Secondary Science Simplified™

The new school year is upon us, and to help you prepare, I am spending the whole month of August covering all things classroom management. Now, I know classroom management looks different for every teacher, but I hope that sharing my personal philosophy and tried and true strategies will help you develop your own. Classroom management is incredibly personal, and in order for it to be effective, it has to be authentic to you and your personality. This is why figuring out what your philosophy is is so important when developing your classroom management style. Today, I am sharing questions to ask yourself when determining your style, what refrains my personal philosophy centers around, and the two ways to look at classroom management. When figuring out your classroom management style, looking at your core values is key. We dive deep into core values in my Secondary Science Simplified course, so if you are looking for more support determining your core values, join the waitlist for when it opens again! Resources Mentioned: Join the Secondary Science Simplified course waitlistSign up for the FREE Summer Podcast PDGrab the Anatomy of a Class Period FREEBIEDownload your FREE Classroom Reset ChallengeSend me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.scienceSend me an email: rebecca@itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.comFollow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsShow Notes: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode90 

Tomorrow is August, which means that many of you are gearing up to head back to school. What better way to get back into the school mindset than to talk about classroom management? We know classroom management is so important to have a successful class, but these post-pandemic times are making things TOUGH! I have not personally been in the classroom since before the pandemic, so I invited Casey O. to join me today to share all about his post-COVID classroom management. Casey teaches biology, anatomy and physiology, chemistry, earth science, and astronomy. He has spent his entire teaching career teaching during COVID and post-COVID times, which we all know has presented many challenges for teachers and students. In his 3 years of classroom experience, Casey has found simple and practical ways to build relationships with students and successfully manage his classroom. In this episode, we talk all about reaching apathetic students, balancing the personalities in his classes, how he gets students to find meaning in school, cell phone and bathroom policies, cheating, and more! Resources Mentioned: Sign up for the FREE Summer Podcast PDGrab the Anatomy of a Class Period FREEBIEDownload your FREE Classroom Reset ChallengeSend me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.scienceSend me an email: rebecca@itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.comFollow, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsShow Notes: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode89 

YOU DID IT!! It is the last episode of our Curriculum Design mini-series and we are wrapping it up with a little extra support with what I think is the most challenging assessment to write, the end-of-unit tests. Now, let’s be clear, no assessment is easy to write, and writing tests is NOT for the faint of heart. Of course, I want to give you as many helpful tips as I can, so in today's episode, I am giving you a glimpse into how I write my end-of-unit tests. As I mentioned, writing tests is challenging, and I don’t want you diving into this thinking it will be easy peasy because, quite honestly, it won’t be. However, I hope that hearing how I create my end-of-unit tests makes it a bit more manageable. In this episode, I am sharing what I recommend you use as a starting point, how I typically break down the types of questions on tests, how I like to divide up my end-of-unit tests, and why it is CRUCIAL you review your tests for bias. I hope you found this mini-series to be incredibly helpful and packed full of useful information! I am so grateful that you are spending your summer with me and preparing for the school year! Next up, we are jumping into classroom management so if you know a teacher friend who you think would love this topic, be sure to spread the love and share the Summer Podcast PD with them! Resources Mentioned: Sign up for the FREE Summer Podcast PDPhysical Science CurriculumCheck Out the YouTube video tour of Physical ScienceIt’s Not Rocket Science UnitsBiology Midterm and Final Exam Review and Test PackAnatomy Midterm and Final Exam Review and Test PackPhysical Science Midterm and Final Exam Review and Test PackDownload your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge.Send me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.scienceSend me an email: rebecca@itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.comFollow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.Show Notes: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode88 

Huge CONGRATULATIONS, teacher friend! You made it to the final part of our curriculum design mini-series! I am so incredibly proud of you! Even if you only completed part 1, you still made progress, and small progress is better than no progress! We have spent the last few weeks walking through the first four parts of curriculum design, but today, we are diving into how to align your assessments. When I say “align your assessments,” I’m sure many think that means teaching to the test. That is NOT at all what I mean. What it does mean is that we are creating meaning and intentionality with everything we do in our instruction. We want our students to be motivated to complete their work and not just see it as busy work, which is why it is so important to ensure that your assessments are aligned to the learning and instructional activities that took place throughout the unit. In this episode, I’m sharing how I create formative and summative assessments for my curricula and the importance of making sure that every objective on the assessment is covered. I am so grateful that you have been following along with the Summer Podcast PD. If you are getting value from this series or if this podcast is serving you, I would love it if you left a rating and review! This helps me reach and serve more secondary science teachers who could benefit from the podcast. Thank you so much! Resources Mentioned: Sign up for the FREE Summer Podcast PDDownload your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge.Send me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.scienceSend me an email: rebecca@itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.Show Notes: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode87 

