Secondary Science Simplified™

As we are getting into the second half of the school year, are you noticing a difference in your energy and priorities compared to the beginning of the school year? Maybe there’s something new going on in your life or you’re entering a different phase with parents or your children. As we move from season to season, it is so important to recognize where we’re at and respect how living in that season may look different than just a few months before.   You know I love “The Lazy Genius Way” by Kendra Adachi and have shared some great takeaways from the book in previous episodes. One thing she really focuses on is living in your current season and giving it all your attention without rushing through. This really hit home last year as me and my family went through new seasons every few months as we added another baby to the family. This idea is something that really helped me and I knew I needed to share it with you! Whether you are moving, pregnant or coming back from maternity leave, having a spouse start a new job, or are going through other changes within your family, taking a look at your current season will help you determine reasonable expectations for living in this season. In this episode, we are looking at what to consider in your current season, how to live with respect to nature’s seasons, and why it’s so important to match your expectations with your current season.  Resources: “The Lazy Genius Way” Book The Lazy Genius Podcast The Lazy Genius on Instagram @thelazygenius The Marriage Journal Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts. Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode57

Do you actively schedule time for rest or are you running at full speed 24/7? We often get so caught up in doing as much as possible and having everything scheduled out that we don’t leave any time to rest. Let’s be honest, that isn’t healthy or sustainable. So today, we’re talking about why you need to schedule rest and how to actually do it when you feel like you have absolutely zero time.   I’ve previously shared how much I took away from reading “The Lazy Genius Way” by Kendra Adachi. One thing she discusses is scheduling rest and I think this is so, so important! We aren’t meant to be going nonstop with no time to recharge. I want to be sure you’re taking the time you need to rest so I am sharing why it is so important to actually schedule rest, how to schedule rest, and what to consider when you are scheduling time to rest into your schedule.   “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” Book “The Lazy Genius Way” Book The Lazy Genius Podcast The Lazy Genius on Instagram @thelazygenius The Marriage Journal Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.   Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode56 

New year, new goals! That’s what we always hear, right? For some, this goal setting energy is exhilarating but for others, it’s just exhausting! Whatever your feelings are about new year goal setting, I have a three step approach to goal setting for this year that will make it seem much more manageable. I recently read “The Lazy Genius Way” by Kendra Adachi and it totally inspired me! I used what I took away from that book to create a realistic approach to setting goals so that I actually follow through with them and I am sharing that approach with you.  I am sharing the importance of focusing on what really matters to you when you set your goal, why you should start small, and how focusing your goals on your life instead of your job is the best way to go about setting goals. Resources Mentioned: Join the email list for access to the Cheer for the New Year event! “The Lazy Genius Way” Book The Lazy Genius Podcast The Lazy Genius on Instagram @thelazygenius Grab your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge! Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts. Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode55

We are one year into the Secondary Science Simplified podcast and I am SO GRATEFUL for each and every one of you! To wrap up year 1 of the show, I wanted to do a recap of favorite episodes from 2022.  We’ve covered so many different topics this year and have had some amazing guests on the show! There were a few episodes that were my absolute favorites that I knew I needed to share with you all again and, luckily, my favorites were listener favorites as well! Today, we are looking back at five personal and listener favorite episodes of Secondary Science Simplified. We are revisiting the “Best Episodes of 2022” including episodes on the importance of Prime Times, advice for new science teachers, mistakes to avoid at the beginning of the year, keeping things in perspective when teaching, and a beginning of the year pep talk.  I absolutely love hearing from you about the show and getting requests on topics to cover. Please keep the feedback and requests coming by sending me a DM on Instagram! Be sure to join my email list because next week starts the Cheer for the New Year event! This is a week of daily deals on It’s Not Rocket Science resources EXCLUSIVELY for my email list. It is the only sale I do outside of the quarterly sitewide TpT sales and this event gives you the biggest discounts of the year. So join the list and be sure to watch your email every day starting January 1st for some incredible deals on resources. Resources Mentioned: Join the email list for access to the Cheer for the New Year event! Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts. Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode54

Did this year fly by for anybody else? I cannot believe it’s winter break and we’re already at the end of 2022! Winter break is a time to rest, recharge, and have fun. One of my best friends, Lauren Tingle of the Counselor Clique, is here today and bringing great advice and some laughter to all of us to wrap up the year. She is talking life hacks, self-care, teacher-counselor partnerships, and so much more!  You know how much I love giving you tips to help simplify your life inside the classroom so I thought it would be perfect for us to share ways to simplify your life outside of the classroom as well. In this episode, Lauren and I are talking a bit about school related topics like what it’s like working with friends, why teachers should partner with counselors, Lauren’s best and worst experiences with teachers, and the importance of setting boundaries.  Since most of you are on break right now, we wanted to share tips to help you rest and recharge during breaks, life hacks that will serve your future self, and 3 things that are saving our lives right now and may help simplify your life as well! Resources Mentioned: Lazy Genius Podcast Beef Liver Vitamins Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts. Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode53 

