First Year Teacher Reflections With Cienna Domke [Episode 193]

Rebecca Joyner [00:00:01]:
I have had so much fun all this month sharing guest interviews with you all and I hope you have enjoyed these conversations as much as I have and if you have, please let me know. Shoot me a DM on Instagram. I’m Its not rocket science. I’ve been on a social media last summer. This is my second summer in a row doing this and it’s been so good for me. But it ends in a week when my kids start back school the first week of August. So I’ll actually be present there again if you DM me over there. Or you can always email me@rebecca rocketscienceclassroom.com and just let me know if I should maybe make this an annual secondary science simplified tradition of doing these full time teacher interviews in the summer.

Rebecca Joyner [00:00:42]:
I feel like it’s worked out really well because you know y’ all are off and there’s just more flexibility in the schedule to get to talk to you guys and get these conversations out there for you guys to listen to. So I’ve loved it and I hope you have too. We have one more episode for you in this series before we kind of get back to our regularly scheduled programming and we are ending this series with an episode I’m really excited about. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and I’m just grateful for Sienna’s willingness to kind of be my guinea pig and do this. And I had the chance to interview her name is Sienna Domke and she just finished her first year as a high school chemistry and biology teacher. She is located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and she came from a class of 43 students and has transitioned to teaching 130 daily. This last year was a big shift for her. Previously she had been a substitute teacher for three years while in college and getting her teacher certification done and she feels like that really helped her to have a successful first year.

Rebecca Joyner [00:01:44]:
In her words. The struggle is so real during the first year, especially the first and the last two months, but it is doable and you can make it. And so you’re going to hear why she feels that way in this episode. I had so much fun just kind of saying hey, can we just do a conversation where you reflect on your first year with me? And she did exactly that. She shares what went well and what didn’t go so well. She talks about the changes she hopes to make next school year as she improves her practice and what she feels like she did really well that she’ll keep on doing, particularly regarding classroom management and lesson planning she shares some lessons she did have to learn the hard way that first year teaching and how those lessons have made her a better teacher, though for the long term. I absolutely loved getting to hear her thoughts and her reflections and I really think you will too. So without further ado, here’s my conversation with soon to be second year teacher Sienna Domke.

Rebecca Joyner [00:02:41]:
This is Secondary Science Simplified, a podcast for secondary science teachers who want to engage their students and simplify their lives. Hi, I’m Rebecca Joyner from It’s Not Rocket Science. As a high school science teacher turned curriculum writer, I am passionate about helping other science teachers, love their jobs, serve their students, and do it all in only 40 hours a week. Are you ready to rock the time you spend in your classroom and actually have a life outside of it? You are in the right place, teacher friend. Let’s get to today’s episode. Hi, Sienna, how are you?

Cienna Domke [00:03:19]:
Good. How are you?

Rebecca Joyner [00:03:20]:
So good. I’m really excited. This is something I’ve always wanted to do. I told you just to like have this opportunity to kind of have like a live reflection with you on your year as you’ve just finished your first year teaching and about to start your second. So just to start us off so people have some context, what was your training before you became a first year teacher? What did that look like?

Cienna Domke [00:03:40]:
So I went to college right after high school and after getting my associate’s degree, I started being a substitute teacher for three years while I finished my degree in integrated science, secondary education at Lake State University in the Upper peninsula of Michigan. And then I student taught seventh grade science for about four months before becoming a teacher at high school.

Rebecca Joyner [00:04:05]:
Okay, that’s awesome. So you have, I love that you like subbed and stuff too. That’s some great experience. You would say you had a pretty traditional certification program and training experience. Yeah, but definitely a jump then to go from seventh grade to high school.

Cienna Domke [00:04:19]:
For sure. Yes. I was definitely nervous going from middle school to high school. Once I did the student teaching, I thought I wanted to stay in middle school, but there was only a high school opportunity. And now that I’m in the high school, I don’t know if I could go back to middle school.

Rebecca Joyner [00:04:33]:
It is crazy. Just, it’s just so different. Like people always reach out to me and they’re like, well, will this work for middle school or will this do this? And I’m like, I don’t know. I call it Secondary Science Simplified because I’m like, I do think things can translate, but not everything because I know that it’s just, you know, they’re just. It’s crazy, the growth. I had a school I taught at once where I taught every 8th grader and every 9th grader and it was just insane in even one year how much they changed as humans. So it’s a big jump. So tell me then, overall, if you’re just like, okay, how did it go? What would you say went well? And what would you say was maybe not going so well this first year?

Cienna Domke [00:05:11]:
Overall, I think the whole year went very well. I think a lot of people are kind of surprised being a first year teacher, but I think classroom management and just like overall communication between students, parents and staff went very well. However, what didn’t go well was these few parent contacts where they weren’t helpful for me. And I had to spend a lot of time to kind of like figure out how to get these kids to learn and to just get through it with them as like parent harassment and things like that. Due to my age, it was just kind of difficult to navigate that. But when keeping communication with my admin, it did really help. So overall I think it went very well. But there’s definitely some things that I learned and I definitely will be working with.