Ready for more help with building out the backbone of your curriculum? I’m ready to help! I know that this part might feel hard, and that is totally okay! Although it is one of my favorite parts of designing curriculum, I know that is not the case for everyone. Coming up with instructional activities and resources is not necessarily an easy thing to do, but I will gladly share the behind-the-scenes thought process I go through to help YOU come up with ideas for your own curriculum. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and if designing this curriculum feels hard, please don’t feel discouraged! I want to provide you with the support you need to take this on if it is something you want to do. I am sharing how I think through what activities to include for different concepts in my Electrons unit and how I balance out the activities that are included in each unit. And I hope that giving you a glimpse into my thought process is helpful for you as you work through building out the backbone for your own curriculum. Teacher friends, we are already 3 weeks into our double episodes for the Curriculum Design mini-series inside the summer Podcast PD! I hope you are loving all this extra content and getting so much practical information! If you are, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a rating and review and let me know how the podcast has served you. If you are leaving a review outside of Apple, shoot me a DM on Instagram or send me an email and let me know!Resources Mentioned: Sign up for the FREE Summer Podcast PDIntroduction to Chemistry UnitThe Atom UnitElectrons UnitChemical Bonds UnitChemical Reactions UnitDownload your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge.Send me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.scienceSend me an email: rebecca@itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.comFollow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.Show Notes: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode86 

We have made it to part 4 of the Curriculum Design mini-series! The first three parts weren’t exactly “fun,” I get it! But this is the point in the design process where we get to start being creative, and the process becomes a bit more interesting! BUT, if you have not done steps 1 through 3, it is crucial that you complete them before moving on to part 4 - building out the backbone of your curriculum! Ready to dive into the fun part of curriculum design, teacher friend? Building the backbone of your curriculum means planning out all of your instructional resources - think labs, activities, projects, and all the memorable learning experiences for your students! This is where you get to be creative and think of all the ways you can engage your students in their learning! Now, don’t be intimidated and think you need to add tons of activities and labs and projects into your curriculum right away. And, of course, you do not need to figure this all out on your own! In this episode, I am sharing how to approach building out your backbone if you have taught the course before and if you have not taught it before, what I try to include in my units, and my action step for you to work on part 4 of the curriculum design process. If you are loving the Podcast PD or, specifically, the Curriculum Design mini-series, I would so appreciate it if you left a rating and review to help us reach more teacher friends! Resources Mentioned: Sign up for the FREE Summer Podcast PDGet the FREE Lab AuditDownload your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge.Send me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.scienceSend me an email: rebecca@itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.comFollow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.Show Notes: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode85 

Lecture is the foundation when designing a curriculum. Now I know that may make some of you not very happy, but it’s true. However, when I say lecture is the foundation, I do not mean that it’s my top priority or what I spend most of my time doing in the classroom. When we talk about foundation, I mean the baseline of which I build my curriculum on. To give you a better understanding of how I build my curriculum off my foundation, I am sharing how I use my foundation of lecture notes so that my whole class isn’t lecture. When I think back to when I took anatomy & physiology, I remember reading textbooks, memorizing information, and labeling diagrams. That is NOT what I wanted my curricula to be. I didn’t want every lesson to be a lecture and my students memorizing things from their textbook. Because of this, I began thinking of ideas for instructional resources I could use to make my lectures shorter, the activities more engaging, and keep my classroom student-centered. Today, I am sharing all about how I use 4 different activities to decrease the content in lecture and how I break up content if it is still too much after incorporating these activities. Plus, I am sharing what actionable step you can do TODAY to help you reduce the amount of time spent lecturing. This is A LOT to do on your own. I get it! But now is the perfect time to get the other science teachers at your school to join in on our Podcast PD! Two (or three!) minds are better than one and can make this process a little easier. Resources Mentioned: Sign up for the FREE Summer Podcast PDWatch the YouTube video tour of the Anatomy CurriculumCheck out the Anatomy CurriculumAnatomy Body System Diagrams and Discovery StationsDownload your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge.Send me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.scienceSend me an email: rebecca@itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.comFollow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.Show Notes: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode84