Confession time: One of my biggest regrets from my time spent in the classroom is assigning homework over school breaks. Not only did I assign homework over breaks, but sometimes I would even assign projects to cover things we couldn’t get to in class (cringe!). As I spent more time in the classroom, I started to really reflect on my teaching practices and realized assigning work over breaks was not beneficial to me or my students. Today, we’re digging into why you should not assign work over breaks.  Resources Mentioned: FREEBIE: Winter Activities for High School Science Genetic Disorder Research Project Grab your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge! Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts. Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode52

Winter break is quickly approaching! Unfortunately, that means that midterm exams are as well. Most of us are required to give some sort of midterm exam and although scantrons are fast and easy, as we’re thinking of all the exams we have to grade, there may be alternatives that better serve our students. Today, I am sharing 5 ideas for using an alternative midterm exam with your secondary science students. At this point in the year, you (and your students) are likely feeling pretty burned out. The thought of a long midterm exam is exhausting to everyone. This is the perfect time to try an alternative midterm exam that will assess your students’ learning in a fun and authentic way!   Resources Mentioned: FREEBIE: Winter Activities for High School Science Biology Midterm and Final Exam Anatomy Midterm and Final Exam Physical Science Midterm and Final Exam FREE Design a Children’s Book Project Teach the Class! Project Biology Independent Research Project Anatomy Independent Research Project Physical Science Independent Research Project Energy Flow Unit Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts. Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode51

It’s finally here! It’s the 50th episode of Secondary Science Simplified and to celebrate, I’m answering all of your burning questions. I am so excited to answer every single question you sent in.    I absolutely love connecting with you all and answering your questions. That is why I knew I needed to do an “Ask Me Anything” episode and you all did not disappoint! In this episode, I am answering all your questions from what I’m currently doing, curriculum writing, advice for first year and student teachers, classroom management, labs, and maternity leave, to who my favorite Instagram follows are and my most regrettable fashion choices.     I am so grateful to share the 50th episode of Secondary Science Simplified! To celebrate, we are doing a GIVEAWAY! The lucky winner will receive a $100 gift card to the It’s Not Rocket Science resource shop! To enter, leave a  review for the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, take a screenshot, and DM it to me on Instagram @its.not.rocket.science. Winner will be selected on December 1st, 2022.   Don’t miss out on saving up to 25% on It’s Not Rocket Science resources in my resource shop or in the TpT store. The Cyber Monday sale runs Monday, November 26, 2022 and Tuesday, November 27, 2022. Go grab the resources you’ve been eyeing up to help simplify your science classes!   Resources Mentioned: Shop the sale in my resource shop Shop the sale on TpT Join the SECONDARY SCIENCE SIMPLIFIED™️ Professional Development Course Waitlist Follow Naptime Kitchen on Instagram Follow Busy Toddler on Instagram Follow Created Colorful on Instagram Follow The Car Mom in Instagram Follow Kalin Sheick on Instagram Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.   Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode50

Going through different seasons of life and experiences will definitely change your perspective on teaching. From teaching in a classroom with no windows, sinks, or up-to-date posters to display to taking maternity leave during a sub shortage, our guest today has had a wide range of experiences that have influenced her mindset around teaching. I am so excited to have @the_weird_science_teacher, Rachael Lasky, with us today!   Rachael has such great experience when it comes to teaching middle school science and is sharing amazing wisdom on using visuals for teaching, work/life balance, and so much more! This episode is full of excellent insight, especially for middle school science teachers. Rachael is sharing why she loves teaching middle school science, her experiences and advice for taking maternity leave at the beginning of the school year, how she uses visuals in her lessons, and advice for middle school teachers.    Resources Mentioned: Science Scaffolded Notes/Anchor Charts: DNA and Genetics Anchor Charts: Identifying Variables SECONDARY SCIENCE SIMPLIFIED™️ Professional Development Course Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.   Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode49

It seems we never have enough time to do what we want to do in our class periods. How are we supposed to get labs, demos, lectures, assessments, and more squeezed into a 45 or 90 minute class? The answer: Reclaim your precious class time! You may be wondering how in the world you can do that, so today, I am sharing 5 simple changes you can make so you can cover all that you need to. If you are looking at everything you need to get through and aren’t sure when you’ll have time to do it all, this episode is for you! I am giving you practical and simple changes you can make in your classroom to reclaim your valuable class time. I am sharing the three places time is most often wasted, how procedures are key to reduce wasted time, why you should have an agenda on your whiteboard, the power of timers and bells, and how an efficient turn-in system is a game-changer. It is amazing how much time you can reclaim by implementing these five tips! I want to hear about what you try and how it goes. Send me a message on Instagram and share what changes you are making and if they are helping you! Resources Mentioned: FREEBIE: Anatomy of a Class Period Lesson Plan Purchase the Bell I Use Here SECONDARY SCIENCE SIMPLIFIED™️ Professional Development Course Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts. Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode48