Episodes
Sunday Mar 12, 2023
Sunday Mar 12, 2023
When pressed to share individualized input about specific students in your science classroom, can you?
For years I struggled with this task because I led a teacher-centered classroom wherein I lectured on every day except "lab day". Now, that's not to say that I didn't ask questions and create discourse ... I did. I also gave them practice opportunities, homework, and tests. But, in an attempt to transfer knowledge directly to my students primarily through telling, I didn't often give them an opportunity to showcase science skills.
In this video, I share how leading a student-centered classroom can create more opportunities for learning about student strengths, academically and personally, as well as opportunities for growth.
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Want my Active Learning Lesson Plan Template and Student Activity Tracker for science teachers ... for FREE? SIGN UP HERE
Looking for support as you consider when, why, and how to make the switch to student-centered learning for your science students?
JOIN THE STUDENT-CENTERED SCIENCE TEACHER SOCIETY
Need to know which strategies will define your practice as a student-centered science teacher?
JOIN THE ACTIVE LEARNING LABORATORY
Want solutions that will make all the student-centered things effortless?
JOIN THE DIGITAL INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN STUDIO WAITLIST
Monday Mar 06, 2023
Serving Students: How To Show Them You Care
Monday Mar 06, 2023
Monday Mar 06, 2023
Graham Nuthall, in his text "The Hidden Lives of Learners", suggests that students already know 60% of what we're going to teach them. 🤯
When we're talking about teaching science concepts and skills, this is so hard to believe and should be saved for another discussion entirely!
But, if that statistic is remotely true, then how much might they possibly know -- or think they know -- about content that isn't so technical and specific?
I would propose that students observe, comprehend, and make inferences about all kinds of nonverbal cues in our classrooms. (This is science, after all, and we're all doing it all the time!)
From our outward presentation through how we spend our time, students of any age can make grand, and often quick, judgements about us and how much we care about them and their learning.
In this video, I present the question, "What if we open our minds to earning
mutual trust and respect instead of demanding it?". This would require us to adopt a mentor mentality rather than an authoritative one in our science classrooms when working with our students.
Together, we'll explore how an intentional lesson planning framework used in tandem with the definition of love can build trust and make every student feel equally valued in our classrooms.
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Want my Active Learning Lesson Plan Template and Student Activity Tracker for science teachers ... for FREE? SIGN UP HERE
Looking for support as you consider when, why, and how to make the switch to student-centered learning for your science students?
JOIN THE STUDENT-CENTERED SCIENCE TEACHER SOCIETY
Need to know which strategies will define your practice as a student-centered science teacher?
JOIN THE ACTIVE LEARNING LABORATORY
Want solutions that will make all the student-centered things effortless?
JOIN THE DIGITAL INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN STUDIO WAITLIST
Sunday Feb 26, 2023
Sunday Feb 26, 2023
Student-centered classrooms are action-oriented.
It stands to reason, then, that the data we collect needs to be similarly action-oriented, rooted in what we've planned for students to do and what they've actually done during their time executing the lesson.
In this episode, I discuss how my free Active Learning Lesson Plan can be used to ensure that learning is focused on action. The data we can gather about student performance and progress is also discussed in the context of using my free Student Activity Tracker.
Both of these resources are included in my full-year, customizable digital planner which is included as a bonus to members of The Active Learning Laboratory.
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Want my Active Learning Lesson Plan Template and Student Activity Tracker for science teachers ... for FREE? SIGN UP HERE
Looking for support as you consider when, why, and how to make the switch to student-centered learning for your science students?
JOIN THE STUDENT-CENTERED SCIENCE TEACHER SOCIETY
Need to know which strategies will define your practice as a student-centered science teacher?
JOIN THE ACTIVE LEARNING LABORATORY
Want solutions that will make all the student-centered things effortless?
JOIN THE DIGITAL INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN STUDIO WAITLIST
Sunday Feb 19, 2023
Setting Goals For Active Learning In The Science Classroom
Sunday Feb 19, 2023
Sunday Feb 19, 2023
Science Teachers!