We are at the tipping point in our Curriculum Design mini-series! I am so excited that you have worked through this process with me up to this point. So far, we have covered strategizing your sequence and analyzing your aims. If you haven’t done that, be sure to complete those steps before moving on to step 3, forming your foundation.So what is a foundation? When I am talking about the foundation for your curriculum, I am talking about the core direct instruction delivery strategy (AKA lecture notes). Now I know that lecture notes and direct instruction have a bad rap, BUT I think I approach them a little differently than what we’re all used to. And as I share my process for designing a curriculum for personal use, take what serves you and leave what doesn't! In this episode, I am breaking down my process for forming the foundation of my curriculum. I am sharing why I like using lecture notes, how I build out my .PPTX files, and why I love using Cornell note outlines with my students. I am so grateful you have been joining me in this Summer Podcast PD! If you are enjoying the Curriculum Design mini-series or the Podcast PD as a whole, I would love for you to leave a rating and review so I can hear how this podcast is serving you! Resources Mentioned: Sign up for the FREE Summer Podcast PDThe Cornell Note Taking SystemDownload your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge.Send me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.scienceSend me an email: rebecca@itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts. Show Notes: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode83

Have you been following along with our Curriculum Design mini-series and need just a little bit more support and context to complete parts 1 and 2? I’ve got you covered, teacher friend! I know the process of designing a curriculum is A LOT, but if we work through it together, step-by-step, it will make it much more manageable and will be so beneficial in the end! Sometimes when taking on new, big projects, it is helpful to have examples and reference points to guide you along the way. Hearing the practical implementation of these steps can be incredibly helpful as you work your way through the curriculum design process. And because I want to ensure that I am providing you with as much help along the way as I can, I am sharing how I strategized the sequence for my Biology curriculum by thinking through the 10 questions from episode 80 and why it is so crucial and beneficial to do the not so fun work of analyzing your aims like we discussed in episode 81.Designing your own curriculum is a challenge, but I know you’re up for it! These first steps are not the most fun parts of the process but are so incredibly important to complete before moving on. I am here to motivate and encourage you if you are finding it hard to take action. So let’s get these steps done and continue working through this process together!It’s not too late to get your teacher friends in on the Podcast PD! Share with them and subscribe to Secondary Science Simplified podcast wherever you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss the weekly episodes and BONUS Curriculum Design episodes that’ll be released on Thursdays for the month of July!Resources Mentioned:Sign up for the FREE Summer Podcast PDWatch the YouTube video tour of the INRS Biology CurriculumCheck out the INRS Biology CurriculumDownload your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge.Send me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.scienceSend me an email: rebecca@itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.comFollow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.Show Notes: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode82

We are moving on to step two in our curriculum design mini-series! If you did not complete the first step in the process about strategic sequencing, you NEED to go back and start there before tackling step two. This week, we are going to dive into analyzing your aims. Although this isn’t the flashiest or most fun part of the process, it is crucial to designing your curriculum. I am walking you through how to analyze your aims, step by step, and covering why you need to accurately identify what standards you need to use, the importance of finding out if there are any specific materials you need to follow, and why you need to translate your standards into practical objectives. This may be a part of the curriculum design process you want to skip over, but you NEED to do this. This step is so important - you need to learn what you need to be teaching and to what depth you need to teach it! And if you still need a little help, be sure to tune in to episode 82 where we will be covering examples of how I did this in one of my units!Make sure you don’t miss a single episode of the summer Podcast PD! Subscribe to Secondary Science Simplified podcast wherever you listen to podcasts to get the incredible info in the weekly episodes and BONUS Curriculum Design episodes that’ll be released on Thursdays for the month of July. It’s not too late to grab a teacher friend and tackle this bite-sized PD together!Resources Mentioned:Sign up for the FREE Summer Podcast PDDownload your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge.Send me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.scienceSend me an email: rebecca@itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.comFollow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.Show Notes: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode81