Blog - It's Not Rocket Science

Working on a Team at a High School: 4 Tips for Success

I've never been a huge fan of group projects. When I got my first official teaching job, it was at a large public high school where I was one of FOUR biology teachers. I found out on my first day that admin expected us to do everything, and I mean EVERYTHING together. Needless to say, I was not super happy about it. I think my lack of affinity towards working on a team has to do with (1) ... Read More about Working on a Team at a High School: 4 Tips for Success

How to Engage Students in Discussion

My favorite classes in high school and college were the ones where teachers really talked to us and allowed us to share our thoughts and questions freely. Because of this, I have made it a priority to engage students in discussions from the very beginning of my teaching career. Even in my student teaching experience it has been a critical component of my classroom culture. I've been in 3 ... Read More about How to Engage Students in Discussion

Using Nontraditional Summative Assessments in Secondary Classrooms

If there is anything I've learned over my 6+ years in the classroom, it is that our students are MORE 👏🏼 THAN 👏🏼 A 👏🏼 TEST. This is why I LOVE using nontraditional summative assessments in my classroom. I am going to get to the "how", but first let me start off with "WHY??" Tests are extremely limiting in the way they assess our students. There are SO MANY other ways our students can ... Read More about Using Nontraditional Summative Assessments in Secondary Classrooms

A Pep Talk to Survive Teaching in a Pandemic

How to survive a stressful school year Teaching in a pandemic - who could have EVER predicted this would be our lives? This year (2020) is one for the history books - literally. Whether you are reading this as you start the 20-21 school year in these bizarre circumstances, or you are reading this in the future, post-pandemic (please, for the love, tell us there is hope that this will one ... Read More about A Pep Talk to Survive Teaching in a Pandemic

How to Minimize Time Spent Grading and NEVER take Work Home

We have to have a strategy to minimize time spent grading. Whether we like it or not, as high school teachers grades are of the upmost importance, as our students' GPAs will directly impact their futures after graduation. This can be a heavy burden for us to ensure we are being fair and providing plenty of opportunities for students to show us their understanding. But how can we do that without ... Read More about How to Minimize Time Spent Grading and NEVER take Work Home