Lab In Every Lesson

Why Engagement and Achievement Aren't Improving In Your Science Classroom

As an Enneagram Type 3 Achiever, I thrive on setting and achieving goals, sometimes to a fault. To balance this while using student-centered teaching strategies to a foster positive classroom culture, I’ve embraced two essential core values that I believe are perfect for science teachers. 

 

In this video, I’ll share how these values guide my teaching practice, help me avoid burnout, and inspire my students to love learning. 

 

I’ll discuss the importance of experimenting with teaching strategies to keep things fresh, connect you with your students, and build a thriving classroom culture. 

 

I'll also share with you some of my tried-and-true positive talk for challenging the voices in your head that keep you feeling fearful about making changes. 

00:00 Modeling Inquiry In The Science Classroom

03:17 Two Classroom Core Values To Complement My Personality

08:01 How Trying New Teaching Strategies Models Scientific Inquiry

11:14 5 Benefits To Always Trying New Teaching Strategies

16:47 The Role of Fear When Trying New Teaching Strategies

19:26 My Failure As A Teacher

25:59 FAITH Over Fear When Trying New Teaching Strategies

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💻 I'm sharing my go-to resources for understanding my own personality and crafting classroom core values to complement it!

Download the planner, "Purposeful Plans, Powerful Results: A Guide To Crafting Core Values That Can Totally Transform Your Science Classroom", here:

https://labineverylesson.com/corevalues

 

▶️ LISTEN NEXT:

How CEO-Style Core Values Can Transform Teaching

 

➡️ ARTICLES MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO:

https://www.custommarketinsights.com/report/us-k12-education-market/

 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

💥 The Active Learning Action Plan:

https://labineverylesson.com/activeplan

 

💥 The Digital Instructional Design Studio:

https://labineverylesson.com/studio

 

💥 Done-For-You micro2MACRO Chemistry Curriculum:

https://labineverylesson.com/5-free-chem-lessons/

 

💥 My TpT Store:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Lab-In-Every-Lesson#

 

CONTACT ME by email at lisa@labineverylesson.com!

Create Custom Core Values For Your Science Classroom

Throw away that statement of teaching philosophy that you wrote in college or grad school!  Then, hang with me through this series where I share with you my own science classroom core values and how they connect to my unique talents and challenges when teaching science.

 

By defining core values for our classrooms that reflect our unique personalities, we can adopt instructional strategies in our middle school or high school classroom and create lesson plans for science that are easier to prepare, implement, and stick with because they reflect who we are – our strengths and ideals.  

 

Sharing core values in our classrooms increases our authenticity which could enhance relationships with our students and have far-reaching effects on things like behavior, engagement, and even achievement.  

 

I've even created a free resource for you to take action on what you learn in these videos and clearly define your own set of science classroom core values!

 

00:00  Take a quiz!
07:20  The Enneagram for Educators
11:11  Science Teacher Type 1-3
17:21  Science Teacher Type 4-6
26:33  Science Teacher Type 7-9 
35:21  Why being UNIQUELY YOU is so important!

________________________________________________________

 

💻   I'm sharing my go-to resources for understanding my own personality and crafting classroom core values to complement it!  

Download the planner, "Purposeful Plans, Powerful Results:  A Guide To Crafting Core Values That Can Totally Transform Your Science Classroom", here:  https://labineverylesson.com/corevalues

 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

💥 The Active Learning Action Plan:  https://labineverylesson.com/activeplan

💥  The Digital Instructional Design Studio:  https://labineverylesson.com/studio

💥  Done-For-You micro2MACRO Chemistry Curriculum:  https://labineverylesson.com/5-free-chem-lessons/

💥  My TpT Store:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Lab-In-Every-Lesson#

CONTACT ME by email at lisa@labineverylesson.com!

Are you CRUSHING student confidence in your science classroom?

Do you realize that LOW ENGAGEMENT is one of the most common signs of low self-esteem and low confidence in our middle school and high school science students?!

In this episode, I'll share 3 instructional strategies that might actually be CONTRIBUTING to those feelings and CRUSHING your students' confidence.

You’ll learn active learning strategies perfectly suited for science that you can use to leverage the psychology of learning, increase student engagement, and collect more evidence of learning from your students ... and so many other positive impacts from making the changes proposed.
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💻  Start your trek from talk to tech with my EdTech Essentials guide to active learning in science:  https://labineverylesson.com/essentials

▶️  LISTEN NEXT:
Use These EdTech Tools For A Simplified Science Routine:
https://youtu.be/EUM-4XBVJYo

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

💥  The Active Learning Action Plan:  https://labineverylesson.com/activeplan

💥  The Digital Instructional Design Studio:  https://labineverylesson.com/studio

💥  Done-For-You micro2MACRO Chemistry Curriculum:  https://labineverylesson.com/5-free-chem-lessons/

💥  My TpT Store:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Lab-In-Every-Lesson#

 

📧CONTACT ME by email at lisa@labineverylesson.com!

When You SHOW OFF, Your Students SUCCEED.

It's time for a little science teacher reflection!

 

We've been taught to use tools like Bloom's Taxonomy and Webb's Depth of Knowledge to think about and plan for how we'll require *our students* to make their learning visible.  But, I bet you've rarely (if ever) been encouraged to demonstrate your own mastery of TEACHING & LEARNING using the same sort of taxonomy.

 

If we could imagine a taxonomy like this, the lowest levels would so very simple and straightforward that a substitute could do it.  The highest levels, though, would require a command of our content knowledge and an in-depth knowledge of the students in our classrooms.

 

I've heard some other teachers express that they don't feel equipped to do curriculum design.  These teachers believe teaching and curriculum planning to be mutually exclusive.

 

It's one of my favorite things to do in this job!

 

In this episode, I'm presenting the argument -- AND A NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN TEACHER TAXONOMY! -- explaining how teaching and curriculum planning are SYMBIOTIC STAPLES to student-centered, secondary science classrooms.  

 

Use it as part of your reflective teaching practice to set actionable goals for your own professional growth and the academic, personal growth of your students.

 

HERE'S WHAT TO EXPECT: 

00:00 Why Leaning On Lecture To Teach Science Isn't Ideal 
00:55 The Potential Effect Of AI On Education 
01:47 Our Value As Teachers 
02:54 How We Use Our Teacher Hearts To Be Effective Educators 
04:32 Hello! (from Lisa) & How This Connects Specifically To Teaching Science 
05:38 Review Of Taxonomies That Inform Our Planning For Students' Higher-Order Thinking 
07:29 A Taxonomy Of Teaching Practices! (3 Levels) 
08:58 Dictate 
09:45 Demonstration 
12:00 Delegate 
13:56 Design 
19:11 Reflection Round Up & Goal Getting! 
20:45 What To Watch Next 
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Start your trek from talk to tech with my EdTech Essentials guide to active learning in science: https://labineverylesson.com/essentials 

 

LISTEN TO NEXT: 
Turn To Tech For Seemless Science Routines 
https://youtu.be/EUM-4XBVJYo 

 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: 

One Day, AI Will Make Teaching Obsolete. As Educators, We Have a Different Role to Play (Sachin Pandya): 
https://www.edsurge.com/news/2023-09-20-one-day-ai-will-make-teaching-obsolete-as-educators-we-have-a-different-role-to-play 

 

The Active Learning Action Plan: https://labineverylesson.com/activeplan 

 

The Digital Instructional Design Studio: https://labineverylesson.com/studio 

 

Done-For-You micro2MACRO Chemistry Curriculum: https://labineverylesson.com/5-free-chem-lessons / 

 

My TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Lab-In-Every-Lesson# 

 

CONTACT ME by email at lisa@labineverylesson.com !

Turn to Tech for Seamless Science Routines

Integrating *the right edtech tools* into your middle school or high school science curriculum and instruction -- everyday lesson plans for science -- can make active learning a realistic routine, enhance student-centered culture in your classroom, and make students' thinking visible by providing a means to collect regular, reliable evidence of learning.

 

In this episode, I'll share exactly what I mean when I say "TRADE YOUR TALK FOR TECH"!  And, I'm not limiting this discussion to designing inquiry-based lesson plans for science ... together, we'll consider the role of edtech in every aspect of teaching science:  

💥BEFORE instruction (planning lessons)
💥DURING instruction  (delivering lessons)
💥AFTER instruction  (providing feedback and analyzing outcomes)

 

This video has three distinct parts:

✅🧑‍💻⛔ In Part 1, I present the pros and cons of teaching with technology and its unique role as a facilitator of guided inquiry and instructional design.

 

📝 In Part 2, I'll demonstrate my process for sourcing free science simulations online to develop guided inquiry activities.  

 

🎓 In Part 3, I'll show you around the edtech products, SeeSaw and BookWidgets. These are critical components of my student-centered system for teaching science as a practice!  You'll get a sneak peek at the backend of these tools while I share soooo many best practices to help you realize their potential for transforming your workflow as you show up to serve every student everyday. 💯

 

WHAT TO EXPECT:

 

‼️INTRODUCTION ‼️
00:00 Consistency helps create classroom culture.
03:19  Pros and Cons to Teaching Science With Technology

 

⏱️ BEFORE Instruction ⏱️
06:46  Planning Lessons for Guided Inquiry

 

⏱️📝 BEFORE Instruction | Planning Lessons ⏱️📝
08:41  Types of EdTech for Guided Inquiry
10:29  Search For EdTech With Me!
17:01  Sourcing EdTech Best Practices Recap

 

‼️ 14:52  What You Can Do When You Can't Find Any Suitable Edtech For Guided Inquiry!

 

⏱️ DURING Instruction | Delivering Lessons & Follow-Up ⏱️
22:17  In-Person Instruction
22:45  About SeeSaw
23:49  SeeSaw, 3 Important Areas Tour
31:01  Fantastic Features of SeeSaw (Why I Wouldn't Want To Teach Without It!)
35:53  Reasons for Asynchronous Instruction
37:23  About BookWidgets
39:49  BookWidgets, Examples of Worksheets I've Built
44:49  Fantastic Features of BookWidgets

 

‼️ 48:16  The EdTech Essentials Guide to Active Learning in Science | How To Get It!

 

Add an hour of do-not-disturb time to your calendar, open up some browser tabs, and work alongside this powerful professional development session to get one step closer to a work life you'll love! 💗

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💻 Start your trek from talk to tech with my EdTech Essentials guide to active learning in science:  https://labineverylesson.com/essentials

 

EDTECH TOOLS TAUGHT IN THIS VIDEO:
*BookWidgets:  https://www.bookwidgets.com/
**SeeSaw:  https://seesaw.com/

*I do not receive compensation from BookWidgets to promote their product.  
**I am a SeeSaw Pioneer, which means that I have been using their product for more than a year and I complete an annual refresh training.  I am gifted a free PRO licence for keeping my Pioneer status active, but there is no expectation in that agreement for me to promote the product.

 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

💥 The Active Learning Action Plan:  https://labineverylesson.com/activeplan

💥 The Digital Instructional Design Studio:  https://labineverylesson.com/studio

💥 Done-For-You micro2MACRO Chemistry Curriculum:  https://labineverylesson.com/5-free-chem-lessons/

💥 My TpT Store:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Lab-In-Every-Lesson#

LESSONS USED AS EXAMPLES IN THIS VIDEO:

⚛️ LEWIS STRUCTURES FOR SMALL MOLECULES

➡️Complete interactive lesson PowerPoint:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Science-Lesson-for-Teaching-Lewis-Structures-for-Small-Molecules-7193826

➡️BookWidgets worksheet:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Digital-Interactive-Notebook-for-Learning-Lewis-Structures-for-Small-Molecules-7193834

 

⚛️ MOLECULE POLARITY
➡️Complete interactive lesson PowerPoint:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Science-Lesson-for-Teaching-How-To-Determine-Molecule-Polarity-7476567

➡️BookWidgets worksheet:  
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Digital-Interactive-Notebook-for-Learning-How-To-Determine-Molecule-Polarity-7476569

⚛️ TYPES OF INTERMOLECULAR FORCES

➡️Complete interactive lesson PowerPoint:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Science-Lesson-for-Teaching-Three-Types-of-Intermolecular-Forces-7525290

➡️BookWidgets worksheet:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Digital-Interactive-Notebook-for-Learning-Three-Types-of-Intermolecular-Forces-7525294

📧 CONTACT ME by email at lisa@labineverylesson.com !

Your students CAN overcome obstacles.

Let's create a culture of curiosity in our classrooms by adding COMFORTABLE STRUGGLE to all the lesson plans in our science curriculum!

This episode will refresh what you remember about depth of knowledge and why it's important to our instructional design.   Then, I'll explain exactly how the scientific method -- especially observation and inferences in science --  perfectly complement traditional hierarchies of understanding.  

My hope is that, when you're finished listening, you'll feel inspired to increase student engagement through active learning that's rooted in scientific principles and skills.  WHEN YOU TAKE ACTION to make that transformation toward a more student-centered culture, you'll make thinking visible in your middle school or high school science classroom.

 

Here's what to expect:

00:00  A familiar story from *your* classroom!
01:52  A *personal* story about higher-order thinking and DOK
04:03  What is higher-order thinking?  (a review of taxonomies)
12:11  Why higher-order thinking and science go together like PB&J
16:45  Science practice as a taxonomy 

_______________________________________________________________

Start your trek from talk to tech with my EdTech Essentials guide to active learning in science:  https://labineverylesson.com/essentials

 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
The Blackburn-response article referenced in this video:  https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-response-thoughts-on-the-meaning-of-rigor/2012/03

The Active Learning Action Plan:  https://labineverylesson.com/activeplan

The Digital Instructional Design Studio:  https://labineverylesson.com/studio

Done-For-You micro2MACRO Chemistry Curriculum:  https://labineverylesson.com/5-free-chem-lessons

My TpT Store:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Lab-In-Every-Lesson#

CONTACT ME by email at lisa@labineverylesson.com!

NGSS doesn't have to be such a nightmare!

The CROSS-CUTTING CONCEPTS listed in the Next Generation Science Standards aren’t our enemies!  

They make active learning possible because they create a list of basic scientific practice we can lean on to ensure our activities are designed to leverage and develop the skills related to scientific investigations and make thinking visible.  When we include them as a critical part of our instructional design process, students will be able to discover the core ideas of our science lesson content using fundamental scientific principles and practices.

In this episode, I'll compare and contrast the “core ideas” and “cross-cutting concepts" we find in the NGSS, describe the scientific significance of each cross-cutting concept in detail, and provide prompts you can use to thoughtfully design activities as part of your lesson plans for science in your science curriculum.  

Here's what to expect:

00:00  Let's talk NGSS and cross-cutting concepts!
03:03  PATTERNS, a summary
04:30  Prompts to use when planning to include PATTERNS
05:42  CAUSE & EFFECT, a summary
07:07  Prompts to use when planning to include CAUSE & EFFECT
08:27  SIZE, PROPORTION & QUANTITY, a summary
10:00  Prompts to use when planning to include SIZE, PROPORTION & QUANTITY
11:54  SYSTEMS & SYSTEM MODELS, a summary
13:53  Prompts to use when planning to include SYSTEMS & SYSTEM MODELS
15:05  ENERGY & MATTER, a summary
17:30  Prompts to use when planning to include ENERGY & MATTER
18:17  STRUCTURE & FUNCTION, a summary
19:23  Prompts to use when planning to include STRUCTURE & FUNCTION
21:45  STABILITY & CHANGE, a summary
23:53  Prompts to use when planning to include STABILITY & CHANGE

____________________________________________________________________

Start your trek from talk to tech with my EdTech Essentials guide to active learning in science:  https://labineverylesson.com/essentials

 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

The Active Learning Action Plan:  https://labineverylesson.com/activeplan

The Digital Instructional Design Studio:  https://labineverylesson.com/studio
(This membership includes a pdf version of the cross-cutting concept summaries and each of the prompts I outlined in this video!  I designed it as an oversized bookmark so you can make hard copies and share with your students to refer to in an effort to lesson their analysis paralysis!)

Done-For-You micro2MACRO Chemistry Curriculum:  https://labineverylesson.com/5-free-chem-lessons

My TpT Store:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Lab-In-Every-Lesson#

CONTACT ME by email at lisa@labineverylesson.com !

Engage students with science activities like these.

By creating lesson plans for your science curriculum that focus on the beginning of all science practice -- observation and inferences -- you can increase engagement in a way that makes student thinking visible so that you know *exactly* how to support them.

Don't believe the myth that we have to separate "lab" from "lecture" in our science classrooms.

Instead, embrace the FACT that we can leave lecture behind FOREVER and still ensure our students are achieving their personal best!

In this episode, I'll highlight how the active learning principles we rely upon for "lab day" are the exact same that we can rely upon everyday to replace our boring lectures.  I'll provide examples of popular lesson planning approaches or student-centered models that would help you achieve these goals, with a focus on inquiry-based learning (because it's my personal favorite!).  

Finally, to illustrate that this IS possible, I've included three examples of activities included in lesson plans for my own science curriculum.

Here's what to expect:

00:00  INTRO
01:22  What is active learning?
03:12  YOUR VOICE!  What's the last thing you could've only learned by doing it?
03:56  Why is active learning perfect for science class?
10:26  Side-by-side comparison of characteristics of teacher-centered teaching approaches and student-centered teacher approaches
17:53  Popular student-centered learning models
18:02  Problem-based learning
19:01  Project-based learning
20:43  Collaborative-based learning
24:38  Inquiry-based learning
33:07  *a word about differentiation*
34:59  Examples of my own inquiry-based activities that require careful observation and inference science skills

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Start your trek from talk to tech with my EdTech Essentials guide to active learning in science:
https://labineverylesson.com/essentials

 

LESSONS DESCRIBED IN THIS VIDEO:

Three Types of Chemical Bonding:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Science-Lesson-for-Teaching-Three-Types-of-Chemical-Bonding-6499621

 

Intermolecular Forces: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Science-Lesson-for-Teaching-Three-Types-of-Intermolecular-Forces-7525290

 

Chemical Reactions & Equations:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Chemical-Reactions-Equations-Complete-Inquiry-Based-Chemistry-Lesson-5851603

 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

The Active Learning Action Plan:  https://labineverylesson.com/activeplan

The Digital Instructional Design Studio:  https://labineverylesson.com/studio

Done-For-You micro2MACRO Chemistry Curriculum:  https://labineverylesson.com/5-free-chem-lessons/

My TpT Store:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Lab-In-Every-Lesson#

CONTACT ME by email at lisa@labineverylesson.com !

Wake up your science classroom!

Are you seeking innovative ways to ENGAGE STUDENTS in your science classroom and elevate your science curriculum?

Join me as I share THE FIVE THINGS I NEED to plan daily, inquiry-based activities for my high school science students.

These five things, when used to strategically design activities,  form the foundation of dynamic lesson plans for science and make thinking visible.  I’m able to accurately assess learning outcomes and collect evidence of learning everyday.  

Since these activities are designed to leverage the use of observation and inferences in science, they empower students to uncover knowledge through exploration and critical thinking.  They are great at engaging students in the classroom and supporting deep, meaningful learning.

The entire backward design I use is included in the Active Learning Action Plan, a comprehensive professional development resource designed to equip teachers with the tools, training, and strategies to transform their classrooms. 

Here's what you can expect:

00:00  Why do we have so few "lab days"?
01:09  Guiding Purpose
10:55  Technology
14:15  Standards
16:10  Task Instructions
20:24  Artifact Outlines
26:55  Active Learning Action Plan Details
30:43  Bonuses
35:18  Learn More!
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Visit https://www.labineverylesson.com/activeplan to start your journey towards a more engaging and impactful science classroom experience today.

Start your trek from talk to tech with my EdTech Essentials guide to active learning in science:
https://labineverylesson.com/essentials

 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

The Active Learning Action Plan:  https://labineverylesson.com/activeplan

The Digital Instructional Design Studio:  https://labineverylesson.com/studio

Done-For-You micro2MACRO Chemistry Curriculum:  https://labineverylesson.com/5-free-chem-lessons

My TpT Store:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Lab-In-Every-Lesson#

CONTACT ME by email at lisa@labineverylesson.com !

At long last ... a brand new look!

!I took a loooong, 5-month break from posting new content here ... and everywhere.

But, I'M BACK, and I promise you that it was worth the wait!

In this episode, I'll share why you haven't heard from me, and I'll reveal some great new things I have planned in the VERY NEAR FUTURE.

Read the rest of this entry »