Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree...

... Why does winter break always end so quickly?! I feel like I just cleaned up the classroom and ate my last workroom cookie.

Now, to be fair, technically I don't start again until January 5th. I have August syndrome. You know in August, when you feel the excitement/dread of the school year starting to sink in? That's what I have right now, but in December. I feel like I need at least another month of sleeping time. Don't even remind me of prep time.

My school does semester classes instead of full year classes. This means that I have two weeks left with my fall classes, then we start a new semester with new classes after MLK day. I will have two new preps.

I am trying to approach this like I would approach a new school year. In a way, that is what is happening. New classes, new students. (Technically I've had most of these students before, but you know what I mean.) But I always feel like I am worse in the spring semester. I think it's because I am tired and not as peppy as I am in August. I am more likely to adopt the "good enough" mentality.

This spring, I am going to try to turn that around. I am going to do my best to approach this semester as if it is a new school year, at least mentally. New lessons, new classes, new decorations, new seating arrangements, etc. Maybe that will get me out of my funk!

I hope you all had a great break! Good luck with the remainder of your school year!


Cheers!
- S

Differentiated projects for high school chemistry

Hey. How is everyone? It's been a while. I promise that I haven't fallen off the earth. It has been a really crazy start to the school year, and I haven't been able to post as much as I would like.

This semester I teach honors chemistry. It has definitely been a challenge for me. I know that chemistry is already an honors level class, just from the content material alone. However, I also wanted to make it more than just a hard academic class. I want to expand it to really differentiate for high level kids. I have at least five students who are classified as AIG (academically and intellectually gifted) and several who used to be in the program but are not anymore. 

I can't say that I've been successful every day. We all fall into the comfortable trap of worksheets and textbook problems, and sometimes that really is the best way to teach. Especially in the holiday season, it is so much easier for teachers to just find a worksheet and leave it at that.

But we all know better. We know our kids need more than that. So, as I was glancing over my state standards, I found this one:

"Describe macromolecules and network solids: water (ice), graphite/diamond, polymers (PVC, nylon), proteins (hair, DNA) intermolecular structure as a class of molecules with unique properties. " (NC chem 1.2.5)

It hit me -- what a perfect opportunity for a project! I quickly came up with some guidelines. (I took what the state says students should know and incorporated it into this standard.) I put together a rubric. I also decided to provide my students with some links to help them when researching.

Because I have so many advanced students, I purposely made this project vague. I gave the students specific items to research, but I did not tell them how to write it or how to present it. My only guidelines were that their final product had to include technology, an oral presentation, and a visual presentation. They could do it all in one (like in a video), or they could break it up.

A lot of my students too this project and ran with it. I got some awesome green screen videos with animations! I think they appreciated the opportunity to work on something more creative than a worksheet.


Find this product here in my TpT store:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Molecule-Research-Project-1551296


I hate to ramble on for too long, but if you have questions about this project, please ask!

Cheers!
- S :)

"Sockase" enzyme activity

Hello everyone! :)

I would like to share an activity that I did in my classes for the last few years. It's called "sockase", and it only requires a few materials.

Students often have a hard time understanding enzymes. They are impossible to see in real life. Enzyme activities, like that one lab where students use peroxide and liver, fall short with many students. They are unable to think abstractly, and they cannot understand what is really happening.

In "sockase", students role play as enzymes. Their job is to assemble a "molecule" -- two beads on a pipe cleaner. This activity takes the students through five trials:

1. A fully functioning, single enzyme (one student assembling products)
2. Many fully functioning enzymes (whole group assembling products) 
3. One "socked" enzyme (denatured)
4. Many "socked" enzymes
5. No enzymes at all (the enzyme is completely absent)

Click here to get the activity from my TpT store.

What do students learn?

They find that a denatured enzyme cannot work. It is nearly impossible to string beads with socks on your hands! They find that many enzymes work better than just one enzyme. And, they learn that having no enzymes means that no product gets made. 

This activity is student approved! They always love it (especially the boys, since it is a small competition to them) and they have learned a lot about enzymes. I think this activity really drives the point home, in a way that is concrete and fun. 

I hope you will give this activity a try in your classes. If you do, let me know how it goes!

Cheers!

- S

Beginning of the year hello!

Hi all :)

I haven't fallen off of the earth. I have been super busy since school started (pshh, haven't we all?!) and I have had medical issues that have pushed it all back farther. I will be back online to post more soon. So far my classes are going great! It's the grading and the phone calls that have me down. I have some great classroom management techniques that I have discovered, interactive notebook tips, technology uses, and TpT products to share....... as soon as I have the time! Ha!

How is your school year going so far?

Cheers!
- S