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Are you familiar with "Time-Crunched Teachers"? If not, you might want to check out some of Mariel Desrosier's podcasts. She has amazing, helpful, and quick tips for teachers to reduce the time we spend after school, and even in the summer, working when we should be resting or spending time on other things. I have been sticking to my goal, well mostly, of not being in my classroom this summer working. I got a new cabinet and I "had" to go in and organize it.

One great tip that Desrosier shared in a podcast was about Google Task Lists on Keep. I have used Keep on my phone for grocery lists because I frequently shop for the same things week after week, but she has some wonderful ways to use Keep in your classroom that I am going to try this upcoming school year. She also has a great list of Back to School Routines, and much more she loves to share to help teachers have more time for other things.

This will be my last Padlet post and I wanted to thank each and every one of you for a great year at CHOICE. I have enjoyed working with all of you and wish you a wonderful 2025-2026 school year, especially as you search for your next PL to attend!

Best,

Emily

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A colleague of mine got me thinking about misconceptions as barriers for our students' learning as scores poured in from SOLs the last week of this school year. In a recent conversation, we were laughing about an alternative perception she had about the phases of the moon. In her younger school days, she believed that the moon phases were like eclipses and the earth came between the moon and sun every evening to give it different shapes. It was not until college that this misconception hit a contradiction.

She had written a paper her sophomore year at university before she was faced with the fact that she must have made this idea up in her own head. Her professor not only was brutal with his grading, but stressed the need to research and clarify before repeating misconceptions or sharing false science with others. After we laughed a little, we both agreed that addressing our own and our students' misconceptions is a key part of teaching great science!

The way that students wrap their heads around concepts in school can sometimes present lasting inaccurate understandings. It is important for teachers to address any misconceptions, so that students can construct new and correct information for continued and life-long learning. Attached is a list of misconceptions some science researchers have compiled. Many newer text books and curriculum resources, like Project Lead the Way, covers misconceptions before each lesson so that teachers and students can discuss and learn quality and applicable STEM standards.

https://www.claytonschools.net/cms/lib/MO01000419/Centricity/Domain/442/Childrens_Misconception.pdf

Check out our CoP Discussion Board this month for some more helpful strategies to combat misconceptions in the classroom.

Enjoy this summer, you deserve it!

Emily

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Making a Plan for Literacy Integration Next School Year !

How can we intentionally add in more literacy into STEM courses? Well, several ways have been suggested like using graphic organizers to sort or compare and contrast content ideas and concepts. Another way is adding in reading stations or exploration days where we provide reading materials and articles for students to use in discovering deeper meaning and understanding of concepts.

Having students write questions and/or reflections surrounding their own learning experience is another great way to incorporate literature into STEM classes and instruction. The more we can de-compartmentalize STEM subjects and integrate real-world applications, the better it will be for our students growth and understanding in any content area, but especially in STEM.

One way I have found to easily get my students used to reading more in STEM is to start with introducing a "station day" which I can "Today We Explore ...". My middle school students do enjoy collaborative work, so I have begun adding in three choices for these station days. They move through each station (timed) completing the tasks independently or together. Each student is responsible to have their own work submitted at the end of class.

One station is on the computers working on an outline; reading and responding to an article or task; or completing an digital graphic organizer surrounding our objective or topic. The second station is a reading topic-specific books; computer science history choice; or computer scientist snapshot activity. The third station is a hands-on activity where they are given a task. First, they need to perform the task, and then write the step-by-step directions (unplugged algorithms) for someone else to complete the task. The next group performs the task with the last groups directions first, and makes necessary changes for the final group.

So far the students have enjoyed these station days and I have been able to work in one day the last three quarters. My plan next year is to have one to two station days each quarter (probably every-other Friday) to help integrate computer science and literacy in each of my classes.

The students favorite station other than Sphero robots (which I have to do in stations because we only have six), has been writing our Jeopardy review game questions and answers. They love this! I have them use the materials I provide and I highlight a few key areas to start with for our current concepts. They write questions and find the answers in the material. I also provide different levels of materials, so everyone has the opportunity to read and write at the Jeopardy station!

