the lid on a petri dish, carefully pour agar into the petri dish until it is roughly 2/3 of the way full, and promptly return the lid. Continue until all your agar has been used.
7. Allow the agar to solidify at room temperature- this shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes.
8. Once the agar has solidified and cooled, store them upside down in the fridge until you are ready to use them. Storing them upside down will ensure that any condensation drips onto the lid, not onto your agar.
 
HOW MANY DAYS BEFORE USE CAN I POUR THE PLATES?
I typically pour the petri dishes a day or two before I need them and store them in the fridge. Petri dishes in the fridge will be good for a few weeks before they begin to dry out, but the sooner you use them the better.
 
I HAVE 150 STUDENTS. HOW MANY PLATES WILL I NEED TO PREPARE?
It can be pricey to pour a ton of plates every year and with 150 students it would be way too expensive (and a lot of work!) to pour every student their own plate.
When I do this lab with my students, I put them in groups of 4. With roughly 32 students per class, I pour 8 plates per class. As a lab group I let them choose a variable to test and have them whiteboard their experimental design. Some groups want to change the amount of time the food is on the floor, other groups want to test different food types, and other groups want to try out different dirty surfaces. Once I’ve approved their design (to make sure they have a control) they can begin the lab.

DO I NEED AN INCUBATOR?
Okay, so your students set up the lab, but do you need to leave them in an incubator?
If you want quick results (overnight) then an incubator will speed up the process. But if you don’t have access to one, just let the plates sit for an extra day or two in your room temperature classroom and you will still get plenty of bacteria growth. Again, leave them upside down (agar side up) so you don’t have issues with condensation dripping into your agar.

HOW TO STUDENTS COLLECT DATA?
Since I do this lab the first week of school, this is an excellent time to review the difference between quantitative and qualitative data. Once students get their plates back, I have them make both qualitative observations and measure quantitative data.
You can have students collect quantitative data by counting colonies, but a much easier way is to use a grid and calculate percent coverage. You can purchase gridded stickers that stick onto your petri dish lids, or just do it yourself with a fine point sharpie marker. All students have to do is count the number of squares that have bacterial growth, divide it by the total number of squares, and multiply it by 100 to turn it into a percentage.

HOW DO I DISPOSE OF THE PLATES?
It is important you do not place your plates in the trash without first taking some precautions. While bacteria in small numbers may be harmless, once cultured into millions of cells they can pose a greater threat. There are a few ways to properly dispose of your used agar plates, depending on what you have available:

1. If you have an autoclave, you can autoclave your plates per the directions on your autoclave (generally at least 30 minutes).
2. If you used glass petri dishes and don’t have an autoclave, prepare a 20% bleach solution and spray your plates down. Allow the bleach to soak into the agar for 1 hour before placing agar in the trash. Then thoroughly clean your empty petri dishes again with a bleach solution and distilled water rinse.
3. If you used plastic petri dishes that you can afford to part with, you can place them in bio-hazard bags and have your district arrange for bio-hazard pick up. It doesn’t hurt to spray them down with a 20% bleach solution before placing them in bio-hazard bags.

I hope that answers all your questions! If you are interested in the lab handout I use with students to test the 5 second rule, you can find it HERE!

Today is my first day back to school and my 12th year teaching. (No, I'm not actually typing this August 5th, I scheduled it out in advance. Because we all know the first day is EXHAUSTING and I'll be in bed by 8pm. Plus this is my first back-to-school ever being pregnant, so maybe I'll be in bed by 7...)

But as I look back on the past 12 years I know for a fact I wouldn't have made it through all those tough times without some amazing colleagues and mentors. There were days during my first year I would go home and cry and think "I just can't do this." And even when I switched schools and had 5 years of experience under my belt I felt all of those feelings again. If your significant other isn't a teacher, you can vent all you want and they can try and be empathetic but they just won't get it. You need to find a mentor to help you maintain your sanity. Someone asked me once on my instagram to do a blog post about finding a teacher mentor and I feel like back to school season is the perfect time to discuss. So here we go!

HOW TO FIND A TEACHER MENTOR:
1. If you are a new teacher, this could be (and should be) something you ask during the interview process. Does the school provide you with a mentor teacher? Will you have a structured grade-level support team? What resources will they provide you as a new teacher? I promise you won't sound needy, you will sound like you want to be prepared.

2. Many districts have a science content specialist. They get paid to help you teach science well, so utilize them! My district also has something called a "professional development specialist" who runs monthly PD sessions for new teachers and sits in on lessons once a quarter. Don't be afraid to send emails, ask them to come sit in on a lesson or two, or offer guidance on how to better introduce a new topic.