Rebecca Joyner [00:06:06]:
And that’s. I’m so excited to talk through with you. But first I just want to encourage you that like, that kind of treatment as a new teacher I feel like is so common. Like, I totally remember waiting for a parent to come to a conference and then walking in and being like, where’s the teacher? And I’m like, it’s me, the one with the badge, standing up here at the desk. So it does sound like though you had supportive admin, which I think makes all the difference.

Cienna Domke [00:06:31]:
Yes, for sure. I think if I didn’t have supportive admin, I wouldn’t be as excited to go back because I’m going to have some of the kids, a lot of the kids that I had in biology next year in chemistry, and one of them I just had to deal with issues the entire year.

Rebecca Joyner [00:06:48]:
Right.

Cienna Domke [00:06:49]:
So it’s exhausting knowing that I would have to do that again. But my admin has been so supportive that I don’t think that will happen, thankfully. And I feel really bad for anybody who doesn’t have that admin support.

Rebecca Joyner [00:07:03]:
It’s kind of one of those things like when you’ve never had good admin, you don’t really know what you’re missing and you don’t realize what a difference it can make. So I’m just really glad you’ve had that experience with those situations you mentioned before, we kind of move on to other stuff. Did you feel like you were able to get to a place where, like, you and the student were at least vibing and the parent was just being still difficult, or was it kind of a battle with you and the student and you and the parent the whole year?

Cienna Domke [00:07:26]:
I feel like overall it was mostly just me and the parent. Like, the students would tend to act very different in class with just me versus what they would go home and tell their parents. And I think that’s what made it the hardest because the parent would say all these nasty things, but the kid would come in and say, like, hey, how’s it going? So it was just really conflicting. But overall, I just tried to treat the student the same as any other student, of course, but it was just different with the parents.

Rebecca Joyner [00:07:52]:
That is so real. Like, you’re talking and I’m having so many flashbacks to so many situations like that. And there were times too where I was like. I would ask the student, like, you need to come into this conference I’m having with your parent, because I need to hear the things your parent is saying that you’re saying I know are not true. So I need to know. We gotta, like, triangulate this and figure out what is going on. Yeah, that is really tricky. Well, I’m proud of you making it through.

Cienna Domke [00:08:13]:
Thank you.

Rebecca Joyner [00:08:14]:
You mentioned your age. Obviously, that’s every, you know, new teacher who comes out of college has that problem. But you mentioned your. Your youngest sibling is actually the same age as your student. So how is that like. Or did you have your. Did you have one of your siblings in class?

Cienna Domke [00:08:29]:
I had subbed my siblings a couple times while I was a substitute teacher. But I don’t teach at the same school that they go to anymore, so I did not have them as an actual student. But I am kind of glad. My brother is the youngest of seven, and he’s the one that is the same age as my students, and I find him kind of annoying. So I feel like. I feel like it was kind of hard for me to adjust to some of the boys that I was teaching because they act so similar to him. Just immature boys. You know how it is.

Cienna Domke [00:09:00]:
So it was just. It’s just kind of weird because I also know, like, all of the trends and all of the slangs that they’re using because again, I have siblings that age, but also I’m not that much older than them. So those types of things also come up on my social media. So it was kind of like, it was funny to see because sometimes I could like, pull out some of their slang and then they would be like, so shocked, like, whoa, what did you just say? Or something like that. But then again, also it’s like, oh, like, I don’t want to know this. I wish I didn’t know what you were talking about, but I do. But overall, I think it was good because I can relate to them a lot more. I was just in their shoes.

Cienna Domke [00:09:39]:
So it definitely helped with relationship building. But again, then there was the others that didn’t respect me because they think I’m like their sibling.

Rebecca Joyner [00:09:48]:
I think I really wanted to, like, prove that, like, I’m older, I’m smarter, I’m more mature. And I mean, I definitely was all of those things. And I would say, but I felt like I would. Sometimes my pride got in the way of me being like, yeah, I am young. Like, I’m just accepting it. And that doesn’t disqualify me, though, from being your teacher. Yeah, I think you have a really good, like, perspective on it of, you know, you just kind of sound like you kind of went rolled with the punches and stuff like that. I will say too, now that I have two of my children are boys, I feel like they, once they kind of hit seven, they just start getting weird.

Rebecca Joyner [00:10:20]:
And I think they stay weird till like maybe 17. I’m not a hundred percent sure, but like, I just call them a goober. I’m like, you remind me so much of like, these eighth and ninth grade boys. Like, I feel like you’re already there and you’re seven, but I hope you get the chance. I had the chance to teach AP Bio and I got some of those boys back as junior seniors. And again, like every year, it’s so crazy how much they grow. And it was so fun to see them kind of coming through there, just always needing attention. It’s fun to watch them grow into, you know, adults.

