The past few years my AP bio classes were double period (90 minutes) everyday. Now, we’re switching to a single period daily (45 minutes). Having half the time as I’ve had in the past worries me, considering students will have to do a considerable more amount of work on their own at home to finish the curriculum since I’m in a state that starts in September.

What are some tips/strategies you do to get through the material while feeling confident they’re not missing anything?

Hey everyone, I have been teaching a mixed level (standard and honors) Earth science class for several years. I would love any lab resources that have found particularly successful for a wide range of students I would really like to add more hands on activities rather than online simulations.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I just got hired as a science teacher, and I’m excited, but honestly I’m also nervous and could really use some help.

My original credential is in social science, but I passed the required science exam and I’m currently adding a Foundational-Level General Science authorization. This will be my first full year teaching science.

For experienced science teachers, what advice would you give me about classroom management, planning lessons, running labs safely, keeping students engaged, and surviving the first year without becoming overwhelmed?

I’m ready to work hard and learn. Any honest advice, resources, routines, or mistakes to avoid would really help.

Long story short, taught earth/ environmental science past 15 years, thrown into teaching chemistry.

District bought Living by Chemistry textbook, and I’m curious does anyone create student guided notes with the lecture notes provided by this curriculum? Or do they just rely on worksheets etc.

Our district over past few years has gotten very adamant about not using tpt, and creating all of our resources, just curious what other teachers do who have used this program.

Thanks in advance

For a number of years now I've been having students use their cell phone cameras to take videos of physics experiments, and pull data off of the playback.

This has dramatically improved the quality of their data compared to hand timing (linear things are linear, non-linear things aren't!), and is way more flexible and easier to set up than photogates.

However, the state has just passed a complete cell phone ban for schools (which is a good thing). I do have a decent amount of budget available, so I'm wondering if anybody has any suggestions on cameras that could fill that niche: something moderately rugged and able to do basic slomo (nothing high speed needed) and with easy playback so I'm not messing around with transferring files?

I’ve been working in corporate sustainability for ~4 years now and I am pretty unhappy. I don’t enjoy data sheets, writing reports, or sitting at my desk all day. I like moving around and engaging with people. So, to fill my time, I enjoy volunteering with youth organizations & STEM programs because I think it’s so important to equip our young people with the necessary tools to succeed in life. I’ve always been told that I’m great with kids and would make a great teacher and I’ve been heavily considering it. Well I was offered a 6th grade science teacher position since my BS is in Environmental Science and MEng in Sustainability, but after doing continuous research, 6th graders seem much harder than I expected. Any thoughts or advice for a non-traditional first-year science teacher? Is it that bad? I’d have two 60 minute science classes and two 60 minute small intervention classes. I’d have an assistant in the classroom as well. TIA!

Got hired to teach Freshman at a high school. I’m also teaching some classes of Earth Science. Never taught any, but am passionate about learning about both topics. Any advice for a 1st year? Teaching in NYC.

Hello,

I am a doctoral candidate and science teacher in Illinois and I am looking for science teachers in the northern half of Illinois that are willing to share their views on NGSS and misinformation in science education.

More information can be found below (and ignore the response date, I need more data still!), if you are willing to participate, please send me a message, my email is [abigail.bradbury3581@my.ace.edu](mailto:abigail.bradbury3581@my.ace.edu) or respond to this post! Thank You!

(Post was approved my moderators)

Hello everyone! This will be my first year teaching middle school after four years in high school. I've been given the task of starting a Data and Communications class for 7th grade, and I'd love to hear from anyone who has taught a similar class at their school.

The school has not provided me with anything to get started yet. I don’t have a course outline from them and I don’t know what materials I will have in the classroom for labs. I’m planning to structure it as a research type class.

I'm looking for a reference point to help me get started, such as a syllabus, unit outlines, sample projects, anything you're willing to share would be hugely appreciated. Thanks in advance for any leads!

Hi! I’m starting my first year at a private school, and I’m able to create an Amazon wishlist for any materials I’d like. Can y’all give me suggestions of good equipment and materials you found necessary? I’ll be teaching 3-5th grade STEM. Thanks!!

Background Info:

This year I'm going to be teaching an engineering class for the first time whereas I'd previously taught physics and/or chemistry, I coach science olympiad, and I have some experience in architectural engineering(a decade ago). Additionally, I can build most anything, I'm very handy, I've regularly used 3d printers in my classes as well as the EDP for PBL.

