Setting Up Interactive Science Notebooks That Students Actually Use
I’ve heard teachers say they tried interactive science notebooks once, and it was a disaster. Pages ended up out of order. Students glued papers in upside down. Half the class forgot their notebooks at home, and by October they had become a crumpled collection of loose worksheets shoved into a backpack. If that sounds familiar, […]
Classroom Procedures That Save Time in Middle School Science
There was a time early in my teaching career when I felt like I spent half of every class period answering the same questions. Where should I turn this in? What page are we on? Can I get a pencil? What do I do now that I’m finished? None of those questions were difficult, but […]
How I Teach Bell Ringers Without Wasting Instructional Time
There was a time when the first five minutes of every class felt completely out of my control. Students wandered into the room talking about lunch, last night’s basketball game, or whatever drama had unfolded in the hallway. Some immediately sat down and waited for directions. Others sharpened pencils, searched through backpacks, or asked if […]