I hope you are able to use some of these ideas to springboard your own plan to integrate more literacy, and maybe even some computer science, next school year in your STEM classes to create more authentic learning experiences. Feel free to share your ideas of how you would like to integrate literacy more next school year, we would love more ideas to think about!

As you wind down your year, take time to relax and plan for some peaceful and refreshing time off. I know these last few weeks are hectic, but we have some much needed downtime in our futures to look forward to!

We got this!

Want to learn more about literacy in STEM... check out this Blog Post https://blog.definedlearning.com/blog/engaging-students-in-stem-learning-through-literacy or this article https://www.edutopia.org/article/scaffolding-literacy-through-stem-instruction/ ... Happy Planning!

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I wanted to share a great Math resource with you to help you review with your middle school students. I purchased Asia's 7th Grade Weekly Review and have been pleased with the content. I have been using it and the students seem to like the daily 10-ish questions review.

Sorry if you do not teach Middle School Math, however if you happen to teach Middle School Science a colleague of mine recommends the 4th and 5th grade Review from Kate Summers (KS) Curriculum ,and says it is worth the mini fortune of $20.00 for SOL review.

If you teach Middle School CTE or CS, I favor Jeopardy for Benchmark review because we do not have SOL testing (yet). I also have students create a digital and hard-copy portfolio of evidence. If you would like end-of-the-year suggestions, reach out to me and I can share my portfolio list of items.

Another resource I love to use when SOLs are winding down is MakeCode Arcade by Microsoft. Students walk through how to code and can use blocks, Python, or Java. It is all step-by-step or students can make their own projects. This resource is great for both CS/CTE and also for CS integration. Students love to learn through playing and building games and code. If you become a GitHub Educator Member (free) you can print out materials like directions, checklists, debriefs, slide decks, quizzes. and more. They even have a free, online PD to get you started if you're interested.

📅 When? April 23, 2025 9:30am - 4:30pm PDT
💻 Where? Online (Register now!)
💰 Cost? Absolutely FREE!

Happy Testing Season, You Got This!

Emily

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The Sassy Math Teacher | Teachers Pay Teachers

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Are you familiar with the Backwards Design Method? Backwards design is a standards-based strategy to create an effective lesson for maximum student performance. Teachers looking to improve standardized assessment scores as well as quarterly benchmarks and classroom assessments are looking to Backwards Design with success.

How is Backwards Design different from traditional lesson planning? The answer is not surprising! When teachers use the Backwards Design Method, they first look for the desired outcomes. What objectives do I want my lesson to focus on and my students to achieve? Next, teachers then look for ways students can show what they have learned through projects or assessments that would prove students have learned the objectives.

Lastly, teachers would then develop other learning activities and classroom instructional plans for students to progress from remembering and recall; to understanding and applying new concepts; to analyzing learning; evaluating the level of understanding and if relearning is needed; to creating new learning experiences or application in other areas of learning (Bloom's Taxonomy).

As we head into the implementation season of CHOICE, maybe you can find this method of standards-based lesson planning helpful. If you would like to learn more about the Backwards Design Method below are two more resources for an in-depth explanation of how to incorporate this strategy into your lesson planning.

Feel free to share ideas here or post your Backwards Design ideas in our collaboration slide presentation using the template provided in our last CoP meeting. Below are the links mentioned for your exploration.

Backwards Design

Bloom's Taxonomy

CoP Collaboration Template

Collaboration Board (for PL and Implementation Ideas)

Have a wonderful spring and a restful Spring Break!

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Thomas Edison is known for saying, "To invent you need a good imagination and a pile of junk."

One thing that STEM education has taught me is that these four core subjects not only require imagination (and sometimes a pile of junk for activities and projects), but also a lot of real-world collaboration. Scientists helping engineers that are helping mathematicians, that are helping computer scientists solve the world's problems. If our students can practice inquiry and problem solving skills, as well as become fluent in the design-thinking processes, then they will be prepared for their collaborative futures. I found two great, quick articles explaining the design-thinking process and how it overlaps both inquiry and project based learning styles (one is linked above and the other is linked below). I also love the concept of STEAM, which just feels more accurate to me as a part-time art teacher and a computer science teacher the other part of my day. Art feeds into all invention and innovation, whether it is industrial design, marketing, or fine art concepts; all areas of STEM require some artist skill and imagination.

Flexible Learning: The Design Thinking Process

Happy Reading!

; ) Emily

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As we start the new year, traditions continue. Whether we admit it or not, most Americans love to start fresh in January. A natural mulligan as we make New Year's resolutions, and try our best to stick with them. Here are some positive new year's resolutions for Teachers found in the article "7 Positive New Year's Resolutions For Teachers".

Make time for you

Resolve to say no

Set aside work-free time

Ask for help

Set Achievable SMART goals

Don't take things personally

Forgive more

Feel free to tell us what you resolve to do in the new year by adding to our Padlet, we would love to hear about what other teachers are seeking to accomplish differently in 2025. Happy New Year's !

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OK, teachers, are New Year's resolutions on your mind? If not, we understand. Between school bus driver shortages, substitute shortages and, well, teacher shortages, you've got a lot on your plate.

It's one of the many reasons the Teach Starter teacher team has looked at New Year's resolutions for teachers differently these past few years.

We know it's been a rough few years for teachers, and we know you don't need another list of things to do to make you feel more overwhelmed. You are already doing an amazing job. Stop a second. Re-read that last sentence.

You. Are. Doing. An. Amazing. Job.

With that in mind, the teachers who create all those printable resources that you know and love from Teach Starter have created some New Year's resolutions for teachers that don't ask more of us as educators. Instead, every resolution on this list asks us to be more aware of the great things that we're already doing. These resolutions ask us to take a moment to focus on the small, day-to-day things and in doing so, become more motivated, more energized, and better teachers.

Are you ready to set some positive new year's resolutions?

Print a New Year's Resolution template to get your students started on their own 2025 goals.

Positive New Year's Resolutions for Teachers

Resolve to Make Actual Me Time

We have to start somewhere, so we're pulling off the Band-Aid from the start. When was the last time you had time that was just for you? As teachers progress through their careers, they often encounter the problem of mental stress and fatigue. It's no secret that a teacher's nature is to nurture, and usually, we channel all that energy into the children in our care.

But all those calls for self-care have some truth to them. Prioritizing time for yourself at least once a week can be incredibly beneficial to your mental and physical health. You may not be able to book a massage tomorrow (or fix everything that is frustrating you), but this is a resolution worth considering.

Complete our Teacher Mental Health checklist (it's free).

Take time out to de-stress.

Have a chat with a friend or colleague.

Ensure you have a good life/work balance.

Take care of your physical well-being.

Practice mindfulness.

Resolve to Say No

Say no when the principal asks if you can fill in as a sub during that prep period you desperately need. Say no to coaching the academic challenge team when you already have your hands full at home and really need to scoot out when your contracted hours are complete. Just ... say no.

While all teachers - regardless of gender - are asked to do a lot, it's worth noting that research has shown that women are less likely to say "no" at work than their male colleagues. In a profession where the ratio is approximately 3:1 - female teachers to male to teachers - that's a lot of saying yes.

Resolve to Make Work-Free Time

We realize that some teachers actually enjoy grading in the early hours of the weekend when the rest of the family is sleeping. And some teachers prefer lesson planning on a Sunday evening. We can't make all that out-of-school work go away (although we can help with lesson planning!), and we're not here to dictate when you should do it. You have to do what works best for you and your schedule.

But we can tell you that you need to find the right time for that work, and stick to it so that work doesn't leak into your important time with family, friends, or just time for yourself.

Resolve to Ask for Help

You are the commander of your own classroom, but you are not on this ship alone. Whether it's turning to your teacher team for a much-needed pep talk, turning to teachers on social media for ideas, or creating a Donors Choose to crowd-source funding for all those extra classroom needs, it's OK to throw up the white flag once in a while.

Resolve to Set Achievable Goals

If you're looking for a new year's resolution that includes a change in your classroom or your structure, make sure you aren't putting too much pressure on yourself. Make sure you're goals are SMART:

Are you able to verbalize exactly what it is you want to achieve? What evidence will you use to show that you've reached your goal? Is your goal actually feasible in the time and space you're given? Is it worthwhile? How long will you give yourself before you re-assess your actions?

Don't overwhelm yourself with New Year's resolutions that will hurt you in the long run!

Resolve to Not Take It Personally

This is a tough New Year's resolution for many - not just for teachers. As humans, we care about what people think and say about us. But the next time you get an email from a parent that sets you on edge, or a student is just a tad bit mean, consider this: It's not always about you. Yes, their words were personal, but are they lashing out because they are having a bad day? Is there something going on at home? Giving others grace allows us to separate the attack from the person's situation and give ourselves grace while we are at it.

Resolve to Forgive

Each person matters, each day, but sometimes, you and certain people may just have a hard time understanding each other. Again, this is human nature, so don't be too hard on yourself. But if you're looking to make a New Year's resolution, resolving to let go of disagreements and misunderstandings you've had with students and colleagues can lift a huge weight off your shoulders.

Looking for New Year's activities to kick off the year with your students? Check out our full array of New Year's resources for teachers.
Banner image via shutterstock/rido

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7 Positive New Year's Resolutions for Teachers for 2025

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New Year's resolutions for teachers shouldn't be about overwhelming yourself. Try these positive resolutions for 2023.

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14 Ways to Create Inquiry-Based Learning in the Classroom, by TeachThought Staff 

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Inquiry-based learning is a student-centered process of asking questions; seeking answers and evidence; and drawing conclusions. Some engaging inquiry-based approaches include activities that allow students collaborative practice with exploring questions, problems, or scenarios through investigation and critical thinking to determine their own understandings.

Inquiry, or curiosity learning, is the opposite of passively receiving information from an instructor, but rather models how to learn and explore things first-hand to improve innovation and critical thinking skills. This month I wanted to share some easy ways to jump-start inquiry-based learning in any class setting to boost student engagement and active participation.

Check out this brief article, "14 Effective Teaching Strategies For Inquiry-Based Learning." Some examples mentioned in the article can be found above in the graphic provided from TeachThought. Hope you can easily add some of these fun and engaging ways to promote evidence-based inference and wonderment within any of your classes.

Feel free to ask questions or share-out how you encourage curiosity, inquisitiveness, and/or wonderment (or plan to) with your students as we all gear up for the conclusion of Semester 1 (and our winter breaks : ) soon).

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Wow, everyone is doing a great job working through their on-boarding and writing their Professional Learning Goals. If I can help in any way, just let me know!

After reading several PLGs already submitted, I have found that many teachers are anticipating attendance at learning opportunities surrounding increasing student engagement and active participation. I thought I would share a quick 5 minute article around a common inquiry-based strategy known as the 5E Model.

This is a great strategy for teachers to use to help design lesson plans and instruction based on the activities planned within five specific areas surrounding standards-based content.  These five areas are:  Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate (or sometimes referred to as Extend).

Check out the article (https://lesley.edu/article/empowering-students-the-5e-model-explained), and see if this may be a strategy to explore further to use when designing lesson plans or to search for PL opportunities using other inquiry-based teaching strategies similar to the 5E Model.

Feel free to share any strategies or ideas throughout this month on our shared Padlet, as well as letting us know about any PL opportunities you are looking forward to or have attended.

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Empowering Students: The 5E Model Explained

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The following is an overview of the five phases of the 5E Model. ENGAGE In the first phase of the learning cycle, the teacher works to gain an understanding of the students' prior knowledge and identify any knowledge gaps. It is also important to foster an interest in the upcoming concepts so students will be ready to learn.

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Emily,

Fall Greetings,

Thank you for your patience! So grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow with my colleagues under your tutelage.

Graciously,

Cindy Renee Snead

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Welcome everyone! I am so excited to share ideas and things to think about on this Padlet with you monthly. I want this to be a usable and interactive space for you. If you have things to post and share anytime, please click on the plus sign in the lower right corner. When finished, click Publish in the upper right corner. Happy Publishing !

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As some of us approach the end of our first 9 weeks, I encourage you to know that you are appreciated. You can see it in the little moments that happen throughout the year with your students. We may not hear it every day, every week, or even once a month; but we can cherish those times when our students "get it", or when they give you a hug or fist bump, when they smile at you across the room, or whisper thank you!