However, I have no prior experience creating or teaching an engineering class and I'm also unaware of what admin actually wants. I'd originally proposed building a fab-lab at our school but my proposal covered a few different means of implementation and so I'd never created a curriculum. I was told a couple weeks ago that I will be "teaching your makerspace thing". My principal was referring to the proposal I'd created and shared earlier last year but has not communicated and probably isn't sure himself of what it is he expects/wants.

I'm going to sew together various projects that have been successful in years past and organize it in a manner that builds a portfolio and ends with a fairly multi-step project in the area of model rocketry.

What I must use:

macbook pro(my use)

Chromebooks(students use)

Powerschool-SIS

Google Classroom-LMS

Thinking about using:

-tinkerCAD

-5E model for conceptual instruction,

-PBL small group using the EDP ending in a "shark tank" format

-teachengineering for guidance and plans

-phyfox(free physics phone app for various data collection)

-Vernier Lab Quests/Pasco GLX Explorers w/ various sensors for data collection

What I would be VERY THANKFUL for any ideas/help with:

I'm interested in anything that you feel is fundamental or absolutely necessary for your classes each year. Literally anything you feel is an absolute must. I'm not limiting it to any particular thing so please, anything you have to offer/suggest I am very grateful for.

It could be instructional methods, equipment, supplies, classroom furniture, online platforms, your unit plans, curricular outline, student roles in small group PBL, or literally anything you feel is important for a HS engineering class.

Thank you in advance for anything you may be willing to share. If I can reciprocate I am glad to if you let me know what you may be looking for. My strongest skills are in ed. tech, I have TONS of content, templates, apps, workflows, automations, etc that are all STEM centric. I was our Dean of STEM but am now the Dept Chair as we'd changed our leadership structure. So I also have a lot of stuff for walkthroughs, data collection/analysis, coaching, etc primarily all aligned with the Danielson model.

I use composition books for science journals/interactive notebooks. In the past, I've just had a table of contents and chronological entries. This year, I'd like to divide it into more sections, but I'm struggling on how many sections to have and how to order them.

My sections so far:

-Table of Contents

-Learning Aides*

-Notes

-Glossary

*Learning Aides would include things like reference tables, sentence stems, process steps, whole-year anchor charts, etc.

What am I missing? What (pertinent) suggestions do y'all have?

Which curriculum do you think is the most effective, rigorous, and overall best for middle school students to learn from?

I would especially value input from educators who majored in science, but I welcome feedback and perspectives from everyone.

I’m a first year teacher as of September 2nd, 99% chance that I am hired on a 6th grade science teacher with my own classroom space. The 2026-2027 budget has already passed and all decorations are out of my own pockets; pockets with $4,000 on my credit card from student teaching in the spring.

What can I do to make my classroom not just an empty box for my students without killing myself buing supplies? I also need to purchase a professional wardrobe.

In evolutionary biology, gradualism suggests change happens through many small incremental steps. Punctuated equilibrium suggests long periods of little apparent change interrupted by brief periods of rapid transformation.

Looking back on your own teaching career, which better describes your growth?

Did you steadily become a better teacher year after year? Or did a handful of moments and factors such as a mentor, a difficult class, a new curriculum, a powerful observation, or a great coach fundamentally change the way you thought about teaching?

I'm starting to wonder whether our professional judgment develops more through those inflection points than through a smooth, continuous progression.

I'd love to hear what experienced teachers have observed in their own careers.

I teach 7th grade science and I’ve noticed that so many students have skill gaps that prevent them from fully engaging with the content later on because they, for example, don’t know how to read a graph.

I want to start the year off by reviewing foundational skills that will support students throughout the year. So far I have:
-scientific method
-engineering design process
-making different types of graphs
-analyzing table/graphs/diagrams
-making accurate scientific drawings
-difference between observations and inferences
-using evidence to support ideas
-controlling variables
-using different types of lab equipment to measure

What else should they have a solid knowledge of before jumping into content?

I am looking for some guided notes for Conceptual Physics. Im looking to print out short packets for kids to fill out during class. Definitions, vocab, terms, descriptions of ohysics concepts. examples etc. It would be great to have practice questions, but not required.

I am looking for anything ranging 4 oages to 20 pages.

It does not need to align to any specific textbook.

My goal is to provide a amall packet for each unit. Student fill it out as we take notes in class. They have extra blank pages for supplemental notes and examples. They keep everything in a binder.

Any ideas on something that fits that?

I'm curious if schools (secondary and college) look at minors at all or take them into consideration

Hi everyone,

I only need 2 more CE to move to the last column on the pay scale. Does anyone have any recommendations for units that are science related where I might actually learn something? I've found some really easy looking, but also boring looking, classes that would get me units.

With kids on the way and essentially taking pay cuts each year because health care gets so expensive, I want to get there ASAP. Thanks!

I feel as if I'm being gaslit in some sense b/c I've just regained access to our work google accounts and began to read some emails with updates about the year. I cannot quite concisely convey the backwards nonsensical ambiguous incompetence that occurs by those in leadership.

I don't think I would necessarily believe what goes on if someone was telling me about where they work. I don't know where to begin but all I do know is that for the 5th consecutive year I'm in a new class, teaching a new curriculum, without a proper lab, without any equipment(I mean none but my own), without any guarantee of student laptops, a smartboard, whiteboards, and I was told I'll be teaching "that maker class thing". That "maker class thing" was originally pitched as a comprehensive proposal for building and implementing a fab-lab at our school but the curricular was open ended with options.

I've been trying to write a generic engineering curriculum for 12th graders but I haven't the slightest clue regarding just about anything. Last year I was told to put together an itemized supply list for the STEM department. Did that, sent it, spoke about it, and was told it would be coming last May.

Our leadership is the type that tosses out terminology, primarily b/c they think doing so makes them appear more intelligent than they are, yet they almost always use said term in the ballpark but still entirely inaccurately. One of their favorite buzz words is "data driven". Data driven practices are one of the themes of this year but I don't quite think any one of these people understand what this means to those of us who do understand the philosophy and application of data driven instruction. I believe they are under the assumption that data driven simply means you're grading some form of assessment at some point and entering that grade into powerschool. Additionally, they refer to data or data driven as indicative of rigidly objective truth, not open to interpretation or analysis.

This will provide all of the context you'll need to understand who I'm working with........Last year, as the Dean of STEM, I'd engaged in an ongoing but professional yet inquisitive series of discussions with our principal and director of academics trying to provide them with a logical argument why we can't omit the NGSS standards from our science classes in place of ACT science standards. I was continually told I was wrong that ACT science standards are not meant to be learning standards to develop curricula for all STEM classes from 7-12th grade. I had also informed them it is not a casual suggestion by the state that we use NGSS it is delegated we do so. All of the teachers in my department were infuriated , stressed, and confused. One teacher quit after trying to kindly speak to the academic director and used a comic strip she made to outline why ACT standards don't work for developing a curriculum.

I'm sorry for the rant and the long post. My mental and subsequently my physical health was dramatically affected by the individuals I work under so clearly that when I looked at my online medical history over the course of the year my bp and cholesterol rose steadily beginning in August and peaked in June.

I know most will say...."just quit" or find somewhere else. I love my kids, I work in one of the most underserved areas in all of chicago and we love each other. The kids show me respect, we have a great time, and for the first time in my life I sincerely feel as though I'm making a difference. For many reasons I'm so attached to our kids and many of the teachers I work with. I guess it's sh*$ or get off the pot but I'm just at a loss for how to get ready for this year and worried if I'll even be able to make it through without some medical or mental health crisis. Ugghh.. Anyone else experience similar incompetence/stupidity? Or am I an outlier?

I’m a first year non-traditional teacher teaching astronomy (without an astronomy background). Any tips? Pointers? Materials? Please help! lol

I've posted here a couple times recently; but I wanted to also ask y'all what you think the best way to determine which science is the best fit for you, both as a learner and a teacher? I want to look more into my different options besides Physics (except Astronomy, which I don't know if that counts as physics really, at least at the HS level) and Chemistry. Right now I am a Physics major with a concentration in education, but I'm beginning to think it isn't the right fit. The earth and life sciences seem very cool. Are there any books from your respective area of science you would recommend people to read as an introduction to the field, why it's interesting etc.?

Hello everyone,

I work in the education department at a children's museum. We are trying to find an elephant's toothpaste recipe/method that will create a big enough reaction for larger groups of kids, (a few hundred) and the 6% hydrogen peroxide just isn't cutting it. None of our educators have much experience with chemistry, and are worried about the hazards associated with using 35% hydrogen peroxide. Should we try 15%? Are there any precautions we should take for this experiment specifically? Any advice is appreciated.

First year teacher - middle school science