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 concerned about the “summer slump,” a backsliding of skills and knowledge that occurs when students are not actively involved in practicing or extending what they learned during the academic year. As the contents of the April/May Science & Children suggest, “Learning Doesn’t Take a Vacation,” and parents may welcome ideas for science activities that can be done as a family.

Take-home packets of coloring pages or word searches may keep students busy, but their value in terms of science learning is limited. Hands-on projects may be of more interest to students and their parents or other caregivers. However, requiring all students to complete any set of take-home summer activities has some drawbacks. Some students will participate in family vacations or camps, with their own planned activities. Others spend time away from home with day-care providers. Some parents may work evenings or weekends, have other children to care for, or may not have a lot of skills or self-confidence to assist their children. Even giving extra credit for summer work penalizes students who don’t have resources at home.

But don’t give up on finding ways to connect students and parents/caregivers through enjoyable, informal science activities. Many teachers send newsletters or add ideas to a calendar on their own or the school’s website. The advantage of teacher suggestions (rather than the generic ones in the newspaper) is they can be tailored to a specific age group and connected to the curriculum.

Are there topics you couldn’t get to this year or ones your students found especially interesting? Provide a list of books or websites for students and parents to explore in greater detail. Or suggest books and websites related to the topics students will address next year, giving students the opportunity to preview and increase their prior knowledge and experiences. NSTA’s SciLinks can help you create a list of appropriate websites to share with students and parents.

The Get Ready for Summer page on the Reading Rockets website has a “beach bag” full of ideas for younger children, including science-related ones. Home Experiments and Kitchen Science Experiments have both demonstrations and experiments. Experiments from Science Bob also has a section on “make it an experiment” with suggestions on how to extend the demonstration into an investigation. The Exploratorium is always a good source for hands-on science activities. You could make specific recommendations or encourage parents to choose activities of interest.

Encourage students to keep a summer journal, either on paper or as an online blog to record their experiences (with assistance from their parents). Include places to record descriptions of investigations, a weather diary, observations when taking a walk, observations of constellations or cloud formations, a travel diary, or a place to jot down questions.

Suggest prompts for family conversations (What is your first memory of being outdoors? How have inventions and technology changed over the years? Play I Spy at home and find objects made of metal, plastic, glass, or wood. Talk about where food comes from.)

Give each student a take-home plant to nurture and record observations. Monitor a bird feeder (even better if students make them) or observe insects or family pets and describe their behavior. Assemble collections of leaves, pressed flowers, interesting rocks, or photos of interesting objects. Use common items to make a musical instrument, design an invention, or create a work of art. Help with cooking to practice following a recipe and measuring. (See the Exploratorium’s Science of Cooking).

Encourage parents to take children outside and talk to them about what they observe in their surroundings. Provide information and links to the local library and to nearby museums, zoos, and parks. Many of these organizations have free or inexpensive summer programs for children and families. (I volunteer at a nature center, and I’m surprised at the number of people who say that they had never heard of the center or they did not know that the resources—walking trails, picnic tables, and a museum—are free.)

Offer to share your summer suggestions with daycare providers and community groups running activities or camps for children.

Unfortunately, not every family will take advantage of your suggestions. If you have parents’ email addresses, perhaps a gentle reminder would help, especially when the news articles about summer boredom appear.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adwriter/164336504/sizes/s/in/pool-1701103@N22/

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 for having a job next year! You’ll find the end of the year is as hectic as the beginning, with final exams, grades and other reports, inventory updates, and clean-up. You also may be looking forward to graduate courses, home improvements, a summer job, family time, or some much-needed R&R. But the end of the school year is a good time to review, reflect on, and learn from your experiences while your memory is fresh and plan for next year

You probably had some great lessons, as well as a few that went over like a lead balloon, and you can learn from both kinds. What made them successful? What did you do when things didn’t go as planned? How effective were your classroom management routines and procedures? Did your students seem to enjoy learning science? Did you enjoy teaching and learning with them? How did you deal with disruptive students? What were your interactions with parents like? Are there any strategies you would like to add to your repertoire, in terms of instruction, classroom management, or communications?