Rebecca Joyner [00:10:48]:
And then even I was at the gym the other day and I heard a Ms. Joyner in the middle of the workout. And it was a student I had literally taught eight years ago. And now he’s like an adult with a career. And he was such a just punk. That’s like the best way to say it. And it was so fun to be like, oh, my gosh, you’re just like a functioning member of society now. Like, we just get you at such a fun time in your life.

Cienna Domke [00:11:09]:
That’s why I’m really excited for next year because the seventh graders that I student taught are going to be freshmen next year, so I’ll have them for biology. So I’m really, I’m really interested to see, like, how that’ll be, like, the ones that still really like me or the ones that are, like, unsure or the ones that didn’t like me then, like, see how they come around. I’m excited to see how that goes.

Rebecca Joyner [00:11:30]:
I think it’s fun in that you kind of know already, like, who to watch out for and you kind of just. Or, you know, who need. You know their needs a little bit better. And it’s also fun, too. I like, I like knowing the background knowledge they already have. Like, if they try to act like they don’t know how to read a graduated cylinder from the bottom of meniscus, I’m like, absolutely not. I taught you this, so don’t say that to me.

Cienna Domke [00:11:51]:
I was able this year to pull a lot of things out. Like, I know you learned this in totally science because I was just there and then they would be like, oh, yeah, I remember. So that is nice.

Rebecca Joyner [00:12:01]:
It’s a gift for sure. Okay, so then you’ve kind of touched on some things. But what do you think was the biggest learning curve for you this year? Like, maybe, you know, maybe you went in thinking, like, I’m, I got the lesson planning down, but then that was way harder than you thought it was going to be or kind of, what did you end up feeling like, wow, I really learned this through doing, and it wasn’t something I maybe learned as well in my program.

Cienna Domke [00:12:21]:
I think the biggest learning curve was definitely giving myself grace. After my first observation, I thought it went terrible because we were working with dimensional analysis. I’m not the strongest math person. I can do it, but I’m not the strongest. So, like, I really don’t feel super confident teaching this. For the first time, I was super stressed. My principal was like, what’s going on? Like, I thought it was great. She came into the wrong hour.

Cienna Domke [00:12:50]:
Like, I thought she was coming to biology. She showed up to chemistry. So for me, I was freaking out. And she’s like, no, it went so well. I didn’t even know that it was a different class than we had talked about. Like, you made it work so well. So just giving myself grace because I was really anxious after a lot of things like the evaluations or meetings or anything like that, and it would just tear me up and I wouldn’t be able to, like, relax. So just learning to, like, give myself grace, like, it’s okay.

Cienna Domke [00:13:22]:
I am a First year teacher, people understand that, but also like, it’ll get better, but it’s going to take time. After PD days, I would try to like fix everything. You know, they’re telling me tips and tricks to do and I would be like, okay, I want to implement this and I want to do that, but you just can’t. So understanding that I’m human, I need to relax and just do things. Like, one step at a time was probably the biggest learning curve. It’s already stressful enough as a first year teacher, so, like, making sure to not be so hard on yourself is really, really important.

Rebecca Joyner [00:13:59]:
That’s so true and just so wise. And I think you’re, you’re learning a lesson that a lot of people don’t learn for a really long time. So I think that’s really good. I think that’s one of the things that comes with being a first year teacher is you have so much enthusiasm and energy. So when you hear these new ideas, like you said, you want to do them all, and then you realize, like, I cannot change all the things or add all the things all at once. And I love too that you mentioned the evaluation. I swear I’m like, I don’t know if I ever had an evaluation when they said it was gonna be. And it was always like they’d come in on a day that, like the one day the whole year that we were lecturing for like 25, 30 minutes and I’m like, I’m gonna get zapped for this.

Rebecca Joyner [00:14:36]:
But that, that is, it always shocked me how much more positively it went than I necessarily. Cause I wanna do like a big flashy thing, you know, on their demo on the day they come. And that’s not necessarily what they need to see. It’s about so much more than that.

Cienna Domke [00:14:48]:
So, yeah, the second one ended up being on a lecture day as well. And I was just like feeling bummed, like, oh man, she showed up. Then again, like, I wanted to show her something better, but it ended up being fine anyways. So I think there’s a lot of stress behind evaluations when there doesn’t really need to be.

Rebecca Joyner [00:15:07]:
Well, and I think too, like, I, I always felt like I was like worried I was going to lose my job and I didn’t realize that was like very unlikely. And also just not taking things personally, like, any critique is not about my like, character as a human. It’s just helping me be better at this job that I do. And so I’m not like, you know, necessarily always the best at receiving critique. But I’ve gotten way better in the last 20 years about being like, okay, what is the truth in this? I don’t need to get defensive and like, what can I practically do, you know? So seeing it as like an opportunity, as opposed to like a test to.

