Custom grade book freebie

Hello all!

As a secondary teacher, I often find regular grade books frustrating. The blocks are way too small. Imagine trying to write "photosynthesis and cellular respiration lab report" in one of those teeny, tiny little boxes! It never works. Last year I got frustrated and stopped trying to record grades on paper. I recorded them once in our virtual grade book (powerschool), and that was it.

It does make me nervous to put in grades that way. What if the system crashes? What if I forget to hit "save"? Ahhh so many things can go wrong. This year, I've decided to go back to using both. Instead of struggling with those teeny store bought grade books, I made my own.

Here is a screen shot of what the top of the grade book looks like:

And here is the second page:

There are enough rows for 32 students. On the first page, there are 10 grade columns. On the second page, there are 14 grade columns, for a total of 24 assignments. Because I have trouble looking at all of those rows, I grayed out every other column and also the date and points rows on top. I think that will make it easier for me to read.

Those of you who are interested in this might be thinking "gee, I wish I had something like that". Well, it just so happens that I have this custom grade book on my TpT for free! It is completely editable as well, so you can format it for your own classes.

Click here to get this custom grade book on my TpT!

When you go to copy these into your own grade book, make sure to do it front and back. That way each page opens like a book, just like in those store bought grade books.

Happy grading!
- S

Organization!

I have four weeks left until the official start of the new school year. My mind is on so many things, and I know I have a whole lot of planning to do (one old prep and one new prep). Instead, I have decided to whip out my colored pencils and decorate.

Who says that secondary teachers can't have pretty binders too?

[Sorry, I'm not sure why the individual images are showing up sideways.]

I have had many coworkers who have put all of there materials from a year/semester into one big binder. The idea always seemed kind of restricted to me before, but I get it now. I have taught biology a total of 6 times, including twice as a long term sub. Naturally I kept EVERYTHING. I am finding now that I don't ever use half of the really awesome materials that I spent so long trying to save. They are only dust collectors on my bookshelf.

Here's how I plan to change that. As I use materials, I will print them out and/or pull them off of the dusty shelf. They go straight into the big binder, in order. Then, when next summer comes around, I can clean out whatever I didn't use. As a bonus, I'll already have a nice, neat binder ready for the next time I teach these classes. In case you were wondering, I already had the big binders sitting on my shelf (another dust collector). But, sometimes you can find them for cheep at yard sales and such. Don't buy those big binders if you can prevent it - they can be very pricey. The covers I made with some colored pencils, some white card stock, and a lot of free time.

 Well, now that that's done, I suppose I have to go plan...

 Cheers!
- S

Back to school sales - take 2

Alert friends!!!

 Walmart is having a teacher appreciation sale July 25-31. All K-12 teachers can get 10% back on purchases made in the stationary and craft departments! Here's how you do it:

 1. Go to walmart and purchase your materials. Remember this only counts for purchases in stationary and crafts!

 2. Register your receipt at walmart.com/teachers before August 15 (link below).

 3. Receive a 10% gift card via email within 2 weeks.

 *** Please note - I do not know how they will make you prove that you are a teacher. I expect they'll tell us when the sale starts on July 25.

Click here for all of the information on the sale!

Prepping for a new school year

Raise your hand if you're already preparing for the new school year.

Don't lie. I know you are doing it too. This is the only time we really have "vacation", and all we can think about is the next school year. Don't worry; it's completely natural. (I am a biologist and I can confirm this.)

Did you know that back to school sales are happening ALREADY? Dang, back to school is becoming like Black Friday. Every year it just gets earlier and earlier! Here are some of the ads that I've come across. I don't know about you, but I will be taking all the sales I can find!

Please note that I don't work for any of these places. I just like to pass on deals to my fellow educators because I know how much we are all struggling. If you are one of those lucky teachers who does not have to worry about school supplies, pass this information on to a friend, please. 

Click the links below to go to the sale websites (I shortened them to make it easier.) Please note that these sales are for the week of July 13-19, 2014.

• Staples
• Walmart

:) Cheers!

-- S

Welcome to Adventures in Secondary Science!

Hello all!

Welcome to Adventures in Secondary Science! I am excited to begin this new blogging adventure!

I teach high school science. The subjects change from year to year, so I kept my title very generic. As of today I have taught biology, chemistry, anatomy, AP biology, and earth science.

Here's what you can expect from Adventures in Secondary Science:

• Technology - I will profile a technology that I use in my classroom. I will only show technologies that I have personally used, and I will tell you my personal pros and cons of each one. I am considered a "digital native", and I pride myself on my use of technology in my classroom.
  
• Best Lessons - I will post one activity, lesson, or lab that worked very well each week. If nothing else, this is a lesson in being grateful for the things that go well in my class!
  
• Science news - Sometimes things happen in science that I just have to share with the rest of the world. When some awesome science news comes along, I will link it here for you (with permission, of course!).
  
• Thoughts and Feels - I do have strong opinions on teaching and learning. Occasionally they might be typed for your viewing pleasure. 

Thank you for your visit! If there is ever any way that I can help you, please contact me!