Secondary Science Simplified is a podcast specifically for high school science teachers that will help you to engage your students AND simplify your life as a secondary science educator. Each week Rebecca, from It's Not Rocket Science, and her guests will share practical and easy-to-implement strategies for decreasing your workload so that you can stop working overtime and start focusing your energy doing what you love - actually teaching! Teaching doesn't have to be rocket science, and you' ...
…
continue reading
Spec Script is a podcast where a funny person writes an episode of a tv show that they have never seen. We take their script and do a table read featuring artists from Portland, OR and beyond.
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
144. 4 Ways Having “No Rules” Has Changed My Life (And Could Change Your School Year)
23:44
23:44
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
23:44
In the past, I’ve always chosen a word of the year to help guide what I want for myself, my family, and my career in the upcoming year. However, this year, I chose a mental mindset for the year, which was “no rules.” I was so used to finding efficient ways to run my business and classroom when I was in it that I wanted to make a change and make dec…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
143. My Top 5 Favorite Teacher Hacks for the New School Year
26:34
26:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:34
Whether you’ve been in school mode for a while or are still enjoying your summer, I always try to spend August helping teachers prepare for the upcoming school year. We all know how stressful and demanding the year can be, so I wanted to really be intentional about finding ways that were super helpful and simplify your life as a secondary science t…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
142. Reflections From a First-Year AP Teacher With Guest Laura Tice
48:19
48:19
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
48:19
I’ve talked many times about my experience teaching AP science courses before, and I even did an entire series talking to teachers who teach various AP science disciplines, so y’all know how challenging it can be. However, think about if you’re still a beginning teacher and being thrown into teaching an AP course. That’s what happened to my guest o…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
141. First Day of School Tips + What I Cover in My First Units of the Year
33:28
33:28
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:28
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…
…
continue reading
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 t…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
139. Sunday Scaries - How I Use Friday Planning to Prevent Them
17:52
17:52
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:52
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 fu…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
138. Serving Future You - How to Work Smarter, Not Harder
29:56
29:56
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:56
I frequently think about how much the principles I've learned from running a business (and parenting) have changed my perspective on teaching. This got me thinking about what I would implement based on what I know now if I ever return to the classroom. And whenever I realize something useful and helpful, I want to share it with y'all! So, in today'…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
137. Work/Life Balance as a Mom and AP Teacher With Guest Kimberly Leary
45:10
45:10
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
45:10
As teachers, we know how hard it is to manage and balance our work and personal lives. But when you add being a new mom and an AP teacher to the mix, it makes that even harder. We’re always looking for tips and secrets to find that balance. My guest on today’s episode, Kimberly Leary, just might have figured it out! In today’s episode, Kimberly is …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
136. Building a Team Mindset Into Your Classroom Culture
21:34
21:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
21:34
When I was a classroom teacher without any kids, I had no idea of the correlation or commonality that being a parent and a teacher would have. Now, being a parent, I would do some things differently and have a different lens on, which is why I’ve loved doing this series on things I’ve learned from parenting that can apply to teaching. In this episo…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
135. Using Anticipatory Conversations to Diffuse Classroom Chaos
25:40
25:40
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
25:40
If you’ve been listening each week, you know that this month, I’ve been doing a special series where I’ve reflected on things I’ve done and learned as a parent and how they can transfer to the classroom. I’ve been surprised by how much is transferable and have loved hearing your responses to these ideas as well. Today’s topic is something I’ve talk…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
134. Prioritizing Relationships Over Being Right
18:59
18:59
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:59
As you all know, my outlook and perspective on life are usually black and white. Especially when it came to teaching, I gave clear rules and procedures that needed to be followed in my classroom. However, when I became a parent to three children, my perspective started to shift and change. This got me thinking about how what I’ve learned through pa…
…
continue reading
If you openly ask your students, What’s something I say often? You might be surprised by their answers or know exactly what they’d say. I know when I was in the classroom, there were certain phrases that I was known for saying and that I repeated to emphasize certain behaviors or life skills I wanted my students to learn. Now as a parent, I’m doing…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
132. End-of-Year Personal Reflection - 6 Questions to Ask Yourself
16:25
16:25
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
16:25
I love taking the time to reflect both professionally and personally because it helps me grow as a teacher and as a person. So when I was in the classroom, I made it a habit to spend some time at the end of the school year to reflect on how the year went. In last week’s episode, I had you reflect on your instructional resources in order to help pre…
…
continue reading
With the end of the school year quickly approaching, your mind is on summer, relaxing, and taking a break from school. The last thing you probably want to do is start thinking about next school year. However, that’s exactly what I want you to do! While everything is still fresh in your mind, it’s important to take the time to reflect on the year an…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
130. First Year Teaching? 5 Things I Wish I Had Known
20:43
20:43
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:43
Something that I remember so vividly is my first year teaching. I was bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and couldn’t wait to have my own classroom and make it my own. I had wanted this for so long that I was ready to jump in and do all that I could to be the best teacher I could be. And while that sounds like the right thing, it actually made me tired, st…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
129. 4 Things I Learned From Other Teachers That Changed How I Teach
24:19
24:19
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:19
As a former secondary science teacher, I know how hard y’all work and plan to create meaningful lessons and activities for your students and are always striving to do what’s best for them. That’s why whenever Teacher Appreciation Week rolls around, I want to take time to say thank you and appreciate the teachers in my life, which includes you! To h…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
128. Admin Appreciation - The Best Ways My Admin Ever Supported Me
24:18
24:18
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:18
A group of people who are educators who don’t always get a lot of credit but also put in a lot of work are administrators. And with National Administration Appreciation Day a few days ago, I wanted to take some time to give some praise and kudos to those administrators who are trustworthy, support teachers, and care about the students in their scho…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
127. Teaching AP Chemistry With Guest Zach Matson
1:27:34
1:27:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:27:34
We’ve made it to our final episode in our AP science teacher interview series, and I’ve saved the best for last! When I sent out a survey several months ago, y’all requested to have him make another guest appearance, so here he is, Zach Matson! Teaching AP Chemistry for several decades, he has gained so much experience, knowledge, and tips that are…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
126. Teaching AP Environmental Science With Guest Ashton Allgood
45:51
45:51
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
45:51
I’ve had so much fun and really enjoyed listening to my guest science teachers during my AP science teacher interview series. Each guest has given incredible insight about the AP exam and helpful tips for other teachers in their respective science disciplines. But out of all the AP science courses, I received the most questions about teaching AP En…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
125. Teaching AP Biology With Guest Beth Hines
1:02:34
1:02:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:02:34
As we move forward with focusing on the different AP science classes, this week, we’re focusing on AP Biology. This class comes with a lot of content, material, reading, and prior background knowledge to help students succeed and prepare for the end-of-year AP exam. I’m so lucky to have guest Beth Hines be the expert on this class since she is a ve…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
124. Teaching AP Physics With Guest Laura Preiser
54:45
54:45
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
54:45
It’s the beginning of April, and with the spring air around us, it reminds me of something fresh and new, so I decided to start a new series about teaching different AP sciences. Even though in my podcast episodes, I share ideas and strategies that will benefit all classes, I get a lot of questions targeted specifically toward teaching an AP class.…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
123. What to Do When You Care More Than Your Students Do
28:41
28:41
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:41
As educators, we decided to make this our career because we love to help people and care about students and their success. However, just because that’s our personality and mission, unfortunately, doesn’t mean that’s how our students feel. One of the resounding themes from the survey I sent out was how do I get my students to care as much as I do? I…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
122. How to Nail Your Teacher Job Interview + 3 Mock Lesson Ideas
33:37
33:37
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:37
In last week’s episode, I asked you to examine your current job situation to see if there were more things causing you stress than things that brought you joy. One solution might be changing your scenery, such as switching schools or even districts, which would mean a teacher interview is in your future. Or even if you’re a beginning teacher lookin…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
121. Burned Out? When It’s Time to Make a Change
28:28
28:28
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:28
It’s no secret that teachers are constantly overwhelmed and stressed and often don’t feel appreciated for their work. Especially during this time of year, it can be hard to determine if the exhaustion you’re feeling is just temporary or a feeling that won’t go away. Trust me, I’ve been exactly where you’re at and want to help. So, in today’s episod…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
120. How to Cut Your Grading Time in Half
26:26
26:26
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:26
Everyone is trying to achieve a work-life balance, but for teachers, that simple concept is actually very complicated. One of the reasons teachers struggle so much with having a life outside of school is the amount of grading that we have to do. While I’m biased, I believe secondary science teachers have the most grading, especially with the labs a…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
119. Increasing Retention - How to Get Students to Remember Dense Topics
26:40
26:40
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:40
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again - the reason I do this podcast is for you! I love sharing ideas, strategies, activities, and curriculum with you that help make your science classrooms more successful. This is why I reached out to you to hear what questions you had for me or for your science classrooms. So, for the next few months, I’ll b…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
118. CER: What It Is, and Why I Never Explicitly Taught It
9:43
9:43
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
9:43
If you’ve been in education long enough, you know that new acronyms and ideas are constantly being tossed out there. Once these ideas are presented, schools and districts want them implemented, which results in teachers stressing about incorporating them into their lessons. But in reality, teachers are already doing a lot of these ideas; they’re ju…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
117. How to Prep for a Long-Term Substitute Who Doesn’t Teach Science
20:16
20:16
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:16
We’ve all had someone who isn’t trained in our subject area be a substitute in our class before, but only for just a day or two, and we survived. But when it’s for an extended period of time, that’s when planning can get challenging. This episode is more than for those going on maternity leave. Most of us don’t anticipate when we need to go on exte…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
116. Behind Schedule? What to Do and How to Prevent It in the Future
32:00
32:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
32:00
No matter what subject or grade you teach or how long you’ve been teaching, you have been behind schedule at least at one point in your career. Trust me, I’ve been there, and it is stressful! Especially if you have an end-of-year test that you’re preparing for. But instead of feeling overwhelmed, in today’s episode, I’m sharing ways to assess why y…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
115. How to Act Confident When You’re Not
15:58
15:58
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:58
If you’re a beginning teacher or teaching a new prep for the first time, everyone’s advice is always to fake it till you make it! We’re conditioned to believe that you need to project confidence to show your students that you’re qualified to be their teacher. But is that narrative what’s best for your students? I’ve had many conversations with teac…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
114. How to Bounce Back After You Mess Up
27:53
27:53
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:53
Have you ever made a mistake in your classroom? Or handled a situation differently that caused more problems or regretted how you handled it? I am raising my hand high in the air! Even though it feels like you’re the only teacher something like this has ever happened to, in reality, you’re not alone. I received an email a few months back that reson…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
113. What to Do When You Have No Energy - Truths for the Classroom
12:17
12:17
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
12:17
If you are anything like I was in the classroom, this time of year is when I often felt the most drained, with little energy. The excitement of break seems so far away; it’s dark, and the days seem never-ending. And while I can’t change any of those things for you, I can give you some encouragement to make it through. Similar to last week’s episode…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
112. What to Do When You Have No Energy - Systems for the Home
25:19
25:19
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
25:19
With the demands of teaching, we often come home with no energy but are faced with the demands of our home life as well. And just like we have routines put in place to make things easier at school, we can do the same when we’re at home. So, in today’s episode, I’m sharing my best systems for the home that will help you maximize your energy from the…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
111. Priorities and Boundaries in the New Year
24:46
24:46
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:46
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you were able to unplug over this winter break and recharge so you can tackle the last semester of the school year. Since the start of a new year is the perfect time to hit the reset button, I really wanted to start the year off by assessing where you are in life, what your priorities are, and the types of boundarie…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
110. How to Manage a Classroom of Apathetic Students
43:12
43:12
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
43:12
It’s officially the last week of 2023, so I wanted to end the year with the most listened to episode from the year. It was no surprise to me that my interview with Casey O’Hearn was the top episode because of his approach to teaching, his philosophies, and his outlook on how to interact and connect with his students. Adapting to teach in a post-pan…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
109. 10 Questions to Ask Yourself as You Reflect Over Your Course Sequence
32:53
32:53
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
32:53
As I mentioned last week, I’m taking the last weeks of December to replay my top three episodes of the year based on your listens and downloads. I was shocked that this original episode was number two, but so excited because it’s something I’m passionate about, which is curriculum design, specifically strategizing your sequence. This was the first …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
108. 5 Must-Have Routines and Procedures for Secondary Teachers
30:03
30:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:03
Happy December, y’all! The one word that describes my life right now, which might describe yours as well, is frantic. So, I thought for the rest of the month, we’d revisit episodes from this past year that can either be good reminders for you during this last month of school or ideas you need to think about or reinforce when you return from break i…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
107. NGSS and Standards-Based Grading With Guest Boni Hamilton
58:55
58:55
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
58:55