Cienna Domke [00:15:39]:
See if I can do it for sure. An opportunity to grow, not. Not to fail. Yes.

Rebecca Joyner [00:15:44]:
And I don’t know how your school works, but one of the schools I taught in, they did a great job of being like, hey, like you should go observe this teacher’s class to see how they handle this thing. And I thought that I love sitting in on other teachers classes and just seeing how they. I just think there’s so much to learn, just even like how teachers dialogue with their students and handle those like in the moment confrontations or whatever. So that was really helpful too. I don’t know if you get opportunities to do observe any of your peers, but that’s pretty fun.

Cienna Domke [00:16:11]:
Yeah, I did observe two other teachers throughout the school year on my prep hour, but I did find out that I can go observe them during other hours and it would just count as professional development.

Rebecca Joyner [00:16:21]:
Oh, nice.

Cienna Domke [00:16:22]:
So I’m definitely going to try to do that somewhere next year because it is interesting to see what other people do, how they talk to their students and just kind of like get feedback and make some little changes that are your own based on what other people do. It’s really nice.

Rebecca Joyner [00:16:36]:
I love to observe, obviously people I want to observe, but then also I love to observe the teachers that the students really talk highly about, even if they’re like a history teacher. And then I really also like to watch this ones that students don’t speak highly about because it helps me know, like is their interpretation just so off? Because then that helps me feel better about when their interpretations falls about me. Or can I see like, oh, I get why they feel this way because I can see what this teacher is doing. I don’t know, I just think there’s so much to learn from what, what they’re thinking. So okay, you mentioned at the top that something that went well, that doesn’t always go well for first year teachers is classroom management. So I would just love to hear more about that because I think that’s such a hard thing for a lot of teachers.

Cienna Domke [00:17:14]:
So growing up I had an aunt who was an English special ed teacher with highly effective ratings. But to the student she was considered very strict or mean, which is something that I kind of feel like reflects me as well. I am a little bit strict, some would say Mean, but you have to be. That’s how my aunt had highly effective ratings. So making sure you set those procedures, rules and routines right away from the beginning of the year and staying firm to them is really what makes the difference. So for me, I started out in August, kind of writing down what procedures and classroom rules I wanted my students to have so that on day one, we could practice and go over those different rules and procedures and just really make it clear that, like, this is what I expect and if you don’t follow those rules or procedures, there will be consequences and then sticking to them. In student teaching, that went very well overall too. However, I would often say, like, oh, one more chance and then you’re gonna have to go or whatever.

Cienna Domke [00:18:23]:
And they would definitely take advantage of that. So making sure to not do that when I started teaching was really important because if you give them any inch of leniency, they are going to take it and run. So I think just like really mapping out your procedures, like where you’re going to turn in your papers, do you raise your hand to get up to go to the bathroom or do you just go all of the different things like that. It’s important to cover them right away and then to stick to them. Like, if somebody doesn’t turn their paper into the right spot, be like, hey, class, let’s go over, like, where do we turn in our papers? And hopefully they can all say in the turn in bin. And you’re like, yes, good. Okay. And just kind of practice those things a lot throughout the first few weeks.

Cienna Domke [00:19:06]:
And then even mid year, I feel like mid year I had to go back over a lot of those things because they got a little bit too comfortable.

Rebecca Joyner [00:19:13]:
Yeah.

Cienna Domke [00:19:14]:
And thought that they could just do their own thing. So we definitely had to go back over rules and procedures. But I think it’s really important and it also helps to keep the classroom environment positive because when they feel safe and they know what to do, they’re just in a nice routine and it just really flowed. Like they would come in, do their bell work, they knew where to grab their stuff, get started, and then once most of them have them down, when another student is not following their procedures or not being respectful, somebody else will kind of put them in check. And it’s really nice to have that.

Rebecca Joyner [00:19:52]:
I love when they manage each other. It’s the best. One of my best friends always says, clarity is kindness. And I think that’s true because I feel like my personality is like yours and that I kind of default to being more strict which some would say is mean. But I actually think the clarity of being very clear about your expectations and reinforcing is actually kind because I think their lives are really chaotic and when they’re coming in a classroom and they don’t know what to expect or what it’s going to be like, I think we just add to that chaos. And I think it’s actually really loving for them to come in a space and it feel, I think it does feel safe, like you mentioned to know, like I know exactly what to expect from his donkey. You know, she’s going to ask this, she’s going to do this. I think it’s, I think it’s good for their nervous systems.

Cienna Domke [00:20:35]:
I agree. And also one thing is having a lot of visuals so like writing out the agenda so they can see it, they can hear it when you speak it and different things like that. And also just making sure that your classroom is comfortable, like having posters or self care, kindness, all of those types of things. I just think it helps them feel a little bit more comfortable. Some might think it’s cheesy, but others, that’s what they need to get through their day.