3. If your school doesn't have a specified person to help new teachers, go ask an administrator for some recommendations. Have something in mind you want to improve- maybe classroom management. Go ask your administrator which teachers on your campus have exceptional classroom management and then give up your prep one day (I know.... but it will be worth it, I promise) to go watch them teach. If you are afraid to approach them yourself, see if your administrator will send your colleague an email asking for permission for you to come observe, and have them cc you on the email. Even as a veteran teacher, I still have things I can improve and I benefit greatly from watching others teach.

4. Utilize your grade level or department team. Hopefully your school sets aside some time during the week for you to meet with your grade level team or department. Observe who has a personality similar to you that you know you would get along with and make an effort to get to know them. During your meetings, don't be afraid to ask questions on how they teach a concept, how they manage the student that ALWAYS needs to go to the bathroom, or how they stay on top of grading. Not every suggestion will work for you, but it's good to get different ideas and perspectives.

YOU'VE FOUND A MENTOR, BUT NOW WHAT?
I know the first year of teaching I had people always checking in on me asking "do you need help or have any questions?" My response was typically "I'm sure I'll have questions... but I don't even know what to ask yet." It's overwhelming. So here are some tips on things you should ask for help on in the first few weeks or months of school:

1. Ask about how to handle crisis situations. This includes fire drills, lock downs, or even a kid going crazy in your class. Who are you supposed to call?

2. Ask for classroom management tips. This could include: how to handle bathroom breaks, kids that constantly blurt out answers, the kid who can't sit still, or the student who can't stay awake no matter how engaging your lesson is. Veteran teachers have dealt with all of these situations and can likely give you some helpful tips.

3. Dress code. Does your school have a student dress code that you need to enforce? What should you do if students are breaking dress code? Is there a teacher dress code you should know about? At my first school I got hired mid-year so I missed all of the beginning of the year meetings. One Friday I wore flip flops to school (I know, not the most professional decision I ever made) but got in trouble for breaking the teacher dress code.... which I had no idea about. Ask!

4. Timing and pacing of lessons is hard. Ask what other colleagues do if class finishes a few minutes early. Do they allow free time? Do they have any fun activities or ideas to share? (Here is an idea of what I do if class finishes a few minutes early).

5. Ask them to help you set up your gradebook. How often do they put in grades? What categories do they use? Is there a standard school policy? Do you have to turn in progress reports?

6. The first time you need to call a parent for a behavior issue can be scary. Ask them to sit with you the first time you call home and give you some pointers. (Tip: don't just call home for your problem students, call home when kids do something stellar too! It will make their day).

7. At my first school we had something called "think time" which is essentially "time out" time. This is for the student that didn't do anything bad enough to warrant calling the office or a referral, but is driving you crazy and knows exactly how to push your buttons. Sometimes having a 5 minute break from that student is enough for you to regain your composure and focus on the other students. Ask a neighboring teacher if they have a spare desk in their classroom you could use as a "think time" desk. If a kid was driving me nuts, I'd send them over with a form to fill out that had them answer a few questions reflecting on their behavior. Once they felt ready to come back and re-join the lesson, they would. (Tip: try and find a teacher of a different grade level to be your think time buddy. If the other class is the same grade level, your think time student will probably have friends in there and become a distraction).

8. Ask your mentor teacher to come watch you practice a lesson before your observation. They can give you feedback and tips to score well on the evaluation rubric.

9. Ask for lesson and lab ideas. If you are teaching a concept you aren't completely familiar with, ask someone in your content area how they approach it or what labs they use to supplement the lesson.

10. There will be a time when you wake up with a fever and think "OMG I don't have sub plans ready, I'll have to go in with this 104 degree fever!" Have an emergency sub plan ready and on your desk in case this happens. Ask about the process for calling a substitute teacher. How many sick days do you have? Do they roll over to the next school year if you don't use them? Are there rules about how many sick days you can take in a row without providing a doctors note?

While the first year is tough, I promise it gets easier- especially when you have supportive people beside you. If you have any questions or need some more specific tips, leave them in the comments!
(If you are a new teacher and want to see my top 10 tips for the first year, you can read them here!)

I'm currently two weeks into school, have 140ish students, and have already learned their names. I'm not here to brag... it took work. You might be thinking "Wow! She is so good with names!" but that can't be further from the truth. I am one of those people that if I meet you, shake your hand, and we introduce ourselves, I will likely have forgotten your name 2 minutes later. (Maybe because I'm not an active listener? We should ask my husband...) The point is learning names is not something that comes easy for me. It takes a lot of work. But it is important, so I make the extra effort. 