When it comes to setting learning goals for whole content units and individual lessons, you're THE BOSS!!!
But, when it comes to setting goals for a science classroom makeover that can help YOU BANISH BURNOUT FOREVER, you might have hit a wall.
Since you wear one million hats, the big goals you set -- the ones that align with your 'why', your big purpose -- can get easily lost in the day-to-day stuff that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and just plain OVER IT ALL.
In this episode, I'll suggest strategies for science teachers to set DAILY goals that align with their big purpose.
If you already use Learning Intentions and Success Criteria to set your unit and lesson content goals, you'll be shocked how easy this is!
If you aren't using those strategies, you'll get some insider information in this episode!
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Want my Active Learning Lesson Plan Template and Student Activity Tracker for science teachers ... for FREE? SIGN UP HERE
Looking for support as you consider when, why, and how to make the switch to student-centered learning for your science students?
JOIN THE STUDENT-CENTERED SCIENCE TEACHER SOCIETY
Need to know which strategies will define your practice as a student-centered science teacher?
JOIN THE ACTIVE LEARNING LABORATORY
Want solutions that will make all the student-centered things effortless?
JOIN THE DIGITAL INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN STUDIO WAITLIST
Sunday Feb 12, 2023
Why and How To Make Teacher Reflection A Routine?
Sunday Feb 12, 2023
Sunday Feb 12, 2023
Continual improvement only comes from regular reflection.
When science teachers lecture, the only aspects of their instruction upon which they can reflect include those dictated by the content ... what they say or how they say it.
In a student-centered science classroom, teacher reflection can and should happen at all four stages in the teaching and learning process -- from defining a clear purpose, to developing that amazing interactive science lesson plan, through delivery of that lesson plan and analysis of the student outcome artifacts that are produced.
For more fundamentals of reflection and suggestions for how to improve or increase the frequency of your science teacher reflection practice, listen in!
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Want my Active Learning Lesson Plan Template and Student Activity Tracker for science teachers ... for FREE? SIGN UP HERE
Looking for support as you consider when, why, and how to make the switch to student-centered learning for your science students? JOIN THE STUDENT-CENTERED SCIENCE TEACHER SOCIETY
Need to know which strategies will define your practice as a student-centered science teacher?
JOIN THE ACTIVE LEARNING LABORATORY
Want solutions that will make all the student-centered things effortless?
JOIN THE DIGITAL INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN STUDIO WAITLIST
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
How To Create Change In The Culture of a Science Classroom
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
Knowledge cannot be transferred.
Yet, science teachers easily get stuck in the rut of teaching by telling.
We sing our Lecture Hall Lullabies, and then complain about the lack of student engagement in our science classrooms!
Creating a student-centered classroom environment requires more than just preparing and delivering activities for students to stay busy. It requires teachers to empower students to take ownership of their learning.
For me, this required a complete mindset shift and a whole new purpose.
Listen in to learn more!
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Want my Active Learning Lesson Plan Template and Student Activity Tracker for science teachers ... for FREE?
SIGN UP HERE:
https://memberships.labineverylesson.com/templates-email-optin
Looking for support as you consider when, why, and how to make the switch to student-centered learning for your science students?
JOIN THE STUDENT-CENTERED SCIENCE TEACHER SOCIETY
Need to know which strategies will define your practice as a student-centered science teacher?
JOIN THE ACTIVE LEARNING LABORATORY
Want solutions that will make all the student-centered things effortless?
JOIN THE DIGITAL INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN STUDIO WAITLIST
Sunday Nov 07, 2021
The One You‘ll Listen To When You Feel You‘ve Failed
Sunday Nov 07, 2021
Sunday Nov 07, 2021
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."
Have you heard that one? It's a quote is by Seneca.
Um .... Seneca?!
I'm an 80s baby who lived her best life in the 90s so, to me, that's the famous final line of "Closing Time" by Semisonic! ⌚ Good thing it's a catchy tune, because I've needed to remind myself of that as every season of this crazy life transforms into the next.
This episode is the last in what we'll call "Season 1" of the Student-Centered Science Teacher Podcast.
As a full-time teacher 👩🏫, boymom 👩👦👦, wife, and aspiring instructional coach who tries to give each of those jobs my very best 100% of the time, I haven't been able to keep up with what I demand of myself to provide you the very best I can in this format. With the holidays approaching and extra special time with my family on the horizon, I'm a realist . . . I know that'll only get worse.
Don't worry, though! I'll be back with Season 2 sometime in Spring 2022. 🌱
Get on my email list by sharing your email anywhere on the homepage of my website (http://www.labineverylesson.com) to be notified when I start publishing new episodes OR just follow the podcast on your favorite player.
Listen in now to hear about all the CRAZY that's been happening behind the scenes in my life and get the goods on the final installment of the series I've been sharing on "Things to Consider When Making the Switch to Student-Centered Learning", strategies I use to combat feelings of failure.
Wishing you a blessed holiday season full of abundance, peace, and joy and hoping you'll join me again next spring,
Lisa
☮️🕊️😂
Thursday Oct 14, 2021
Generating Student Buy-In and Creating Consistency In A Student-Centered Classroom
Thursday Oct 14, 2021
Thursday Oct 14, 2021
Before -- or after -- listening to this episode, you'll want to check out an episode of Cesar Milan's "Better Human, Better Dog" show currently airing on National Geographic. Caesar is an accomplished dog trainer and is able to, essentially, tame some wild, out of control dogs. There are also instances where he encounters dogs who exist in a state of paralyzing fear 24/7. While his former TV show, years ago called "The Dog Whisperer", documented how he helped those types of extreme cases, this new show is focused on post-pandemic problems with pets people have adopted from rescue shelters. These are average, everyday people with, sometimes, average, everyday dog problems.
Even though Cesar teaches dog owners how to handle difficult situations, I have used his strategy to create the classroom environment I want and need to deploy student-centered learning and provide valuable experiences to all of my students.
In this episode, I'll describe Cesar's approach and how it can be adapted for use in our classrooms to encourage and support active learning, build trust and rapport, and foster growth mindset in and among the students in our classrooms.
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If you’re interested in creating robust lesson plans you can believe in and follow through on, consider downloading the details of my 5-Element Framework for planning interactive science lessons on my website at www.labineverylesson.com/5elements. Or, if you're more interested in gaining some insight into the practical aspects of delivering and executing student-centered instructional strategies in your classroom, you might benefit from the free guide, "Things To Consider When Making The Switch To Student Centered Learning". Just share your email at www.labineverylesson.com/considerations.
Join our FREE, non-Facebook community at community.labineverylesson.com! We need your voice, your questions, your celebrations to keep us all inspired and motivated to do our best work!
Teach chemistry? Shop for ready-to-deliver interactive science lessons at https://www.labineverylesson.com/shop.
If you loved this episode or any other on the Student Centered Science Teacher Podcast, please leave a review on the podcast player of your choice OR give me a shout-out on your favorite social network! Help me spread the word! Take a snapshot of that review or social shout-out and share it with me to receive a FREE interactive science lesson of your choice from those currently available in my store. Just go to my website, www.labineverylesson.com, and click on PODCAST in the menu at the top right. Then, follow the instructions on that page.
Wednesday Oct 06, 2021
My Interview With A Very Special Student
Wednesday Oct 06, 2021
Wednesday Oct 06, 2021
Currently, the most-downloaded episode of the Student-Centered Science Teacher Podcast is Episode #12, "What Students Say About Student-Centered Learning In Science".
In a way, this makes perfect sense to me. As a teacher seeking to transform my instructional practice, I was most concerned about how the students would receive it, what they would do with it, and how it would impact the standards-based assessment outcomes that are most commonly used to measure learning.
I thought, "What if the students don't cooperate?" and "What if the learning experiences I designed don't connect with assessment-content and skills?".
In Episode #13, though, I was only able to report on what my students have said. I wasn't able to actually have my students actually speak to you.
Today, though, I'm bringing you an actual interview with an actual student! And, guess what?! He's not my student! No .... he's my son. 🥰
Max is in fourth grade and apparently has an amazing science teacher (not me!) who values student-centered principles, encouraging her students to learn through experimentation.
Recently, he shared with me the specifics of a lesson he completed and the feelings he experienced at the end of a relatively long lesson. His words were impactful, even to me. They exemplify exactly what I seek to achieve in my classroom, both content knowledge and growth mindset. The words he uses to describe the experience are priceless and oh-so inspirational!
Though this episode is a bit different from some others I've prepared for you, this one will motivate you to ditch the "What ifs?" swirling around in your head and get right to the business of making the mindset shift you'll need to transform your classroom and begin to offer your students more interactive science lessons rich with meaningful learning experiences.
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If you’re interested in creating learning experiences for your students that measure up to that which Max described in his classroom, consider downloading the details of my 5-Element Framework for planning interactive science lessons on my website at www.labineverylesson.com/5elements. Or, if you're more interested in gaining some insight into the practical aspects of delivering and executing student-centered instructional strategies in your classroom, you might benefit from the free guide, "Things To Consider When Making The Switch To Student Centered Learning". Just share your email at www.labineverylesson.com/considerations.
If you'd like to respond to this episode with comments or questions, please do so in the FREE, non-Facebook community at community.labineverylesson.com.
Teach chemistry? Shop for ready-to-deliver interactive science lessons at https://www.labineverylesson.com/shop.
If you loved this episode or any other on the Student Centered Science Teacher Podcast, please leave a review on the podcast player of your choice OR give me a shout-out on your favorite social network! Help me spread the word! Take a snapshot of that review or social shout-out and share it with me to receive a FREE interactive science lesson of your choice from those currently available in my store. Just go to my website, www.labineverylesson.com, and click on PODCAST in the menu at the top right. Then, follow the instructions on that page.
Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
5 Ways Technology Can Leverage Student-Centered Learning in Science
Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
Technology is a cornerstone of student-centered learning in science in our modern society.
In this episode, I’ll give you some examples of which technology I love for my own student-centered science classroom, but this isn't going to be an episode focused on examples of technologies that work or those that may be among the best. In fact, there's no way any one person could possibly share that information because because there are just so many choices out there!!! Each and every day, I swear I discover yet another amazing tool I’d love to try, and they all have a unique and focused purpose.
So, I'd rather spend my time with you today -- and your oh-so-precious time! -- describing five ways that the integration of technology, in general, is going to leverage your attempts to create a more student-centered classroom environment. And, guess what? These five ways span every aspect of your job as a teacher, from content area expert to social-emotional support and family-connection-extraordinaire!
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Interested in viewing my differentiated evaluation project about integrating technology-based, student-choice skill practice?! Here it is!
https://lmkarosas.wixsite.com/spacedpractice2021
And, as promised, here's the link to redeeming an EXTRA 30 DAYS on the existing FREE 30 DAYS offer from BookWidgets!
https://www.bookwidgets.com/giftcard/DB6J-B339-E3CG
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If you’d like to jump ahead or follow along with me throughout this series in the coming weeks – OR if you usually listen to me while driving in the car or while doing chores, I have some notes for you! You can download the free guide, "Things To Consider When Making The Switch To Student Centered Learning", when you share your email at www.labineverylesson.com/considerations. And, if this was the first episode of the podcast you’ve heard and you’re as interested in planning for a student centered science classroom as you are interested in leading one, you can download the details of my 5-Element Framework for planning interactive science lessons on my website at www.labineverylesson.com/5elements.
Remember, if you'd like to respond to this episode with comments or questions, please do so in the FREE community at community.labineverylesson.com.
If you loved this episode or any other on the Student Centered Science Teacher Podcast, please leave a review on the podcast player of your choice OR give me a shout-out on your favorite social network! Help me spread the word! Take a snapshot of that review or social shout-out and share it with me to receive a FREE interactive science lesson of your choice from those currently available in my store. Just go to my website, www.labineverylesson.com, and click on PODCAST in the menu at the top right. Then, follow the instructions on that page.