Consider your course curriculum. Were you surprised by any misconceptions or lack of experience your students had? Should you change the amount of time or emphasis you put on some units? Did you have an effective combination of science content, skills, and processes? Do you have any gaps in your own knowledge base that could be supplemented this summer with online courses, readings, websites, or visits to local informal science institutions (museums, zoos, planetariums, etc.)? How well were you able to access and use the technologies available in your school? What kinds of interdisciplinary connections did you make?

As you complete final evaluations/grades for students, ask yourself how well the grades reflect student learning. How well did your assessments align with the unit goals and lesson objectives? Did you provide opportunities for students to reflect on their own learning (e.g., through a science notebook, rubrics)?

Although some schools do not require detailed written lesson plans, there are advantages of having plans that can be revisited and adapted the following year. Were your lesson plans detailed enough, or will you have to recreate them? Based on your assessment data, what instructional strategies should you change (or keep)? How well were your assignments and projects aligned to the unit goals and lesson objectives? Did your lab activities help students to develop their inquiry skills?

On a practical note, check with your principal or department chair for any end-of-year checkout procedures. Your classroom may not be secure during the summer months, so keep your lab equipment and technology in locked cabinets or store rooms. Take valuable or irreplaceable personal belongings home or lock them in a cabinet. Label any large personal items you brought in, such as a desk chair or stool, with your name in case they wander off over the break. If you have personal documents, tests, grades, or other sensitive information on an unsecured hard drive, transfer them to a network drive or to a flash drive. Some schools allow teachers to take their school-assigned computer home for the summer, but don’t take any school equipment home without permission.

Update equipment inventories and note if anything needs to be repaired or replaced. Keep your requisition list for next year handy so you can check in the new materials. If any textbooks are in need of repair, take care of them now. Make sure items such as glassware, cages, aquariums, sinks, or tabletops are clean and ready for next year.

Based on your reflections, this might also be a good time to formulate your goals for next year. It’s tempting to say, “I’ll think about this in August,” but if you take some time now for thinking, reflecting, organizing, and planning, you’ll have more time in the fall to get your second year off to a good start.

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, faculty meetings become gripe and gossip sessions. I once worked with a chairperson who began each meeting with “I don’t have anything to talk about, but the contract says we have to be here until 4:30.” He would read some announcements aloud and then grade papers. Needless to say, not much was accomplished during those meetings, and he did not last long in that position. I’m glad to hear you want to facilitate something more productive.

For your monthly meetings, you can send out an agenda a few days in advance with a copy to the principal. The agenda should reflect issues of importance to science teachers or the district (e.g., safety, grading policies, instructional strategies, technology, inventories, parent communications, and assessments). Use e-mail or an attachment to the agenda to communicate information items so the meeting time can be spent more productively. Rather than a bulleted list of items to address, phrase them as questions for your colleagues to discuss. For example, instead of “Safety,” ask, “What do you do to ensure students work safely in your lab?” Set aside a few minutes to recognize new issues or other concerns. Celebrate any successes or accomplishments, too, and some munchies might be appreciated at the end of a long day.

I know of some schools where the teachers hold book groups at faculty meetings. If this would not work with your time constraints, you could distribute journal articles (such as those in NSTA’s publications) or video segments ahead of time for discussion during the meetings. Initially, you might have to prepare some conversation-starters. Perhaps teachers will eventually suggest articles or topics of interest.

You could also rotate the location of the meetings, asking a different teacher each month to “host” the meeting in his/her lab. The host would describe some of the student activities, and the other teachers have a chance to learn more about what happens in other classrooms. It might be possible to have a combined meeting with another department to discuss common interests or questions.

Occasionally, you could set up a virtual meeting using Skype (or a similar program) to interact with a scientist, museum curator, or other resource person.

I once worked with a social studies department chairperson who came up with an effective PD project. After getting administration approval, he arranged for the teachers to tour a historic site during the summer. The teachers rented a van and traveled together. A docent gave them a comprehensive behind-the-scenes tour, and they had the opportunity to handle and examine some artifacts and documents up close, with the guidance and insights of a professional curator/historian. They had lunch in a historic tavern, took lots of pictures, and during the ride home discussed how what they learned applied to their teaching. Each teacher submitted a written summary of the day. The teachers did this on their own time and at their own expense, and in return, they were excused from a PD day in October. It was a win-win situation: the teachers had a content-focused learning day, there was no expense for the district, and the teachers had a “day off” during the school year. This became a model for other departments: I once spent a day studying plate tectonics with colleagues at a natural history museum and another day with the state fish commission as they studied fish populations.

As a new chairperson, you may encounter some resistance from teachers used to the status quo. Being expected to participate in discussions or group activities may take some getting used to on their part. If meetings in previous years were seen as a waste of time, you may have to be persistent to let people know that things are going to be different.

Perhaps our colleagues would like to share comments about their challenges and successes as department chairs. Good luck!

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dsbrennan/4222955364/

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 of inquiry-based learning and how science teaching differs from other subjects. Having taught other subjects, they may be unaware of the science teacher’s responsibility for safety in the labs or security in the storage areas. They may have never considered how much behind-the-scenes work science teachers do (especially when we make it look easy).

You could ask your principal to observe lab classes (for the whole period, not just a walkthrough). When you meet with the principal, describe what students learn from these activities (using students’ science notebooks) as well as the amount of time it takes to set up and put away the materials and read a report from each student, the safety and cooperative learning routines established in your classes, and the fact that the students could not have done the activity in a “regular” classroom without running water, lots of electrical outlets, flat tables, and appropriate safety equipment.

For example, as a middle school science teacher, I worked with a principal who had been a high school English teacher. Before the formal observations he was required to do, he would ask, “Are you teaching today, or are the students just doing an activity?” For a while, I complied with his definition of teaching, and he observed a well-designed, teacher-centered lesson with lecture, discussion, and review. But this was a show–my classes were much more than this.

So once when he asked the question, I said that if he came in that day, he would see a lesson that would show what our students can really do. It was a guided inquiry lesson with the question, “How do earthworms react to stimuli in the environment?” Each team of students had already devised procedures to investigate the question and an outline of how they would organize the data, and I provided the materials they requested (and some feedback or questions about their procedures). When the principal came in, he saw a room full of engaged students working cooperatively and enjoying their investigation. Rather than watching me “perform,” he asked the students about what they were doing. In our post-observation conference, he noted it gave him a new perspective on what students can learn from purposeful “activities” (and the time and resources it takes to implement them).

You could also invite your principal to attend a department or team meeting to discuss some of your challenges. For example, describe the hazards (and liability) of scheduling non-science classes or study halls in lab classrooms. Take her on a tour of your storerooms and show her the inventory of equipment and materials, including the Material Safety Data Sheets you have to keep up-to-date. Describe the security measures you have in place. Frame any suggestions in terms of student benefit and safety rather than teacher ease and convenience.

All teachers use their planning time for writing lesson plans and evaluating assignments. But science teachers have additional demands. Sometimes principals see how organized you are and don’t realize how much time and effort it takes. Keep a log of the amount of time you spend setting up your labs, including time before and after school. Also log the time spent inventorying and maintaining the storage areas, repairing or servicing equipment, and complying with local and state regulations. If you ask for more planning time, emphasize it would be used for the additional responsibilities that come with teaching science (and then be sure that it is).

Share some resources with your principal. The website Understanding Science has a section called “Everything You Need to Know About the Nature and Process of Science”  that could bring her up-to-date on what good science teaching includes. You could share copies of NSTA’s position statements “Learning Conditions for High School Science” and “Safety and School Science Instruction.”

In all fairness to principals, they are expected to be both building managers and instructional leaders. We can help them with both of these jobs. After observing several science investigations, my principal asked teachers in other subjects if he could observe non-traditional activities in their classes, too.

Photo: www.flickr.com/photos/throgers/4461828586/sizes/q/in/photostream/

The teachers on our team all have different homework policies which confuses our students and their parents. Do you have any suggestions to help us become more consistent?
–Jacob from Virginia

My views on homework evolved throughout my years in the classroom, as I came to understand my students better and improve my instructional strategies. Rather than suggestions, I’ll offer some reflections to stimulate discussion with your colleagues. I suggest, however, that you examine some of the research on the effectiveness of homework (for example, the book Rethinking Homework has a chapter on this topic). I’ve created a resource collection with summaries of research studies and other readings.

Perception of homework’s value is mixed. Teachers who don’t assign homework are considered “easy,” regardless of what their in-class expectations. Teachers who give a lot are “rigorous,” even if the assignments are trivial, unnecessary, or unrelated to the learning goals. Some parents demand homework for their children, others make excuses or even do the assignments for the student. Some schools have formulas as to how much homework is appropriate (X minutes multiplied by the grade level), homework hotlines, and homework sessions at the end of a marking period for students to recoup some points toward their grades.

I once had lunch with teachers at an elementary school where their discussion centered on consequences for students who didn’t complete homework. The options included keeping students after school, reducing their grades, keeping them in at recess, calling parents, issuing demerits, or giving “gotcha” quizzes.  They also discussed whether to accept late assignments. But not one teacher mentioned the value or purpose of the assignments.

I observed a class where the “homework” was a find-a-word on the planets (it must have been an oldie—Pluto was still listed as the ninth planet) and a maze “Help the Astronaut Find His Spaceship.” I have no idea what the learning goals were for this busywork, but I suspect that if students did not do these worksheets, they would have suffered the “consequences.”

If a learning activity, such as completing a worksheet or study guide, is completed in class, it’s called classwork, but completed outside of class it’s categorized as homework and weighted differently toward a grade. The same activity is awarded points based on where and when it is to be completed, not on how it helps students with the learning goals. And I’m puzzled by students who claim that they finish all of their homework in class—is the assignment then reconsidered classwork?

I’m concerned when homework used as a punishment: “If you don’t settle down, you’ll have homework this evening.” Or when lack of homework is used as a reward: “You’ve all behaved very well today, so there will be no homework” or “You can earn a ‘get out of homework’ pass for doing Z,” a behavior unrelated to the learning goals.

What about students who don’t have support at home? Do all your students have parents who help or encourage them? Do they have access to technology, a quiet place free from interruptions and distractions, or even something as simple as a box of pencils and paper? How should students juggle homework with other meaningful activities such as music lessons, sports, family events and responsibilities, community activities, afterschool jobs, or personal interests?

What if we gave students ideas for pursuing topics of interest outside of school rather than busywork for its own sake—options such as reading lists, videos, or other science-related activities that engage students without the “grade” component?

However, it might be reasonable to ask students to practice skills, finish a lab report started in class, review the content presented in class, or prepare for a lesson (e.g., videos, podcasts, readings). You might be interested in learning more about the “flipped classroom” model (follow #flipclass on Twitter).

Some suggest homework teaches students to be responsible, but it seems this lesson is not learned very well. Teachers of juniors and seniors still complain about students not doing homework. We should ask what we’re asking students to be responsible for—for making decisions about their learning? Or for complying with the teacher’s directions?

Brian (not his real name), who had a reputation among the seventh grade teachers for not doing homework, gave me a lot to think about one morning when he met me at the door. “Did you see that TV show on spiders last evening?” he asked, referring to a PBS program. He talked nonstop about spiders and mentioned some library books he had read. Obviously something had captured his interest! I wondered what homework did not get done as he pursued his interest in spiders? Were other teachers punishing him for spending time on this rather than on their assignments?

Resource:

Vatterott, C. 2009. Rethinking homework. Alexandria, VA: ASCD

Photograph:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ms_sarahbgibson/1266617074/

I’m starting a long-term substitute position teaching high school chemistry until the end of the year. I’ve subbed for this teacher before, so I’m somewhat familiar with the school. But do you have any suggestions for starting in the middle of the year? How can I get to know the students quickly? Should I continue the existing classroom management practices or come up with my own?
— Carrie from New Mexico

In the case of a teacher taking a leave of absence, some schools encourage (and might even pay for) the substitute to come in for a few days ahead of time to become familiar with the teacher’s classroom routines. It would also be helpful for you to meet with the teacher and discuss her grading practices, the lab safety contract the students (and parents) have signed, her use of science notebooks, students’ IEPs, and any questions you may have . Find out if she would like you to continue with class blogs, wikis, or other online projects (you’ll need passwords and account information). Ask the teacher or department chair to give you a tour of the lab and stockroom to see where and how materials and equipment are stored and for a refresher on the safety equipment in the lab.  You’ll also need access to the storeroom inventory and material safety data sheets. Ask the technology coordinator for a school email address and passwords to any programs needed attendance, grading, lesson planning, or communications.

The teacher or department chair should also share the curriculum you’ll be expected to address during your time. Ask the teacher if she can share resources for these topics (e.g., teacher manuals, assignments, assessments, suggested lab activities, and presentations). Find out if you’ll able to contact the teacher by email or phone if you have any questions or if she would like updates. Also find out if the school will assign you a mentor or go-to person if you have questions or concerns.

Stepping into the classroom in the middle of the year is challenging. Even though the students know you from your subbing experiences, you may not know all of them. Treat the first few days as if they were the beginning of the school year. Introduce yourself and share a little bit about your background. (In my school, the principal would introduce the long-term sub to the class, reinforcing the idea that the sub was now part of the faculty.) Ask the students to introduce themselves so you can note their nicknames and correct pronunciation of their names. If the teacher has an established seating chart, use it at least until you can connect names and faces. If the teacher did not have a chart, create one to help you learn the students’ names. Review the safety procedures and rules.

Ask each student to record data on an index card: name, birthday, interests/hobbies, school activities, out-of-school activities (e.g., jobs, community organizations, volunteer work), and other conversation-starters. (Use a different color card for each class.) Then for each class each day, choose a few cards and make a point to interact with these students. During the class period, greet these students by name at the door, call on them for answers or to share a thought, or interact with them during seatwork or groupwork. The cards can also be used to randomly select a student for an answer or a job, ensuring that it’s not just the hand-raisers or those in the front of the classroom who participate.

Some other ways to get to know students:

• Greet all students at the door with a brief comment or word of welcome. I would stand right inside my door so that I could keep an eye on the students already in the room, especially if lab equipment was in place.
• Get to know students in a different setting by attending school functions and events.
• Consider having lunch with students or talking to them in the lunch line.

In terms of classroom management, I’d keep using the existing routines, unless there are those you cannot live with or those that are ineffective or unsafe. Be sure to discuss any changes with the students, and be prepared for when they say “that’s not the way we did this before.” You may need to model the changes you want to make.

Keep a diary or log of your experiences and reflect on these as you apply for other positions next year.

Good luck!

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/daviddmuir/1410227652/sizes/m/in/photostream/

I’m a new teacher with six classes: four biology and two ecology. The teacher’s manual for my textbooks in these subjects have many interesting lab activities, but I am having difficulty selecting and organizing them. I feel like I live at school! Do you have any suggestions?
–Tony from Illinois

There’s no way around it—the first year is a challenge for new teachers. You’re dealing with content and curriculum, classroom management, lab management, assessments, technology, and developing your routines and your own style of teaching. But it does get better the second year and beyond.

In terms of choosing which activities to do, consult your school’s curriculum for the learning goals for a given topic. Some curriculum documents also include suggested activities. Then select activities that will help students meet the learning goals (and you’re not limited to the textbook—for example, NSTA’s SciLinks has teacher-oriented websites with activities on hundreds of topics.). Also look for activities that provide opportunities for enrichment and additional exploration.

Make sure the students can do the activity safely in your classroom/lab. I found it helpful to go through a new activity prior to class from a student’s perspective to identify any possible concerns. No matter how interesting it seems, you should not include any activity that cannot be done safely. For those, you could substitute a simulation or video.

In an ideal setting, your classes in each subject would meet back-to-back, with a planning period in between. But most of us who have taught multiple subjects rarely have an ideal setting. Rather than trying to take down and set up activities several times during the day, try to schedule your labs in each subject on different days.

On lab days, it’s helpful to establish routines for students to access and return needed materials. Plastic boxes, trays, or dish tubs can become your best friends for distributing and collecting materials. Have one for each lab group, label it (e.g., Group 1, Group 2), and require each team use the box with their label. Since you have two subjects, it would be helpful to have two sets, each a different color so it’s easy for you and your students to recognize which set is for which subject. Use these containers to organize the materials for an activity—thermometers, glass slides, calculators, handouts, rulers, markers, beakers. Prepare ahead of time so that one student from each group can get the box and they’re ready to go. I also included an index card “inventory” in each box so students knew what was to be returned. Save the cards to use the next time you do the lesson. I also put a summary of safety issues on the card as a reminder of what we discussed prior to the activity.

A few minutes before the end of the period, your routine should include the students referring to the card to organize the materials. Before dismissing the class, you can do a quick inspection to see that everything is in the box and determine if anything should be replenished. You may need to model these routines at first, but once students have internalized them, clean-up is much easier.

If the lab requires any equipment or materials that could be potentially dangerous if they were to leave the room, have the students return it to you in person. (My seventh-graders were very trustworthy, but I still collected any forceps, scissors, or scalpels myself.)

Take a photo of a box that is set up for class and save it with your lesson plan. Add a section at the beginning of your lesson plan in which you list the materials you need. Even if the lesson does not include a lab activity, knowing what you’ll need ahead of time is a timesaver. After the lesson, annotate your plan with any changes you would make.

Store any specialized materials for an activity in a labeled box or plastic bag, ready for the next time you do it. Be sure that any chemicals are returned to their designated places in the storeroom.

Even veteran teachers sometimes feel like they live at school, as they redesign lessons, try out new activities, or update their assessments. Science teachers already work hard; we also need to work smart with thoughtful planning, organization, and reflection.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/40964293@N07/4018106328/

To allow more time for test preparation in reading and math, the principal at our elementary school is requiring that teachers cut back on (or even eliminate) science activities. She says it’s just as effective to integrate more nonfiction books on science topics during reading class. How can we convince her of the value of hands-on investigations and activities?
—Catherine, Texas

Even before this current emphasis on test scores, science was often shortchanged in terms of scheduled time. The high-stakes nature of these tests (and the consequences for any school falling short of the goals set by legislators or politicians) is driving schools to make short-sighted, counterproductive decisions about class time.

You could try to impress upon your principal that science is more than a collection of facts to read about. Most standards and framework documents in science have a focus on processes and practices such as asking questions, developing and using models, obtaining and communicating information, analyzing and interpreting data, and communicating information. I’m curious how your principal expects students to achieve these skills (and learn the content) that are tested in the upper elementary grades.

It would be interesting to see the data on which your principal made the decision to reduce time for science. I know many elementary teachers who do make time for science. In the context of investigations, their students apply their skills in reading and mathematics to new and authentic situations. Their students do a lot of writing and journaling/notebooking—and do well on the state reading and math tests.

There are those (such as your principal) who suggest science content could be integrated with reading instruction. There certainly are many interesting nonfiction books students could use in reading class, and there are students who prefer nonfiction to fiction. The teacher would have to select the materials carefully to ensure all students have access to science-related content, whether in classroom or school libraries or from online sources. I’m curious as to how science learning would be assessed in this case.

But I think we’re shortchanging students when we substitute reading assignments for planned and purposeful science instruction including both science content and processes such as hands-on investigations, vocabulary development, observations, writing, measuring, graphing, and questioning.

You could share guidelines on preschool and elementary science investigations from the NSTA Position Statement: The Integral Role of Laboratory Investigations in Science Instruction:

• With the expectation of science instruction every day, all students at the preschool and elementary level should receive multiple opportunities every week to explore science labs that fit the definition described in the Introduction. [A school laboratory investigation (also referred to as a lab) is defined as an experience in the laboratory, classroom, or the field that provides students with opportunities to interact directly with natural phenomena or with data collected by others using tools, materials, data collection techniques, and models.]

• Laboratory investigations should provide all students with continuous opportunities to explore familiar phenomena and materials. At developmentally appropriate levels, they should investigate appropriate questions, analyze the results of laboratory investigations, debate what the evidence means, construct an understanding of science concepts, and apply these concepts to the world around them.

Perhaps you could suggest your principal visit science classes in which students are engaged in planned and purposeful science activities. Highlight the math and reading skills students are using, as well as the science processes. NSTA’s Science & Children journal has many ideas for activities appropriate for elementary students., as does NSTA’s Early Years blog. But none of these activities occur in a vacuum. Virtually all of them have components that integrate reading, writing, and math.

Although your question dealt with science, I’m equally concerned that social studies, the arts, and physical education often are also shortchanged in a quest for higher test scores. We’ve been on this testing craze for 10 years, and I still don’t understand why students’ applying their reading and math skills to new and authentic situations is less important than their one-time test scores on isolated skills.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/benwerd/329570851/

My middle school students frequently ask me “Is this right?” or “What should I do now?” How can I help them become more self-reliant?
Jocelyn, Georgia

I observed a seventh grade teacher at the beginning of a unit as he displayed the learning goals and asked the students to write them in their notebooks. He then asked students to add to the list, with prompts such as “I’d like to know more about…” or “I want to learn how to…” He displayed a separate list of these personal goals and referred to them throughout the unit. “Did we address your goal yet?” “Did you change your goal? Add a goal?” “What else do we need to do?” He encouraged them to self-assess and reflect on their learning of the class goals as well as their personal ones. These self-assessment and reflective activities gave students ownership in the unit, and he provided extra time in class to pursue their personal goals.

Self-assessment is more than students correcting their own papers. When students engage in self-assessment, they reflect on the results of their efforts and their progress toward meeting the learning goals. They look at their own work for evidence of quality, using established criteria on the rubrics.

Students don’t necessarily come to class with this skill, especially if their previous experiences have been environments in which the teacher did all of the assessment. They may initially think that an assignment (such as a lab report or project) is good simply because they spent a lot of time on it, they enjoyed it, or they worked very hard on it.

Students may need to learn strategies for self-assessment through examples and modeling.

Guide students through the process of comparing a piece of (unnamed) student  work to the rubric. You may have to do this several times before students feel comfortable critiquing their own work.

There are many types of activities that can be used as self-assessment strategies. Some double as formative assessment strategies, but in this case, students are using them to monitor their own progress:

• At the beginning of the unit, give each student a copy of the learning goals and a list of ways they can demonstrate their learning of each. Show students how to monitor their progress by checking off goals as they are met.
• Using thumbs up/down and exit tickets students can express the status of their learning and indicate topics on which they are still confused.
• Student reflections are often included in science notebooks. Your modeling and guidance is important. Show students how you would reflect on your own learning.
• I learned that…
• I learned how to…
• I need to learn more about…
• For projects, give each student a copy of the rubric when the assignment is given. Ask them to fill it out and submit it with the project. There could also be a place on the rubric for students to reflect on their projects with prompts such as
  • This is a quality project because…
  • From doing this project I learned…
  • To make this project better, I could…
  • Our study team could have improved our work by…

Honest self-assessment and reflection are difficult processes, even for adults. But they are valuable tools for developing lifelong learners.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rongyos/2686415336/

Our school is facing a budget crunch. Each department was asked for suggestions for cost-saving measures. Do you have any suggestions the science department can add to the list?
— Brenda, New York

It’s heartbreaking (or outrageous, depending on one’s point of view) to see teachers and administrators expected to provide more services with fewer financial resources. I know of several public schools that are even asking parents to donate classroom supplies. This imposes a burden, especially in times when many families also are struggling at home. I’m sure you and your colleagues are thrifty, but I’ve talked with some colleagues for suggestions to supplement your efforts.

• Determine which activities are essential for student understanding.  Make these your non-negotiables—activities that justify the expenses related to them. You also cannot skimp on expenses related to student safety and the safe storage or handling of materials and equipment.
• Prioritize the rest of your requests. For example, you may decide that elaborate decorations aren’t necessary. The classroom could be just as attractive with student work on the display boards or with interesting objects students bring in to share.
• Show your principal or business manager the price of consumables (such as cotton swabs or batteries) in science catalogs compared to the prices at local discount stores. Perhaps a procedure could be established for reimbursing bargain-hunting teachers for purchases of these discounted supplies. (Save your receipts, even if you are not reimbursed. You may be able to deduct out-of-pocket expenses as a teacher.)
• During labs, put out smaller amounts of materials and consider microscale activities. Rather than laminating handouts, use reusable plastic sheet protectors. Be sure students are accountable for materials used in lab activities. Place a list in each group’s box or at each lab station so all materials are returned (tools, reference materials, glassware, and so on). Simulations are not the same as the real experience, but perhaps there are some activities for which they could be substituted.

Paper and copying can be a place to scale back.

• Before going to the copier, consider the value of the assignment. Is a find-a-word puzzle or other busywork worth the paper and the duplicating costs? Other types of vocabulary work such as word splashes or graphic organizers are more beneficial (and use less paper).
• Post newsletters and announcements on the school’s website or other electronic sources.
• Put a box in the classroom to save paper that has a blank side. Cut the paper into halves or quarters for quizzes, exit slips, or practice activities.
• If you teach more than one section of a subject, consider whether it’s necessary to give each student a copy of a multi-page test. Could you make a class set of tests (double-sided) and have the students use separate answer sheets? (This might not be appropriate for younger students.)
• Post your handouts on your webpage so that if students lose them, they can print them at home.
• Have students complete assignments (notes, lab reports, diagrams, etc.) in their science notebooks rather on duplicated handouts.
• If students have access to laptops and the internet, consider Web 2.0 tools for paperless collaboration. (e.g., Livebinders for portfolios, lino for brainstorming, or Edmodo for communicating)

Ask students for suggestions! They may come up with some good ideas that give them ownership in the process. (Keep your sense of humor—my students had suggestions such as Save paper with shorter tests or Save water by not making us wash our hands before lunch.)

Professional development (PD) often is on the budget chopping block, but it’s more important than ever. Rather than listing a series of unrelated events, be sure your activities all connect with your identified goals. Suggest PD activities that are free or have minimal costs: teacher-directed study groups, blogging, action research projects, independent study, presentations by your own teachers, online courses (such as those offered by NSTA), events at nearby museums or science centers, and online collaborations via discussion groups, tweetchats, videoconferencing, or networking sites.

None of these suggestions will save huge amounts of money. However, many of the suggestions may also lead to greener classrooms with less waste.

For more ideas:

Science on a Shoestring—The Science Teacher, July 2011
Professional Development—Science & Children, July 2010
Professional Development on a Shoestring – Ms Mentor, March 2009
NSTA’s Frugal Science Teacher books

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/68751915@N05/6736170827/sizes/l/in/photostream/