Have any of the following excuses crossed your brain?
"I'm just not good with names."
"I'm just not good with faces."
"But I have 150 names to learn!"
"I'll learn them eventually... I just wait for it to happen organically." 
"Many are too hard to pronounce."
If you are guilty of any of these, you aren't alone. But I promise you can learn them with a little extra effort and it makes a huge difference. 

Why learning names is so important
It is important for you to learn your students names as quickly as possible for multiple reasons:

• First, your name is your identity. Using "kiddo" or "hon" is not the same as calling a student by their name. Plus, calling a student "sweetie" may seem perfectly acceptable to you, but may offend a student. 
• Students will respect you more when they know you put in extra effort to learn their name quickly, AND pronounce it correctly. You are going to get students with names that are difficult to pronounce, but keep practicing. I always ask students to call me on it if I pronounce their name incorrectly. There is nothing worse than calling a student the wrong name for 2 months and finding out later you have been saying it wrong. 

​
Tips to learn names quickly
I'm in my 11th year of teaching, and have found methods that help me learn student names relatively quick. I encourage you to skim the list and try a few that might work for you. 

1. Use a seating chart and name tents. On day 1, students come in with a seating chart. Seating charts not only help with classroom management, but also help me learn names. If you allow students to pick their own seats, they will shuffle seats on you and make it harder to put names with faces. I also have students make name tents on the first day and tell them they have to keep them visible the first week of school. 
2. Set a goal to learn their names by a certain date. I always have a goal to learn my students' names by the end of the first week. This doesn't always happen, but that's my goal. If you think it will take you 2 weeks or 3 weeks, make that your goal. Let the students know your goal, and offer some sort of reward if you don't meet it. For example, tell the class "If I don't know everyone's name by the end of the first week, then I'll bring in candy for the class." By telling the students your goal you are: a) holding yourself accountable, and b) giving yourself an incentive- If you learn their names, you save a few bucks. (Note: you don't have to do rewards that cost money. You could hand out no-homework passes or do a few minutes of free time at the end of class instead). 
3. Say their names as they enter class. I try my best to stand by the door as students enter class every day. On lab days when you are scrambling to get ready for the next class this can be difficult, but whenever possible I'm at the door. When students enter those first couple weeks I say "Good morning __(student name)__." If I don't remember their names, they always help me out.
4. Pass back papers yourself. If your students are like mine, you always have a handful of students eager to pass back papers, and generally I'm happy to get the help. But the first few weeks I always pass back papers myself. I'm not sure why, but this tip is probably the one that helps me the most. Putting written names (handwriting) with faces really helps me. Once I have mastered names, then the paper passing back goes to my antsy student helpers. 
5. Pictures. Our grade book and attendance program loads in student ID pictures. The first week during my prep hour and in the evening I really spend time staring at those photos. Generally the pictures are a year old (seniors have their junior pictures shown) so they don't always look exactly like their picture, but it still helps. 

I promise you if you learn your students' names quickly the beginning of the school year will go much smoother. They will perform better in your class. Lets stop the "if the teacher knows my name the first week that's a bad sign" narrative. I know you can do it! Do you have any other tips? Leave them in the comments! 

We're baaaaack! I've teamed up with a bunch of my science buddies to do another back to school giveaway! Back to school is a stressful time, and we would like to help! We are giving away FOUR $100 TeachersPayTeachers gift cards that you can use to save a lot of time and get some awesome resources for your classroom.

To enter, you need to hop from blog to blog and collect all of our secret words that form a sentence.
Once you have the sentence, go to any one of the Group Giveaway Rafflecopter boxes, on any one of our blog pages, and type in the secret sentence in the right order. We will pick four winners after it ends after midnight on Friday August the 17th. My Secret Word is #10: “IS”

A bunch of us are also hosting our own individual giveaways as well, so make sure you stop by and enter to win! All in all, there will be over $1000 worth of prizes given away this week!
For my individual giveaway, I’m giving away two of my popular Writing Prompt Bundles. You can see it here on TeachersPayTeachers. Enter my writing prompt giveaway below and make sure you hop to the next blog to pick up all the secret words!

Your first year teaching is going to be one of the hardest years of your career. I frequently went home near tears thinking "I just can't do this. It is too hard." But I promise you, it gets easier! I'm in my 10th year teaching and I spend a lot less time planning and preparing than I used to. I write a lot fewer referrals than I used to. Overall everything just gets easier. Looking back, here is a list of 10 things I wish I could have told my first-year-teacher self:

1. Find a mentor teacher 
This is one thing I was superbly blessed with. My first job was at a middle school and there was only one other science teacher besides myself. He is nearing retirement, but I've been lucky to teach with him the past 10 years. He is incredibly knowledgeable about all things science and is always happy to explain things to me when I need some clarification before a lesson. Don't be afraid to admit you don't understand something! Because you can't teach it well unless you understand it well.
Mentor teachers can help with content knowledge, share ideas of what labs work and what labs don't work, give you classroom management tips, and be a shoulder to cry on when your spouse just doesn't get what you are going through (because if your spouse isn't a teacher, they won't get it). If you aren't sure where to find one, or what to ask, check out this blog post.

2. Don't re-create the wheel ​
There is a wealth of science lessons out on the internet for free. Take advantage! Scour the internet before a new unit and find everything you can. Look for facebook groups of middle school or high school science teachers. Read blog posts. Look for interactive websites that students can learn on. Check out Teachers pay Teachers. Don't spend your weekends making powerpoints and worksheets when someone else has already done the work for you. 

3. Always do the lab first 
There is nothing worse than spending hours prepping a lab, getting the kids excited, and by the end of the lab the data is awful and the lab was an utter failure. The easiest way to avoid this is by doing the lab yourself before you try it with students. As you do the lab, try and identify places students might get confused or make mistakes. Make sure to clarify those things and model the lab procedures to your students before beginning. 

4. Predict the pacing of the lesson
One of the hardest things for me my first few years was pacing. I didn't want my lessons to end early, and I didn't want to run out of time. One piece of advice my mentor teacher gave me during student teaching was this: Complete the worksheet or activity on your own and time yourself. Take that time and multiply it by 3 to predict about how long it will take the students to complete. Obviously this will vary, especially depending on how much practice students have already had on the topic. But it was a good starting point and I could plan an extension activity just in case we finished early. (Check out this blog post on what you can do if you are left with 5 minutes at the end of the class).

5. Don't panic over SDS
Maybe it was just my college experience, but my professors put the fear of God in us about SDS (MSDS when I was in school) forms. They told us horror stories about how we would lose our jobs if the fire marshall showed up and we didn't have all our forms in a binder ready to go. Now don't get me wrong- these forms are important. But I was so paranoid about having an SDS form for every chemical in my classroom, including hand sanitizer and whiteboard cleaner. 
Long story short: Keep the SDS forms for your chemical inventory, but don't panic over the little stuff like the vinegar you bought at the grocery store. When your chemical orders arrive, don't throw out the SDS forms. Put them in a binder and keep them in the chemical storage room. Many sites such as Flinn Scientific even have an online inventory resource where it will keep track of the chemicals you have on hand and the SDS forms for each chemical. Talk to your colleagues and find a method that works for everyone. 

6. Don't grade everything 
​Oh how I wish someone had told me this sooner! Grading can take over your life if you let it. So stop grading everything (but don't tell this to your students). Different teachers have different methods of grading and saving their sanity, so talk to your colleagues and pick what works for you. Here are a few ideas:

• If you are doing multiple assignments on the same topic, grade the last one. For example, if I'm teaching punnett squares and we are doing 2 or 3 practice assignments, don't put the first one in the gradebook. Students are just starting to learn the material, so it isn't fair to grade them on something that is so new. I use the first assignment as a formative assessment, and make a pile of the students I know will need extra help. 
• It's okay to spot check and give students credit for completion. A great example of this would be a writing prompt or exit ticket where you are just checking for understanding.
• Stop grading (and possibly even assigning) homework. The only time my students have homework is if they didn't finish the classwork. If you are assigning homework, it is highly likely students are copying each other. If you are a fan of homework, make sure what you are assigning is a valuable use of their time, not just busy work.

7. As a new teacher without management experience, use labs as incentives. 
Classroom management is something that can take years to master. And as soon as you think you have it down, you get a new group of students that rock your world (and not in a good way). One way I've found to keep students in line is to use lab experiments as incentives. If classes are well behaved for the week, they get to do a lab on Friday. If they have been off task, noisy, constantly tardy, or disrespectful then they do a book work assignment instead. Once they hear they will miss out on a fun lab experiment that other class periods got to complete, they will quickly toe the line. 

​8. Don't be afraid to admit when you mess up
We are human. We all mess up. Don't be afraid to admit it to your students. One year I was teaching surface area to volume ratio in my cells unit and totally screwed up the math. I knew I was teaching it wrong when I had a really bright student saying "Miss, I don't think this answer is making sense." So I went home, reviewed the lesson, figured out where I was going wrong, and came back the next day ready to re-teach. If you are too prideful to admit your mistakes it is only hurting the students. They will also respect you a lot more when you admit your mistakes and show that you are human too. 

