Author Archives: thomasbs

Facing Our Fears in Our Careers

Posted on May 1, 2019 by thomasbs

The one thing that absolutely NONE of us are looking forward to are the hard days we’ll have when we get into our classrooms. The days where things get tough after facing challenge after challenge with our students. No matter … Continue reading →

Posted in Challenges for Science Teachers | Leave a comment

Resilient They Stand: Fostering Resilient Learners

Posted on April 24, 2019 by thomasbs

What does the word “resilient” mean to you? In what context would you use it day-to-day, if ever? In students, resilient means that these students overcome sometimes extreme adversity, often revolving around trauma in their lives. These students wake up … Continue reading →

Posted in Resiliency in Learners | 10 Comments

Let’s Assess the Situation

Posted on April 2, 2019 by thomasbs

Assessing students’ learning is sometimes one of the hardest things to do as a teacher, and most often it is one of the things that students dread the most. Students who have test anxiety, or simply can’t think under pressure, … Continue reading →

Posted in Misc | Leave a comment

Missing That Conception

Posted on February 19, 2019 by thomasbs

“You know, Mr. Thomas, I heard that toilets flush backwards in Australia. Why is that?” What is a Misconception? In science, misconceptions are when background knowledge that the students have are wrong or inaccurate. This can prove problematic when you’re … Continue reading →

Posted in Strengths in Science Classrooms | 5 Comments

ENGAGED on a Budget

Posted on February 6, 2019 by thomasbs

Keeping students engaged in the lessons is extremely important, and doing so can sometimes be costly. However, it doesn’t have to be! Being able to keep students engaged with new and interesting materials and visuals without breaking the bank is … Continue reading →

Posted in Engaging Resources for the Science Classroom | 2 Comments

And At Last I See The Thinking: Making Thinking Visible

Posted on November 27, 2018 by thomasbs

Making thinking apparently visible in the classroom is incredibly important if you want to be able to determine if your students are learning (and that should be something you want).  Ron Ritchhart thankfully has our back with his book, “Making … Continue reading →

Posted in Misc | 3 Comments

My STEM Brings All The Minorities to the Lab

Posted on November 14, 2018 by thomasbs

Name me a scientist. Now name me five more. Now, what do they all have in common? If I was a betting man, I’d bet that you just named me six white male scientists. Am I right? Yeah? That’s unfortunate, … Continue reading →

Posted in Equity | 6 Comments

It’s Getting STE(A)My In Here

Posted on October 27, 2018 by thomasbs

STE(A)M stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Its a great way to get your students engaged while also developing their love for the different sciences. Here is an activity that exemplifies STE(A)M: Gelatin Streaking! ENGAGE This activity is … Continue reading →

Posted in STEM Activity | 3 Comments

Constructing Your Knowledge

Posted on October 9, 2018 by thomasbs

What is Constructivism? Constructivism is a theory that states that people construct their own understanding of the world through experiences and reflection. When you encounter a new experience, you must reconcile that experience with your past experiences. Sometimes, this will … Continue reading →

Posted in Constructivism | Leave a comment

Stop. Cooperate and Listen.

Posted on October 3, 2018 by thomasbs

I know the lyric is “collaborate” but I just had to okay. Cooperative learning is a great way to build teamwork in your classroom and get your students to take more responsibility for their learning. I know what you’re thinking, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooperative Learning | 3 Comments