Welcome to my classroom! 🍎
If you’re new around here, hi 👋! I’m Dana.
I’m a high school science teacher that loves teaching and sharing my classroom with teachers around the globe! 🌎
I’d love to know where you are from! Tell me in the comments 👇🏼. I’ll start.
A few years ago, I researched “the spacing effect”- a psychological phenomenon where information is better retained through distributed practice over time. 🧠
After studying the effects it had on student retention, I knew I had to find a way to use it in my biology class.
I’ve been using spiral reviews for four years now and the results have been amazing!
So amazing, that I want to share it with all of my bio teacher friends!
Today, on the blog, I’m sharing the spiral reviews that I use for test prep along with the details on how I implement them for maximum success.
Grab my FREE spiral reviews at
www.thetrendyscienceteacher.com/spiral
#biology #biologyteachers #biologyteacher #iteachbiology #biologyteachersofinstagram
My Biology students always get genetic drift confused with natural selection when discussing mechanism of evolution.
To help them distinguish between the two phenomena, I had them simulate genetic drift using craft beads and a dice.
This really helped my students visualize the effects of genetic drift on small populations.
To grab this activity, head to…
🔗 www.thetrendyscienceteacher.com/geneticdrift
Do I bribe my students? Of course I do! 😉
When I have to be absent, I expect my students to be on their BEST behavior.
To ensure that they follow through on that expectation, I offer a little bribery…. I mean….. incentive 😁
I leave a sub report card that allows the substitute to rate each class. Classes receiving an A+ get rewarded with tickets 🎟️
I have received so many compliments from my subs since I started implementing this system. To get this free sub report card, head over to my blog:
www.thetrendyscienceteacher.com/sub
Over the years, I have implemented several systems and procedures that have helped make my “teacher life” easier.
One of those procedures are these absent trays.
When students are absent, I write their names in any worksheets that I handed out that day and put them in these absent drawer (organized by class period).
Students know that the procedures for getting make up work after an absence are as follows:
✅ Check Google Classroom
✅ Check the absent drawer (pictured here)
This ensures consistency throughout the year and students never have to wonder what we did in class during their absence.
GAME. CHANGER. 👏
#teachertips #highschoolteacher #iteachscience #classroomorganization #newteachertips #newteacher
Here’s to FRIDAY and a clean classroom! 🧼
Comment below👇🏼and let me know what your weekend plans are.
To practice crime scene sketches in Forensics, I threw 350 playing cards all over my classroom! (Those that know me, know that this made my OCD kick in to overdrive.)
Students were given a list of 8 playing card (aka: evidence) to find. Once they found their evidence, they had to mark it on their crime scene sketches.
Of course, I made them clean up the cards after the activity. 😉
I have a free download for this activity (It’s called One Eyed Jack) over on my blog.
Grab it at:
🔗www.thetrendyscienceteacher.com/sketch
We are finally in our evolution unit and we’re getting things started with a lesson on natural selection.
To introduce this concept, students participated in an activity called FEEDING FRENZY.
Basically, students pretended to be worms looking for food (aka: colored yarn).
It was the perfect segue into our lesson!
To get all the details and a free download, head over to my blog:
www.thetrendyscienceteacher.com/naturalselection
#biology #biologyteachers #iteachbiology #biologyactivities #biologylab #scienceteachersofinstagram
📢 Attention forensics teachers:
If you utilize XplorLabs virtual fire investigation in your arson unit, you may have noticed that their website has changed.
This means that if you utilize my complementary student assignment packet (a free download from my blog), you will need to grab the updated version.
🔗To download this free update, head over to:
www.thetrendyscienceteacher.com/fire
Join The Trendy Science Teacher team to get these FREE Differentiated Scientific Method Task Cards in both print and digital versions!