Rebecca Joyner [00:21:06]:
I think the agenda is like so simple but so many people still don’t do it. And I think them walking in and seeing like there’s a plan helps them know. I think they just know. Like, okay, we are doing stuff today. Like this isn’t a class where I can like push the limits or like try to get him off topic or try to like, you know, do this. Like there’s like, no, we have things we are getting through and even if you don’t get through all of it, who cares? I think for them to be able to look and be like, okay, we already did that so we must be about to do this. Like it’s just such a simple gift for everybody.

Cienna Domke [00:21:37]:
Yeah. I would have students come in and they would say, what are we doing today? And I’d be like, hey, check the agenda.

Rebecca Joyner [00:21:42]:
Yes.

Cienna Domke [00:21:42]:
But then after a couple weeks they would come in and just look at it and I could see them like reading through it in their head. And I was like, yes, yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Rebecca Joyner [00:21:50]:
I love that. Okay, so a lot of teachers of any experience level, but especially new ones too, just feel like they aren’t doing enough. And I think that leads us to over functioning and overworking and then not having any work life balance. So how do you feel like you managed balancing all the responsibilities of your first year teaching job and just having a life outside of it this year?

Cienna Domke [00:22:14]:
I think it was definitely hard in the beginning to manage the work life balance. A lot of my friends were still in college, but I was not. So they would be staying up later, going out on weekdays, whatever that may be. And I couldn’t go. And so it was kind of upsetting that I would have to miss out on so much. But I had so much work to do, like grading papers or preparing for the next couple days, anything like that. So making sure to get into a routine early on is very important. I feel like I was taking papers home to grade every weekend for the first two months and it was exhausting.

Cienna Domke [00:22:55]:
And I would have to have my roommate help me grade some things just so I could go out and do something. So once I finally learned that not everything needs to be graded for accuracy and sometimes we’re going to just go around and put a check mark on because they completed it, that really helped me free up some of my time. And I would say by November. So about two months in, I was taking nothing home, which is so great. Like, if you can do one thing, it is figure out how to not bring your grading home. Like, if you have to type up your agenda at home, take 20 minutes. Okay, fine. But when you’re grading for hours or making PowerPoints or whatever that is, just taking up all your outside time, it’s just gonna make it really exhausting and it’s gonna be hard to wanna go back on Monday.

Rebecca Joyner [00:23:45]:
Yeah. I don’t know anyone who like grades and is like, this energizes me. Like, I did like, lesson planning. So like you said, if I was gonna bring something home, maybe it would be working on the lesson plans. Cause I. That like lights me up, obviously. Cause now it’s like what I do for a living. But I think you’re so right about the grading.

Rebecca Joyner [00:24:01]:
And even if you have to stay late, like, I think it’s better. I. I often would stay late on Fridays before the football game, be like, I’m just gonna stay super late, get caught up on literally everything if I have to in those early years. And then I’ll just, you know, bop over to the football game, you know, show the kids I supported them, and then head home. Like, you got to protect your home space. I love that your roommate helps you though.

Cienna Domke [00:24:20]:
That’s so sweet. Yeah, that’s nice. Sometimes they would notice like a different handwriting. I’d just be like, oh, yeah, my roommate helped me. And then they’d be like, oh, you have roommates. Cool. Yeah, so it was, it was nice. But also Making sure to use your prep hour is another way to balance that work life situation.

Cienna Domke [00:24:38]:
Because yes, sometimes you’re going to have that teacher that just wants to talk and sometimes you need to, sometimes you need to just vent and have that day off. But you can’t do that every day. No, you have to use your prep hour to prep and also take that time for just you like that’s really the only moment that you have throughout the school day where you’re like by yourself. And it’s really important to have that space. Space.

Rebecca Joyner [00:25:00]:
I know. I literally tell people, I’m like, if you are able to like put your desk outside of the line of sight of the little window in your door, do it. Because I would truly have to lock my door and turn the lights off so I could hide. Because people always wanted to talk. Especially when I later on when I started being a mentor teacher, all my mentees, which I loved them but they would come and want to talk and I had a hard time getting them out. And then I’m like, I didn’t get anything done. I need to get done. So I think protecting that’s so important.

Rebecca Joyner [00:25:28]:
Another practical thing we did at my first school was we had like Thursdays, we all, our department ate lunch together. So it was like I’m not gonna see you during lunch the other days. Cause I’m gonna be probably working through it or using that as my like chill time. But like I will see you on Thursday at lunch. Cuz we are all just gonna stop and do that I think is like a. Cause you’re like, you said you don’t wanna be antisocial, but you gotta, you gotta use that planning hour.

Cienna Domke [00:25:49]:
Yes.

Rebecca Joyner [00:25:50]:
Okay, what about lab days? How is that what went well? What maybe what you’re going to improve next year.