9. Prep for the following day before you go home
Sometimes this one is hard to follow, but it is something I feel is important. I make sure I don't leave for the day unless I am ready to go for the following day. Yes, this includes Fridays too! Have your objective written on the board, copies ready to go, powerpoint or activity reviewed, and answer key ready. Your day will go so much smoother when you come in to an organized classroom instead of waiting in the copy machine line 5 minutes before the bell behind the teacher making 1000 copies. Just don't risk it. 

10. Take an occasional mental health day 
Making sub plans sucks. Often times it feels easier to just come in to work sick than have to get a sub plan ready. But your mental health is super important. If you are tired, worn out, sick, or have other things going on in your life that is affecting your teaching- take a day off. Find a high interest article for the students to read and take a breather. (You can find free articles on newsela.com or check out my free close reading article on botox in my TpT store).
Sometimes I even make the sub assignments extra credit because many students think when there is a sub they have a free day. It is a small bonus for the students that really did work on the assignment. Anyway- you can't be there for your students when you haven't taken care of yourself. Plan one day a quarter that is a day you can rest and recoup. 


Good luck in your new teaching career! Remember- it gets easier. Yes, you will work 70 hours per week that first year. But by year 3 you will have everything down and teach like a pro. And when students write you letters about the impact you made on their life all those hours will be worth it. If you have questions leave them in the comments!

The metric system is so important for students to understand in the sciences. And frankly, it's so much easier to use than the imperial system. One issue I've come across when teaching is that students don't always understand what the units represent, and which unit is appropriate to use for each situation (especially when measuring length). Here is an easy way for students to realize why we need different units of measurement.

I was at Ikea furniture shopping and realized that the disposable rulers they have for free all over the store would be an awesome teaching tool. I pulled the "teacher card" and asked if I could have a bunch for my classroom. The employee was happy to give me a class set of 40. (That was enough for me to group students in 4's across my 5 periods).

For this lesson, each group will need:

• An Ikea 1 meter measuring tape
• A blank strip of paper that is 1 meter long
• Scissors

I started by giving each group one of the blank measuring tapes and asked them to measure the length of the lab table. Most groups came up with answers like "1 1/2 strips of paper", or "1 3/4 strips of paper" long. Next, I asked them to take the same blank measuring tape and measure the length of their school ID. It got harder for them to estimate the length since it was so much smaller. I got answers like "1/10 of the tape." We stopped and discussed that it would be better to have a smaller measuring tape to measure the length of the the ID. I asked them "Would you get a more accurate measurement if you cut the strip of paper in half?"  They said that would still be too big. Quarters? Still too big. This went back and forth until we decided that cutting the strip of paper into 10 equal pieces would be just about right. I handed them scissors and asked them to cut it into 10 equal pieces and then measure the ID again.

The opposite scenario is also true: ask them how many strips of paper it would take to measure the distance between school and their house. Students will quickly realize that the measuring tape they have is much too small. Stop and have a conversation with your students about how it is important to have different units of measurement that are appropriate to the object being measured.

Finally, I switched out the blank strips of paper with the Ikea measuring tape. Have them make observations about the tape like:

• There are 100 numbers listed on the tape
• There are even smaller lines between the numbers

Ask students to measure the length of the lab table now that they have a numbered ruler. They quickly gave me answers like "161." But.... 161 what? They realized we needed some sort of unit.
Next ask them to take the Ikea measuring tape and cut it into 10 equal pieces. It should go much smoother this time now that there are numbers! Then ask them to take the 1/10th size paper (1decimeter, but they don't know this term yet) and ask them to cut it down again into 10 equal pieces (centimeters). Repeat this one more time until you have them cut individual millimeters. (See images below)

Have students discuss when it is appropriate to use each unit of measurement. I had them match objects to each length that are about the same size. For example, the meter strip is about the length of the floor to the door handle. The decimeter strip is about the length of the palm of your hand. The centimeter strip is about the width of your fingernail. The millimeter strip is about the thickness of their school ID card.

Following the activity we took notes on the metric system and units of measurement. I think students remember the units better when they understand that everything is based on powers of 10, and can relate the units to objects. One of my favorite phrases to use in the classroom is "NO NAKED NUMBERS!" It makes them giggle (especially middle schoolers!), but students know to not turn in papers for the rest of the year that have numbers with no units.

I hope this helps you teach the metric system! If you have any other tips and tricks, leave them in the comments! Also, you might want to check out these metric system posters and puzzles in my TpT store: