Boys are better at physics because they can projectile ‘pee’ up walls, claim controversial academics Can you imagine a more click-worth headline for physics educators? Well, the original article written by the “controversial academics” has a better one: Taking the Pee Out of Physics: How Boys are Getting a Leg Up They’re both worth reading,…
I spent the last week learning a lot about how successful blogs work, and especially how teachers who create content online can market what they create. There’s a lot to learn, and I feel like I’m behind! The good news is that I have time, and it’s pretty fun to learn new things. And there’s…
I just updated an old product I have listed on Teachers Pay Teachers — the Leaf Collection Project. I decided to modify it for kids who love to use their phones to take pictures and added a Selfie Option! Instead of collecting a real leaf specimen (and pressing it, and gluing it, and binding the…
Why stop at four or six C’s? This is a growing collection, starting with four that have long been associated with STEM… Communication Collaboration Critical Thinking Creativity Source These first four are widely known as the “Skills for Today” or sometimes as “21st Century Skills.” Challenge Control Choice Construct Meaning Consequence #5-9, along with Collaboration,…
Today I ran into an acquaintance that I hadn’t seen in about three years. I asked about her kids and she asked about mine, who are all in roughly the same age group. I mentioned that my older child was happy at his school because he is a nerd and there are a lot of other nerds…
What does every first-time middle school science teacher need? Courage, a sense of humor, patience, energy, and a few specific items: Updated Periodic Table In late 2016, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) updated the periodic table with names for four recently synthesized elements, nihonium (Nh), moscovium (Mc), tennessine (Ts), and oganesson (Og).…
I just read this excellent piece about what Neil DeGrasse Tyson said to amateur eclipse observers. It made me think of another viewpoint I saw among serious eclipse-chasers: that if you weren’t going to totality, you might as well stay inside. This is something we addressed in the teacher training we did at the museum…
When I teach professional development sessions about engineering for elementary classrooms, we always talk about the student who might really hate engineering projects. It’s usually a high-achieving kid, usually a girl, who is not used to this kind of learning. She wants to learn from the teacher, practice the skill, and then demonstrate her knowledge.…
Welcome to Middle School Scared yet? You should be. 7 Secrets about your Middle School Kid I’ve been a middle school teacher and parent for long enough that people question my sanity. Including my own middle school years, I’ve spent 14 years in middle school. My younger child just started 8th grade. I’m still functioning,…
My son was about eleven years old when he became a more adventurous eater. He started to trust me in making new things for him. When that happened, my daughter was seven years old and NOT ready to be more adventurous. She liked just a few things. What to do? I had options: Become a…