Cienna Domke [00:25:56]:
Lab days were a little tricky preparing for. I initially was told in my interview that there was no budget for the science department, which is crazy because there’s got to be something. So I was just like paying for the things that I needed out of pocket and then scrambling to get them because I wouldn’t look very far in advance because I’m just trying to get through totally day to day, week to week. So it would kind of be like a last minute, like oh hey, we have a lab tomorrow, like I need to run to Walmart and then I’m going to come drop it off at school so I don’t have to carry it in the morning. So it was just a little bit chaotic preparing for those things. And also I didn’t know where any of the actual science equipment was that I would need. So 8am I’m running around to the other teachers that have been there like, hey, do you know where stopwatches are? Do you know where this is? And even they would be like, oh, I don’t know. So it was kind of a little chaotic preparing for those things.

Cienna Domke [00:26:52]:
But then a lot of the stuff that I did need, I would need again. So I kind of just like, kept it so then I knew where it was. The students really liked labs, so that was good to keep engagement. But they also were rarely satisfied because they expected, especially in chemistry, to just be chemicals, blowing things up, fire, stuff like that. And I had to remind them, like, this is a intro general class, not honors or college. So we got to kind of tone it down a little bit. Like you’re. You’re learning basics, like how to even use the equipment, things like that.

Cienna Domke [00:27:27]:
So it would go well because they would be having more fun than typically. But also I think when it is just things like measuring and stuff like that, they weren’t as interested because it’s boring. If it’s not chemicals and fire in that, then it’s just boring. So I think they would kind of mess around a little bit more, which was not good. Safety is very important to me, and I think a lot of stuff were small groups, and if I didn’t choose their groups, it would get a little bit chaotic. So that was not good. I think somebody also would be, like, standing in the back of the group, and they wouldn’t do anything while there’s somebody else who’s doing all of it. So it was kind of hard to manage that because I also did not have a lot of space.

Cienna Domke [00:28:18]:
The way my room was set up, they were kind of just like all along the backside of two walls, so kind of clustered up. But the one hour that I had a parapro, it was nice to have that extra set of eyes. I think that really helped it go a lot better and to keep the kids, like, on task for what they’re actually supposed to be doing. But next year, I will be moving down to the science lab, which is where we would have to go when we did, like, the popcorn lab, because there’s a window for some ventilation. The kids seem to like that room way more. And they would think, like, oh, when are we going to the lab? Let’s go to the lab. So I’m interested to see, like, how they’re going to act now that we will always be in the lab.

Rebecca Joyner [00:29:01]:
It won’t be a field trip anymore.

Cienna Domke [00:29:04]:
Nope, it won’t be a field trip. But I also will be able to do a little bit more now that we are in this new space. So I’m excited for that.

Rebecca Joyner [00:29:11]:
Well, and maybe some of the fire and stuff can come through your demos. Like, you can get a little bit more adventurous with those and then that will feel, you know, more exciting. But it is funny how they all walk in, they’re like. They are like chemistry means we’re gonna blow stuff up. And you’re like, not necessarily.

Cienna Domke [00:29:25]:
Yeah.

Rebecca Joyner [00:29:26]:
Oh, they’re so funny. You mentioned about the not knowing where all the stuff is. That is so real. Do you have the secondary science amplified course or the labs course?

Cienna Domke [00:29:34]:
I do.

Rebecca Joyner [00:29:35]:
You do?

Cienna Domke [00:29:35]:
I do. I have the full biology and chemistry.

Rebecca Joyner [00:29:38]:
Okay. You have this curricula. Well, I’m going to send you. This is from like one of my PD course. I have a spreadsheet and it’s like four departments to organize their lab supplies. I’m going to send it to you since you did this for me.

Cienna Domke [00:29:48]:
I do have those actually, and I have them printed off. It’s just, you know, like time to organize all that. And then also the money, like, they initially told me there was zero dollars, so eventually they would end up being like, oh, just like, send us your receipts and we’ll cover it. So that would be mostly for like the. The perishables.

Rebecca Joyner [00:30:08]:
Right. The consumables.

Cienna Domke [00:30:09]:
I’m not to the point yet where I’m able to just like get everything that I’m going to need, but I will get there eventually.

Rebecca Joyner [00:30:16]:
Yeah, for sure. Well, I was like, that’s always a good. Like if you have like a department wide PD day at the beginning of the year to be like, let’s do this as a department, this spreadsheet and so we can know where all the beakers are and stuff like that. That’s always a tricky part. Okay, so anything else you are, like, excited to do differently this upcoming school year from this past year.

Cienna Domke [00:30:34]:
So I know I’m going to be a lot better prepared for actually teaching the content. Since I’ve already done it, I’ll be able to expand more, which I’m excited to do because I really want to also preach the importance of education and working hard more than I did. I did a lot. Like, that’s super important and trying to get these kids to just work hard and just keep going. But I want to be able to do that more. I want to reduce the number of missing assignments that kids have and I think preaching the importance of education and why they’re there is going to make that a lot easier. But I’m also excited to do more labs for more fun. This year I wasn’t able to do the flame test demo with a Bunsen burner, and that’s one of the things that I’m really excited for.

