classroom culture

My school just started second semester on February 3 and I needed to shake things up. My students didn’t like the new vocational classes they had been assigned, everyone was still stressed about grades from the previous term, and some students still needed to make up midyear exams. This malaise was not new.

“What are we doing to help kids achieve?”

My practices in education suggest the first few days with any new group of learners are critical to establishing a culture of learning and growth. Front-loading and cultivating these expectations are worth the investment, even if I “lose” a day or two of content.

One of my favorite times of the year (other than early June, when I attend the AP Chemistry Reading) is late August, which marks the beginning of the school year in Albemarle County, Virginia. I have been teaching high school chemistry for 20 years, and I absolutely love my job. There are many reasons for me to look forward to a new school year.

It all started with a couple of summers spent on fellowships at the Institute for Chemical Education at the University of Wisconsin: Madison. In 1990 after two years of teaching high school chemistry I transferred to help open a school to specialize in Health and Medical education. I was 23 years old and ready to take on the world.

Raise your hand if you've had students who felt personally victimized by stoichiometry!