It’s hard to believe that the start of another school year is just around the corner, which means that planning for the first day of school and your first units is starting to take place. The first day of school can sometimes feel chaotic, and teachers are often unsure what they should even be covering on that day. So, to help those teachers out, I’m sharing the four things I always do on the first day of school and an overview of my first units for each science discipline.

When it comes to the first day of school, I like to do a mixture of fun and expectations. I find it extremely important to set the tone for how your classroom will be run throughout the year and share personal examples of what this looked like when I was in the classroom. But on the flip side, adding in some fun science activities and getting to know your students lays the foundation for relationship-building and science knowledge.

And as quickly as the first few days come and go, before you know it, you’re diving into the first units of each of your courses. In the four science disciplines of physical science, biology, chemistry, and anatomy, I share a brief overview of topics I cover to begin those courses and the reasoning behind them. Although all four different disciplines, you’ll notice a common theme of reviewing and learning the basics before ever teaching content-specific topics.

With so many things to cover the first few days of school, it can be difficult to know what you should spend those days doing. However, it’s important to go back to what you care about most, which will help you and your students have a successful school year. So, if you’re looking for ideas on structuring your first day of school and first units of study in your science courses, this episode is for you!

Resources Mentioned:

• Virtual PD Courses for Science Teachers
• It’s Not Rocket Science Biology Basics Unit
• It’s Not Rocket Science Introduction to Anatomy Unit
• It’s Not Rocket Science Introduction to Chemistry Unit
• It’s Not Rocket Science Scientific Method Unit
• All It’s Not Rocket Science Complete Units
• Free Characteristics of Life Inquiry Activity
• Flinn Scientific
• Carolina Biological Supply
• Download your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge
• Send me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.science
• Send me an email: rebecca@itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts

Show Notes: https://itsnot

Virtual professional development courses are OFFICIALLY HERE! If you love this podcast and want even MORE support in simplifying your life as a secondary science teacher, then you NEED to check out my newly revamped virtual PD offerings: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/pd

With the school year quickly approaching, many teachers are getting their jobs and starting to figure out what science courses they’ll be teaching. And if you see chemistry on your course list, you might be hitting the freak-out button! Especially as a new teacher, chemistry can be intimidating to teach, but it also gives a lot of fun and freedom to add some creativity into your lessons. So, in today’s episode, I’m sharing five chemistry tips to help you find success teaching this course this year.

Since I taught chemistry, I wanted to share my advice and add my own personal experience to it as well. Chemistry is a science discipline that can intimidate a lot of students, which is why I always found it beneficial to teach students why it matters and use tools, models, and visuals to make it more relatable and approachable for them. This helps them find a real connection to the course and enjoy the class that much more. I also provide examples of my scope and sequence and a few classic labs and activities I incorporated throughout the year.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a beginning teacher, teaching chemistry has its challenges. But by keeping my five tips in mind, you will have success teaching this course this year, which is always the goal when a new school year begins again.

Resources Mentioned:

• Virtual PD Courses for Science Teachers
• Free Chemistry Curriculum Pacing Guide
• Chemistry Curriculum - Full Year Bundle
• It’s Not Rocket Science Chemistry Resources
• Download your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge
• Send me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.science
• Send me an email: rebecca@itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts

Show Notes: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode140

Virtual professional development courses are OFFICIALLY HERE! If you love this podcast and want even MORE support in simplifying your life as a secondary science teacher, then you NEED to check out my newly revamped virtual PD offerings: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/pd

These days, I'm all about doing things now that serve my future self. In last week's episode, I shared five principles I do in my business that serve my future self and how they can translate to the classroom. However, since those principles might serve you next month, quarter, or even school year, I wanted to share an immediate benefit for your future self. In today's episode, I'm sharing how Friday planning can be used to prevent Sunday scaries.

If you are anything like I was in the classroom, I couldn't wait for my weekend to start and then felt the dread and overwhelm creep up on Sunday when I realized all I needed to do for the upcoming week. I hated this feeling so much that I created a process to prevent Sunday scaries from ever happening. Although you don't have to choose Friday to be the day you plan out your next week, make copies, and stay a little later, I'm going to share why I think it's the best day for it, how it'll make you feel, and my process for what it looks like and how to do it to maximize the prevention of Sunday scaries.

Nothing dampens your Sunday like the realization of the papers you need to grade, copies you need to make for the lab the next day, or the number of emails you have to respond to sitting in your inbox. But by taking some time on Friday to plan your upcoming week, you will have eliminated the Sunday scaries and can enjoy your weekend without thinking about work!

Resources Mentioned:

• Virtual PD Courses for Science Teachers Waitlist
• Download your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge
• Send me a DM on Instagram: @its.not.rocket.science
• Send me an email: rebecca@itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts

Show Notes: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode139

Virtual professional development courses are OFFICIALLY HERE! If you love this podcast and want even MORE support in simplifying your life as a secondary science teacher, then you NEED to check out my newly revamped virtual PD offerings: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/pd