Cienna Domke [00:31:22]:
We just had to use a small, little lighter and I had to do it. I didn’t have enough for all of them, but they really liked that. So with the new lab this year, I’ll be able to have them do it. Or. Or I can at least do a demo with actual large flame. So I’m really excited for that. I think it’s going to make them more motivated and it’ll help me keep them working hard.

Rebecca Joyner [00:31:44]:
That’s awesome. Okay. Any other advice you’d want to give a teacher who’s listening, who maybe is about to start their first year teaching secondary science? Whether it’s middle school or high school.

Cienna Domke [00:31:53]:
First year is going to be tough. But I would say definitely advocate for yourself and your students. Like I mentioned, they told me that there was no science budget, but then by the end it was like, we’ll figure it out. Just let us know what you need. So definitely keep working towards getting what you need to make your life easier. They will make it happen eventually. Also, don’t be afraid to ask parents for donations.

Rebecca Joyner [00:32:16]:
Yes.

Cienna Domke [00:32:17]:
And support. Whether that be like, hey, we’re at a Kleenex. Is there anybody who would like to donate some or just using them for support for behaviors? Call home. When it’s getting rough and it’s weighing heavy on you, it’s overdue, you need to call home. Hopefully they will be helpful, but if not, hopefully your admin is as well. I would also say to keep your expectations high. Like, there are days that you can be a little bit flexible and relax, but overall, you need to keep your expectations high so the students don’t walk all over you. I would also say that lab days can be overwhelming, but you need to do it.

Cienna Domke [00:32:59]:
It’s typically just going to be one day of chaos for that lab.

Rebecca Joyner [00:33:03]:
The data collection day.

Cienna Domke [00:33:05]:
It will be exhausting. But it’s important to do it for the kids well.

Rebecca Joyner [00:33:10]:
And then I feel like too, the next day is usually a little bit more chill. So it’s like, if you can push through the craziness of your data collection day, then the next day is going to be like them working independently on their graphs and their analysis, and you can just kind of walk around and Kind of just help and it’s, you know, less crazy. So it’s like you can get through one day. Day two is a lot better.

Cienna Domke [00:33:26]:
Yeah, for sure. I can agree with that. So just, just knowing like, okay, it’s just gonna be like one day of chaos and then we’ll be good. Is important to understand that. Cause it is overwhelming depending on how many kids you have and how many like repetitive behavior students that you have. But like, it’ll be okay. And you can go home at 3:00′. Clock.

Rebecca Joyner [00:33:46]:
Yeah. That’s a day you’re not going to stay late for sure.

Cienna Domke [00:33:49]:
Yes. I would also say make sure that you have a support system at school and at home. Like having a teacher that you can go to for the school things is really important. And then also have having somebody to talk to at home. You need to vent sometimes.

Rebecca Joyner [00:34:04]:
Definitely.

Cienna Domke [00:34:06]:
Another thing I would say is take the day off when you’re sick. Like, yes. They say like you only get this many days of personal and this many days of sick leave. It doesn’t matter, just take the day off. You need to rest and recover. I know having a sub is hard. I make really good sub plans and they usually don’t even read them. So it’s very stressful.

Cienna Domke [00:34:30]:
And it took me a long time to understand, like, it’s okay. I might have to go back and redo what I planned for them to do. But I needed that day off and we will get back on track. It’s just how it has to be. So really making sure to like understand that there’s going to be changes and to give yourself a break and to give yourself grace is really, really important. It’s going to be okay. You just have to keep going. And then I would also say lastly is to say no to extra duties like lunch, detention and internal subbing.

Cienna Domke [00:35:06]:
Especially in the first two months. You already have enough to do for yourself. Like you need that mental break on your lunch or your prep. After the first couple months, I started doing lunch detention duty and subbing and it was like, okay, now that I was in the group, but in the beginning, just say no. The extra money is not worth it. Your work time and time with no students is more important than $11 or something like that.

Rebecca Joyner [00:35:34]:
I feel like a lot of opportunities too, like aren’t even compensated for the extra. I think if you have the opportunity to say no, like you said, I always tell people because I can. It can be hard to not be like a people pleaser, to be like, hey, if you feel so bad saying no, say, like, what you said. Hey, like, I just am, like, trying to get through this first semester or something. But, like, you put me, you can put me in the, on the list for January, like, just even, just saying, like, it’s not a no forever, but can it just be a no right now while I’m still trying to get my head above water?

Cienna Domke [00:36:02]:
Yeah, for sure. I. I said no to lunch attention until January, and that was really good because it is chaotic. So if you’re not ready for that extra chaos with students, definitely say no. But even if it’s just like, no, not right now, maybe next time is great. Same for internal subbing. Like, sometimes they’ll ask and if I know it’s kind of a crazier class, like gym or I’m going to say no. Like, sorry, I have stuff to do.

Cienna Domke [00:36:31]:
Yeah, I don’t need that chaos.