You all know that I want to bring you as much information and perspectives on a topic as possible. With last week’s episode on standards-based grading being a new idea and way of grading for some of you, I wanted to bring on another teacher who has years of experience implementing this in her classroom. Boni Hamilton, a friend and experienced teach…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
106. Standards-Based Grading, Citizenship Grades, Motivation and MORE With Guest Jennica Harrison
59:28
59:28
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
59:28
I love talking about science content, curriculum, engaging activities, and practical strategies you can implement in your own classroom. But when my audience inquires about topics I’m not so sure about, I bring in experts who can share their knowledge. That’s exactly what I did when it came to discussing standards-based grading. My guest on today’s…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
105. What Happened When I Stopped Assigning Formal Lab Reports
22:26
22:26
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
22:26
As science teachers, or teachers in general, we tend to have the mindset of doing things in our classroom the way we were taught, the way our department runs things, or what our colleague down the hall does. But if you really think about the reason behind what you’re doing, what you normally do might change. That’s exactly what happened with formal…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
104. Using Summative Assessments to Prepare Students for Standardized Tests
19:43
19:43
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:43
After we teach a unit, what typically comes immediately after are summative assessments, and there are a lot of different types. Last week, I talked about authentic assessments, which still assess student learning but in a non-traditional way. And even though I value that type of assessment, I still believe in taking traditional tests. In today’s e…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
103. Authentic Assessments: How to Assess Students in a Way That Actually Matters
27:26
27:26
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:26
If you ask any student what they didn’t like about school, I bet assessments would be toward the top of their list. But what if you could create assessments that students actually enjoyed and liked? Okay, well, maybe that’s going too far, but you can definitely create assessments that are the best representation of their knowledge. I call those aut…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
102. Tips for Teaching Waves and Kinematics in Your Physics Class With Guest Laura Preiser
27:07
27:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:07
All month long, I’ve been diving into the most difficult topics to teach in each of the science disciplines, and we have finally made it to the last discipline - physics. I love all things science, but physics is not a discipline I have a lot of experience in. So instead, I decided to bring on a listener of the podcast who is knowledgeable and has …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
101. 6 Tips for Teaching Stoichiometry in Your Chemistry Class
19:32
19:32
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:32
When I decided to do this series, I knew exactly what I was going to discuss when it came to the difficulties of teaching chemistry. Students get overwhelmed by all the math and more intense content that comes with this science discipline, particularly teaching stoichiometry. However, there are several things you can do to ease their stress and mak…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
100. Your Questions Answered: Grading, Challenging Behaviors, Leave, Favorite Labs, Supporting ELs and MORE!
1:06:49
1:06:49
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:06:49
I’m doing a happy dance because it’s my 100th episode! Y’all, I can’t believe I’ve been supporting and sharing my thoughts, ideas, and resources with you for almost two years. Just like when I celebrated 50 episodes, I’m doing another special “Ask me anything” episode. I constantly get questions ranging from work, personal, curriculum, management, …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
99. How to Teach the Nervous and Endocrine Systems in Your Anatomy Class
21:07
21:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
21:07
We are starting week two of our difficult topics to teach with the different science disciplines. Last week’s episode, Episode 98, focused on biology and biochemical reactions. But this week, I’m focusing on anatomy! Since there’s a lot of content to cover in this subject and each teacher differs in what they choose to teach, that makes it difficul…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
98. 5 Tips for Teaching Biochemical Reactions in Your Biology Class
27:27
27:27
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:27
Welcome to fall, y’all! We just wrapped up our Summer of Podcast PD, where we tackled curriculum design, classroom management, grading strategies, and so much more. But with a new season comes a new series. With so many of our recent topics involving general classroom tips, I decided it was time to focus on more content-specific topics for each sci…
…
continue reading
Over this past month, I’ve been sharing my thoughts, practices, and strategies surrounding the topic of grading. You’ve probably realized how passionate I am about this topic because it’s something that I believe will give you more balance in your life between school and your personal life. And who doesn’t want that?! To wrap up this series, I’m sh…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
96. Why I Stopped Assigning Homework (And 6 Surprising Results)
21:21
21:21
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
21:21
Remember the days when you were in school and thought, When I’m a teacher, I’m NEVER going to do this! But then you become a teacher and do exactly what you said you weren’t going to do. Don’t worry, I’m guilty of this too. As soon as I became a teacher, I followed suit with the cycle of assigning homework in my class. However, I had a mindset shif…
…
continue reading
As teachers, we know that our time is valuable and we try to create that perfect work-life balance. However, time dedicated to instruction, engaging activities, and other teaching-related tasks can consume our time in and outside the classroom. But you can decrease the amount of time you spend on one task that will save you more time and energy, wh…
…
continue reading