Click Below to Hear about Teaching Chemistry with Guest, Zach Matson:
Wouldn’t it be nice to get some honest insights and tips about teaching chemistry from an amazing teacher with an INSANE amount of experience?
Lucky for us, my high school chemistry teacher is joining me today to do just that! Zach Matson is sharing the great insight and knowledge he has gained in his 20+ years of teaching.
We cover a little bit of everything and you are definitely going to walk away with some great tips and feeling more encouraged to take on whatever is thrown your way while teaching chemistry!
In this episode, we are covering everything from what Zach wished he knew his first years teaching to AP Chemistry tips. Zach is sharing his background and how he got into teaching, his advice for new chemistry teachers and what he wished he did differently his first few years teaching, the importance of building rapport for classroom management, tips for doing demos and implementing lab days, and so much more!
Zach Matson has been teaching since 2001 and is certified in secondary chemistry, physics, and mathematics. He holds a BS in Chemistry, a BA in Spanish, a BA in Computer Science, an M.Ed from Valparaiso University, and an M.S. in Engineering.
He has spent the past 19 years teaching all levels of chemistry in Lexington, Kentucky. If you’re interested in checking out some of the videos Zach mentioned, you can find them on his YouTube channel.
Would you like to hear about his thoughts on working with difficult parents and admin? Send me a message on Instagram and let me know if hearing his thoughts on this would be helpful!
I always love to hear what you would find beneficial! Please DM me any topics you’d like me to cover so I can best serve YOU!
Topics Discussed on Teaching Chemistry:
- Zach’s background and why he chose to go into education
- What he wishes he knew in his first few years in the classroom and what advice he would give new chemistry teachers
- What advice Zach has for implementing labs and demos in your classroom and what to avoid, especially in your first few years
- How Zach builds rapport with students and focuses on relationship building for effective classroom management
- How to handle students who have never struggled before but are struggling in your class
- Great tips on teaching AP Chemistry (or any AP course)
- How to best utilize a T.A. program if it is available to you
Resources Mentioned:
- Matson Chemistry YouTube channel
- Grab the FREE Classroom Reset Challenge
- Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts!
Related Episodes and Blog Posts:
- Everything You Need to Know About Having a High School T.A. Program
- Building Relationships With Students: Tips for High School Teachers
- 4 Things to Stop Doing to Simplify Your Teacher Life
- Episode 26 – Leaving Work at Work
Connect with Rebecca:
- Join the list
- Follow me on Instagram
- Like us on Facebook
- Join the Secondary Science Simplified Course Waitlist
- Shop my TpT Store
More about Secondary Science Simplified:
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’ll learn exactly what you need to do to simplify your secondary science teaching life so that you can enjoy your life outside of school even more. Head to itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/challenge to grab your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge.