Rebecca Joyner [00:36:33]:
Totally.

Cienna Domke [00:36:34]:
And they’re okay with it. So, like, don’t beat yourself up for saying no because they understand. Well.

Rebecca Joyner [00:36:40]:
And I think too, I just think science teachers have such unique roles and we do have extra responsibilities in terms of the safety of our students that other teachers don’t have to face. And so I think it’s fair to say, like, I have more on my plate than typically the average teacher does, you know, in all the prep and stuff. So I think that’s really good wisdom. I also loved what you said at the beginning of your list of stuff with asking for parents if they want to donate supplies. My son’s teacher this past year always did that in his weekly newsletter, would just say, hey, here’s upcoming activities we have. These are things we would need by this date if you want to donate. Like, and it was a general thing, but I loved it because as I could, I would send the supplies in because I’m like, I remember those days. And, you know, sometimes people won’t send the stuff in, but it’s like, it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Cienna Domke [00:37:25]:
Yeah, I was nervous about, like, reaching out. I thought I wouldn’t be allowed to do that in the beginning. So I didn’t for the longest time. And then my principal was like, yeah, for sure, ask. And I did. And they sent in way more than we needed.

Rebecca Joyner [00:37:38]:
Right.

Cienna Domke [00:37:39]:
And it was like Skittles for the balancing equations. And they sent in way more than we needed. And I asked like, do you want it back or is it okay to just fully donate? And we use it for other stuff and nobody wanted it back, so it was great. I got to use the leftovers for, like, little rewards or treats. So definitely ask for.

Rebecca Joyner [00:37:58]:
Yeah, I love what you said. Like, if you’re worried, just say ask. Your admin is like, do I have permission to ask this? You know, because maybe some like, school environments, that’s not going to be kosher. We were not encouraged. I taught at a private school at one point and because they paid tuition, we were not encouraged to ask them. But then it was again a situation where I had quote, unquote, no science budget. So but I told, I did what you did and I was like, listen, for a lab like ecosystem in a bottle, that’s a lot of equipment, like of consumable resources I need. This is a huge learning experience.

Rebecca Joyner [00:38:28]:
I think often if you can show your admin, like this is going to be so important, like we’re going to be learning all this from it. They’re like, they can cover this one lab. So you know if you never ask, the answer is always no.

Cienna Domke [00:38:39]:
Right. And just like if people are interested in buying your resources. I know another teacher said that these would be supplemental resources that I think would really help our students and they ended up paying for it for them, so.

Rebecca Joyner [00:38:52]:
Oh, that’s so awesome. I love that. Okay, I ask every guest who comes on this podcast, what’s one way you’ve simplified your life recently?

Cienna Domke [00:39:00]:
One way I simplified my life recently.

Rebecca Joyner [00:39:03]:
It could be like a life hack, an organizational thing.

Cienna Domke [00:39:05]:
I would say the one way that I simplified my life was by using the it’s not rocket science curriculums. Truly, that is what saved me as a first year teacher. The packets allow me to just make copies about once a month. And the occasional random thing I’m going to add in here and there. But truly the prime time allows there to be review of what they’ve learned and routine daily. They just come in, it’s already ready to go. So if there’s one thing that simplified and saved my life, it was you, Rebecca.

Rebecca Joyner [00:39:38]:
That is very kind of you to say and I’m so glad it was helpful because I literally wrote, I wrote all my units for my own like long term sub and so I tried to write them with the detail and then as I got better at curriculum writing, I’ve gone back and like really thought about the first year teacher. So I’m, I’m really encouraged to hear from you because you are literally the person I wrote this for. So I’m glad it was helpful.

Cienna Domke [00:40:00]:
Yes. And I really do appreciate it. Good.

Rebecca Joyner [00:40:03]:
Well, thank you so much for your time and I’m excited for everyone to hear our conversation.

Cienna Domke [00:40:08]:
Thank you thank you so much for.

Rebecca Joyner [00:40:11]:
Listening to today’s episode. In my interview with Sienna, you can find any links mentioned in the show notes at It’s Not Rocket ScienceClassroom.com Episode 193 including links to the It’s Not Rocket Science biology and Chemistry curriculum bundles that Sienna used her first year teaching and will be continuing to use. So if you are listening and you are about to start your first year, or if you’re listening and you’ve just finished your first year teaching and you’ve never left a review for the podcast, I would love it if you would do that. Wherever you listen, but especially if you’re an Apple podcast listener, you can leave a five star rating and then type a review and it would just mean so much to me to hear from you. All right, teacher friends, that wraps up today’s episode. If you’re looking for an easy way to start simplifying your life as a secondary science teacher, head to itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com challenge to grab your Classroom Reset challenge. And guess what? It’s totally free. Thanks so much for tuning in and I’ll see you here next week.

Rebecca Joyner [00:41:12]:
Until then, I’ll be rooting for you, teacher friend.