Secondary Science Simplified™

Like many teachers who have been in the classroom these last few years, today’s guest is a passionate educator who found herself exhausted at the end of a long and trying school year. When Nikki Pryor heard me share about the Secondary Science Simplified Course I was offering last summer, she knew it was exactly what she needed. She was ready to take a proactive approach and find a way to simplify her life and stop “chasing her tail.”  Now, Nikki is here a year later to discuss how taking the course last summer impacted her. She shares how this course is different from any other professional development she has taken in her 14 years of teaching. She’ll talk about her favorite parts of the course, and some of the things she implemented during the school year that completely changed the dynamics of her classroom. Nikki is currently in her 14th year, teaching science in the public school system of Oklahoma. In addition to being an educator, she's a small business owner, mother of two, and a proud military wife. The Secondary Science Simplified Course opens its doors for enrollment in mid-June, and we’d love to have you join! The enrollment window is only open for 2 weeks, so be sure to join the waitlist so you don’t miss it. I created the course to help teachers practically simplify their jobs so that they could have work-life balance. This is a virtual professional development course where you work at your own pace. While you’re waiting for the doors to open, you can join me for a completely FREE course I’m offering called 3 Secrets to Stress-Free Lab Days. This 1-hour virtual training is all about how to prepare and manage lab days specifically so that you can enjoy them as much as your students do. This free training gives you a chance to experience my teaching style and to see what virtual professional development with me as your teacher is like. Join the waitlist for Secondary Science Simplified Professional Development Course: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/waitlist/ Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode24

We are wrapping up this month’s "Ending the Year Strong" series with my favorite strategy…how you can set up rocks and boundaries for yourself this summer. In each of the first three episodes of this series, I have given you a simple challenge that can have a big impact and set you up for success next school year. Whether you’re a teacher who has a hard time unplugging from work for the summer, or you’re a teacher who leaves all your schoolwork behind and goes into the new school year feeling behind, today’s challenge will benefit you. Join the waitlist for Secondary Science Simplified Professional Development Course: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/waitlist/ Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode23

Believe it or not, the end of the school year is the perfect time to reset your classroom! After a busy school year, chances are your classroom is a mess. While it’s tempting to wait till the start of the new school year to take inventory and reorganize, your future self will thank you if you do it now. I know…I know…you’re ready to leave it all behind and start your summer break, but hear me out.In today’s episode, we are continuing our series on how to end your year strong. In episode 20 and episode 21 I challenged you to reflect on your classroom management and lesson plans this past school year in order to end the year strong and set yourself up for success for next school year. Today we’ll take a mental break and focus on the physical space you teach in with the Classroom Reset Challenge. I’ll give you the step-by-step process you need to walk through every corner of your teaching space and storage areas so that when you return to your classroom next fall, you’ll be relieved rather than overwhelmed.Join the waitlist for Secondary Science Simplified Professional Development Course: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/waitlist/Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode22

What can you do now with a little bit of effort that will serve “future you” 5 times over? Summer is almost here, and this month’s episodes are dedicated to sharing specific and simple strategies you can do now so you can end your year strong and go into next year rested and ready to go. Like most teachers this time of year, you may be feeling totally exhausted, but if you can channel the little bit of energy you have left into completing the challenge I’m giving you today, it will have a huge impact on saving you time and energy next year.In today’s episode, we’re talking about how and why auditing your lesson plans for next school year is so important, even if you don’t know what you’ll be teaching.Join the waitlist for Secondary Science Simplified Professional Development Course: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/waitlist/Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode21

What if I told you it’s possible to end the year strong and prepare for the year ahead so that when you come back in the fall, you can start the year ready and rested rather than overwhelmed and stressed? That’s exactly what we’re talking about in this month’s podcast episodes.This series is designed to equip you with specific and simple things you can do each week in small chunks as you end the school year. These actionable steps will set you up for success next year so you can actually unplug from work this summer and recharge before entering another school year. I’ll share one practical challenge per episode that you can do now to serve “future you” and your students next year. In today’s episode, I challenge you to take some time to reflect on your current year and the procedures you had in place. Whether you have a few weeks or a few months left in this school year, it’s really important to do this now while this school year is fresh in your mind. Join me as I lead you through some thought-provoking reflection questions and give you some tips for brainstorming changes you can make to improve things for next year.Join the waitlist for Secondary Science Simplified Professional Development Course: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/waitlist/Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode20

When I first started this podcast, I knew I would love to interview my dear friend and past co-worker, Jamie Whitlock. I learned so much from Jamie as her coworker and learned even more from her just through doing this interview, and I am so excited to have her on the show. In this episode, you’ll hear about Jamie’s experience in the classroom as a full time teacher and what she has learned from spending the last four years in other teachers’ classrooms observing and supporting them as an instructional coach. We cover her transition into teaching as a second career, teaching a high stakes EOC-based course. We also discuss working on a team of teachers and how to collaborate with coworkers, even difficult ones or those NOT in your subject area.  Jamie provides so much wisdom with regards to whole classroom management strategies as well as garnering respect from students, particularly in the difficult setting of teaching in a post-pandemic classroom.  She shares her experience working on her educational doctorate while teaching full time and raising two children and how earning this additional degree has really opened some amazing doors for her in the field of education. Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode19

What do you do with that awkward, random amount of time you have after end-of-year testing is over? Whether you have 3 days or 3 weeks left till the last day of school, energy this time of year is at an all-time low, and senioritis is running rampant, even if you don’t teach seniors! This last year has been especially challenging for so many teachers, and I totally understand if you’re just ready to breathe a sigh of relief that the testing is over and summer break is almost here. You and your students have worked hard to get here, and you all deserve to rest and relax. If you’re not ready to throw in the towel yet and want to maximize every last day of the school year, this episode is for you.Today I’m sharing 4 ideas for meaningful, yet fun things you can do after testing with your students that will keep them engaged and learning right up to summer break. These are simple, no-prep and low-prep ideas that don’t put pressure on you or your students. Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode18

For the month of April, I'm doing podcast episodes all based on your questions and requests. I love making episodes that are helpful to you, so if there’s something you want to hear about on the podcast, shoot me a DM on Instagram and let me know! Last week, in episode 16, I covered one of the most requested topics, how to write sub plans for secondary science. Be sure to go back and listen if you missed it! Today's episode is all about celebrating Earth Day in your secondary science class. We’ll cover why you should take time to celebrate with your students and exactly how to do that in simple yet effective ways. Grab your FREE Earth Day resource: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/earthday/ Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode17

Over the next few weeks, I'm doing a series of episodes based on listener requests. I love hearing from you and providing content that is relevant. So…what was the most requested topic? How to best write sub plans for secondary science!  It’s really no surprise. How many jobs do you know of where it is actually so much harder to be out of work than it is to actually just be there? Writing sub plans as a secondary science teacher specifically is almost always worse than just powering through your dreaded seasonal allergies or actually making it to your bi-yearly dentist appointment.  In today’s episode, I’ll be sharing my 5 best strategies with a simple action item for each one that you can take and implement right away to set yourself up for success. I am a huge advocate for using all of your personal days and your sick days as you need them every year, despite the hassle of finding a sub and writing sub plans. Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode16

What better way to top off our mini-series on Senioritis than an interview with a teacher who has taught a lot of seniors in her career. I am so excited to welcome my friend, Diana Price, to the show today! In this episode, Diana shares some tips for how she personally handles senioritis with her students. She also talks about her entire teaching experience, from starting out as a floater teaching at the high school she went to, to now teaching mid-pandemic at a small private school as the only teacher who teaches the 5 preps that she has. She shares a wealth of knowledge, especially in relation to her experiences teaching AP biology. Even if you don’t teach AP biology, you’ll walk away from this episode with some practical strategies for simplifying your life as a secondary science teacher. Check out the show notes for all resources mentioned in this episode: https://itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/episode15