How do you get families and students to participate in science in the summer? I’m looking for ideas to engage upper elementary students. –Amber, Minnesota Even though people say students need a break, isn’t it ironic that by midsummer, newspaper articles appear advising parents what to do when kids say they’re bored? Teachers also are [...]
Studying Science Teaching and Learning Through Drawings I came across this fascinating study via a tweet the other day. I read many traditional research studies (both quantitative and qualitative) but this one caught my attention because it used drawings as a way of communicating and data collecting. According to the authors (a team form the [...]
One of my favorite benefits of being an NSTA member is being able to view all of the journals electronically, although I’m somewhat of a dinosaur in that I still like the feel of holding an actual book or magazine. On the NSTA home page, use the links in the “Choose Your Classroom” list to [...]
My first year of teaching had its ups and downs, but I’m looking forward to next year. As the school year ends, do you have any suggestions for how I can prepare for next year? I’ll be teaching the same subjects in the same lab. —Monica, South Carolina. Congratulations for completing your first year, and [...]
Every month, our colleague Ken Roy shares important information about safety in the science classrooms and laboratories. His columns appear in Science Scope and The Science Teacher. These are “must-reads” for science teachers, and NSTA members can access articles in both of these online, regardless of which journal you receive in print. The information can [...]
My principal just asked me to be the science department chair for next year. I’d like to change the format of our professional development (PD) days and the once-a-month afterschool meetings to do some PD or other departmental projects. —Melanie, Indiana We teachers complain we have no opportunity to collaborate, yet if we’re not careful, [...]
Although it’s snowing on this April day in the Northeast, I suspect that many students (and teachers) are thinking of the summer break. But as the theme of this issue suggests, students will keep on learning. How can we as teachers build on their experiences when they return from a break? How can we encourage [...]
Although schools may have mission statements and other documents about providing opportunities for all students, the real work occurs in the classrooms—and this issue has many suggestions for doing so. For example, Accommodating Differences describes strategies to involve all students in class activities, noting that “All classes, even homogeneous ones, show varying levels of ability [...]
Our new principal does not have a background in science. What can we do to help her understand what science teaching and learning “looks like” and the challenges of teaching laboratory science? —Charles, Ohio If their own experiences in science consisted of lectures with an occasional demonstration or video, principals may not understand the concept [...]
Do you need an interesting way to start a faculty meeting? Try the assessment crossword in this month’s Editor’s Roundtable. Even if you give your colleagues a word bank for their responses, the puzzle can be a discussion-starter. I occasionally gave this type of quiz to my students. They seemed somewhat surprised at this change [...]
