My School: Athens High School
District: Troy MI Subjects: Chemistry & Introductory Physics Grade Level: Mainly sophomores It would be absolutely crazy to imagine that every single thing that I teach will stick with my students. Chemistry and physics are grueling subjects and often times difficult for my students to learn and comprehend for a short period of time, better yet forever. With this in mind, my goal has become twofold. First - students must gain scientific skills such as reading and interpreting data, making critical decisions, and thinking deeply. Second - I want my room to be a warm and nurturing environment for all students to learn. Strong continued relationships with my students is a major priority. |
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My students come from a wide background. While the district as a whole skews towards the affluent, many of my particular students qualify for free and reduced lunch. I currently serve 18 students with IEPs, 14 of which are in my 1 hour of low level physics. Several of my students have accommodation plans outside of IEPs as well. My classes are of mixed ethnicity and while a majority are caucasian, I have a large population of African American, Middle Eastern, Indian, Chinese, and Hispanic students as well. It is this incredibly diversity that makes my classroom a unique and inclusive place to be.
The room itself (pictured in the header above) is my idea of "nerdvana". There are only about a dozen windows in our building to begin with, and needless to say I do not have one. However, I have an operating SMART board and projector, document camera, and access to laptops, iPads, computer labs, and almost any scientific instrument imaginable. My room is adjacent to the chemistry lab, the fume hood is shared between both rooms. While I unfortunately do not have the space for "lab tables" and therefor have more typical student seating, the desks and chairs move easily from rows and columns to pairs or pods of 3-6 students depending on my mood. My room also has 2 sinks for easy chemistry cleanup and 34 student whiteboards for various group activities. The "wonderful wall of work" is a great place for me to display various student artifacts. In addition to the student work my walls are decorated with various science posters, various selfies and photos with students, and my own art.
The room itself (pictured in the header above) is my idea of "nerdvana". There are only about a dozen windows in our building to begin with, and needless to say I do not have one. However, I have an operating SMART board and projector, document camera, and access to laptops, iPads, computer labs, and almost any scientific instrument imaginable. My room is adjacent to the chemistry lab, the fume hood is shared between both rooms. While I unfortunately do not have the space for "lab tables" and therefor have more typical student seating, the desks and chairs move easily from rows and columns to pairs or pods of 3-6 students depending on my mood. My room also has 2 sinks for easy chemistry cleanup and 34 student whiteboards for various group activities. The "wonderful wall of work" is a great place for me to display various student artifacts. In addition to the student work my walls are decorated with various science posters, various selfies and photos with students, and my own art.