Helping high school chemistry teachers teach with confidence, run labs like a pro, and simplify their classroom with practical strategies that save time.
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Episode 30: What to Include in Your Course Syllabus
mardi 21 juillet 2026 • Durée 23:14
🧪 Episode Summary
What belongs in a chemistry syllabus...and what can you leave out?
In this episode of The Confident Chemistry Teacher Podcast, I'm walking you through the sections I include in my own chemistry syllabus after 18 years in the classroom.
From course descriptions and grading policies to lab safety, classroom procedures, and communication with parents, I'll share the practical details that help set students up for success from day one. Whether you're writing your very first syllabus or simply updating an old one, you'll leave this episode with ideas to make your syllabus more organized, more useful, and easier for both students and parents to navigate.
📚 In This Episode, You'll Learn
✅ The essential sections every chemistry syllabus should include
🧪 How to clearly communicate grading policies, retakes, late work, and lab safety expectations
💡 Why including classroom procedures can reduce student anxiety and answer common parent questions
📋 Tips for creating a syllabus that's informative, organized, and welcoming instead of overwhelming
💬 Teacher Tip of the Week
Think of your syllabus as a roadmap—not a rulebook. A well-designed syllabus answers questions before they're asked, reduces confusion throughout the school year, and helps students and parents feel confident about what to expect in your classroom.
Next week, I'll be sharing one of my favorite beginning-of-the-year resources: The Chemistry Survival Guide. I'll explain how I use it during the first week of school to teach classroom procedures, study habits, lab expectations, and the routines that help students become more successful all year long.
⭐ Love the Podcast? If this episode helped you, I'd love it if you would:
⭐ Leave a review
🎧 Follow the podcast
📤 Share it with another chemistry teacher
Every share helps more chemistry teachers feel confident in the classroom.
Episode 29: Reflecting, Surveying, and Planning for Next Year
mardi 26 mai 2026 • Durée 12:34
🧪 Episode Summary If this school year felt chaotic, overwhelming, or just plain exhausting… you are definitely not alone.
In this episode of The Confident Chemistry Teacher Podcast, I’m walking you through a simple process to help you reflect on this school year, gather meaningful feedback, and make a realistic plan for next year—without creating a giant 100-item summer to-do list. 🙌
I’m sharing: reflection questions for teachers, how to survey students (without taking every comment personally 😅), ways to gather feedback from colleagues and admin systems I’m personally changing next year and how to focus on the high-impact changes that will actually reduce stress
I also created a free End-of-Year Reflection & Survey Toolkit to help you through the process!
🧠 In This Episode, You’ll Learn: ✨ Why reflecting on your year matters before jumping into summer planning 📋 Questions to ask yourself about routines, systems, stress points, and student success 🧪 How to survey students in a way that gives useful feedback (and how to ignore the “do less work” comments 😂) 📚 Changes I’m making next year: simplifying POGIL assignments, improving interactive notebooks, trying “Ketchup & Pickles Days” for makeup work and organization, front-loading Chemistry math skills, transitioning students toward more independent note-taking 🏫 Why checking in with colleagues and admin can help you plan smarter for next year ⚖️ How to choose ONE high-impact goal instead of trying to redo your entire curriculum over the summer
🔥 Teacher Takeaway You do not need to reinvent yourself this summer. Sometimes the biggest improvement comes from changing one routine, one system, or one area that constantly caused stress this year. Small shifts can completely change how next school year feels.
🧪 Free Resource Mentioned in This Episode 📋 End-of-Year Reflection & Survey Toolkit This free toolkit includes: ✔Teacher reflection questions ✔Student survey templates ✔Editable Google Forms Planning pages ✔Directions for implementation 👉 Download here:
Episode 28: Summer Goals That Actually Work (Without Burning Yourself Out)
mardi 5 mai 2026 • Durée 10:18
If you ended this school year feeling behind, scattered, or like you were constantly playing catch-up… this episode is for you.
I’m walking you through exactly how I’m planning my summer—so I can feel organized, prepared, and in control going into next year (without trying to do everything).
🧠 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
✨ How to Turn a Stressful Year into a Clear Plan
Why I started with my biggest pain points (new school, new classes, no prep time 😅) and used those to guide my summer goals.
📋 A Simple Weekly Structure That Actually Works
How I’m organizing my time with: Deep work mornings
Lighter afternoons
Dedicated days for school, business, and home
Weekends that actually include rest and fun
🧪 My Step-by-Step Summer Plan System
How I’m breaking it down so it doesn’t feel overwhelming:
Weeks 1–2: Map out units, topics, labs, and assessments
Weeks 3–4: Build a clickable lab & activity spreadsheet
Weeks 5–6: Clean out and organize materials (goodbye transparencies 👋)
⚖️ Why “Progress Over Perfection” Matters
The goal isn’t a perfect classroom—it’s being proactive instead of reactive.
🤖 How I Used ChatGPT to Plan My Summer
How talking through my ideas helped me simplify, prioritize, and actually stick to a plan.
🔥 Teacher Tip of the Week
Don’t try to do everything this summer.
Episode 27: The Root Beer Lab- From Sublimation to Ocean Acidification | Fun Earth Day Lab
mardi 21 avril 2026 • Durée 15:53
🎧 Episode 27: The Root Beer Lab – From Sublimation to Ocean Acidification
If your students love lab days…but struggle to connect them to actual chemistry concepts, this episode is for you.
Today I’m walking you through one of my all-time favorite labs...making root beer with dry ice 🍺 (don’t worry…no fermentation happening here 😄). It might feel a little “fluffy” at first, but I promise—there is some really solid chemistry packed into this activity.
We’re talking phase changes, intermolecular forces, acids and bases, and even ocean acidification—all in one engaging lab your students will remember.
🧪 In This Episode,
You’ll Learn:
🧊 Sublimation in Action
How I use dry ice and “spooky fog” to help students see phase changes instead of just memorizing them
📊 Making Phase Diagrams
A simple way to compare water vs. carbon dioxide, so students understand why CO₂ skips the liquid phase at normal pressure
🧠 Intermolecular Forces (Without the Eye Glaze 😅)
How I connect weak London dispersion forces to what students are actually observing in the lab
🥤 Why Soda Is Acidic (and Why That Matters)
Using carbonic acid to connect CO₂ + H₂O to real-world examples like flat soda—and ocean acidification
🌍 Real-World Connections That Stick
How this lab leads naturally into a conversation about carbon sinks, ocean chemistry, and impacts on marine life
🛠️ Lab Tips & Teacher Moves
From my “witch’s brew” stirring moment 🧙♀️ to managing dry ice safely and efficiently in class
🎁 Resources & Links
Episode 26: Why I Teach Environmental Chemistry (Even When It’s Not in the Standards)
lundi 13 avril 2026 • Durée 12:35
Episode 26: Why I Teach Environmental Chemistry (Even When It’s Not in the Standards)
Let’s be honest…this time of year can feel a little chaotic.
Testing is coming, students are getting a little squirrely 😅, and it’s easy to feel like you just need to “stick to the standards” and push through.
But this is actually one of my favorite times of year to teach something a little different.
In this episode, I’m sharing why I teach a standalone Environmental Chemistry unit around Earth Day (April 22nd)—even though it’s not technically required—and why it ends up being one of the most meaningful units of the year for my students.
🧪 In This Episode, I Share:
🌍 Why This Unit Matters (More Than You Think)
Why this is the time of year students start asking, “When am I ever going to use this?”
How environmental chemistry helps answer that question in a real and relevant way
🧪 The Ozone Layer (A Win for Science)
How I use the ozone layer to show students a problem we actually solved
Easy connections to catalysts and reaction chemistry
Why this topic shows up again in AP courses
🌊 Acid Rain & Ocean Acidification
Real-world examples students immediately understand (food webs, oceans, even statues!)
How I use this as either an introduction to pH or a meaningful application
Helping students see why “small” pH changes actually matter
🍺 The Root Beer Lab (Student Favorite)
A fun, memorable lab tied to ocean acidification
How I pair it with a short video to deepen understanding
Why this is one of those labs students actually remember
☀️ Greenhouse Effect Lab
Episode 25: Managing Lab Materials Without Losing Your Mind
mardi 3 mars 2026 • Durée 13:40
🎙Managing Lab Materials Without Losing Your Mind
Lab days are powerful. They’re hands-on. They deepen understanding. Students love them. But let’s be honest… they can also feel chaotic and overwhelming.
In this episode, I’m sharing the exact systems I use to manage lab materials in my chemistry classroom so I can coach instead of react.
After 18 years of teaching, I still get a little lab-day anxiety, but strong systems protect my patience, energy, and classroom flow. If lab days feel stressful for you, this episode will help you simplify and regain control.
🔬 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
How I reduce decision fatigue before labs
Where I store chemicals vs. classroom materials
How I organize lab containers by quarter
Why I create one labeled container per lab
The simple labeling trick that saves me hours each year
How I structure my lab cart (top, middle, bottom tiers)
My aluminum foil cart hack (this one is gold ✨)
How I hold students accountable for cleanup
When I switch to lab station “checkout boxes”
How I reset between periods quickly
Why I always prep backup solutions
How systems protect your patience and energy
🛠 My Core Lab Management Philosophy
The more specific the system, the smoother the lab. When materials have a place: Students know where to find them. Students know where to return them. You stop making last-minute decisions. You stay calm and focused on instruction. Strong systems allow you to coach instead of manage chaos.
🎁 Free Resource Mentioned
If you'd like some ready-to-use tools to support your lab days, grab my free:
🧪 Lab Day Starter Kit It includes:
Episode 24: How I Run POGIL Activities
mercredi 18 février 2026 • Durée 17:42
Episode Intro
In this episode of The Confident Chemistry Teacher Podcast, I’m sharing exactly how I run a POGIL in my chemistry classroom — from setup to grading.
You’ll discover how to get students collaborating instead of waiting for answers, and leave with strategies to make group work productive and manageable.
Key Takeaways
By the end of this episode, you’ll learn how to:
● Decide when to use a POGIL (and when not to)
● Set clear expectations so groups stay on task
● Use roles to encourage participation and accountability
● Grade POGIL activities without creating extra work
Standards Connections
● Performance Expectations: HS-PS1-7 Use mathematical representations to support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction
● Science & Engineering Practices: Analyzing data, constructing explanations, engaging in argument from evidence
● Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns, cause and effect
🎁 Free Resource
POGIL Quick Start Pack – A simple checklist and printable job cards so you can run your first POGIL with confidence.
Facebook Group: The Confident Chemistry Teacher Community
Episode 23: Inside the Unit- Moles | Teaching Conceptual Thinking and Math Skills
lundi 19 janvier 2026 • Durée 19:43
Episode Intro
In this episode of The Confident Chemistry Teacher Podcast, I’m taking you inside my mole unit — not as a day-by-day plan, but through the thinking and teaching decisions behind it. The mole unit is one of the first truly skill-heavy units students encounter in chemistry, and it can feel overwhelming for both students and teachers.
I share how I introduce the mole conceptually, how I scaffold practice, how I check for mastery along the way, and how I help students build confidence before the test.
My goal is always the same: helping students actually learn chemistry, not just survive the unit.
Key Takeaways
By the end of this episode, you’ll hear how to:
Frame the mole as a skill-based unit, not a memorization unit
Help students visualize the scale of the mole before jumping into math
Scaffold mole conversions so students don’t shut down
Balance independent practice with more active, collaborative practice
Use mastery checks to guide instruction before the unit test
Reinforce the importance of showing work and using units
How I Introduce the Mole Unit
I begin the unit by helping students understand scale. Before touching conversions, I want them to grasp how large Avogadro’s number really is. I use a short video, How Big Is the Mole?, to help students visualize scale.
We discuss why chemists need a way to count particles they can’t see. I connect atomic mass units to grams to show why mass is the bridge between the microscopic and real-world chemistry. To make this concrete, I use a “measuring by mass” activity with paperclips, which helps students understand how counting by mass works in a tangible way.
🧪 Mole Unit Resources (Optional Support)
Episode 22: Small Tweaks I'm Making to My Chemistry Teaching in 2026
samedi 10 janvier 2026 • Durée 11:03
Episode Intro
In this episode of The Confident Chemistry Teacher Podcast, I’m sharing the key systems and teaching practices I’m focusing on in 2026 to help me feel more organized, reduce decision fatigue, and actually enjoy the spring semester with my students. Like many teachers, I’ve felt overwhelmed this year — new responsibilities, new classes, and the constant pressure to keep up with curriculum pacing.
Instead of trying to do everything, I’m intentionally focusing on a few core systems that support both student learning and teacher sustainability. If you’re feeling stretched thin right now, this episode is meant to remind you that you’re not alone — and that small, intentional shifts can make a big difference.
Key Takeaways
By the end of this episode, you’ll hear about:
How creating structured weekly routines can reduce decision fatigue and improve student behavior
Why I’m committing to a monthly checklist system to stay organized and prepared
How modeling expectations more intentionally leads to smoother lessons and labs
Why being intentionally positive with students matters — especially during challenging semesters
Teaching Systems & Practices Featured 🧪
1. Structured Weeks
I’m moving toward a more predictable weekly structure: Monday: Notes and light practice Tuesday & Wednesday: Activities or labs Thursday: Review, notebook organization, and practice test work Friday: Quiz or test This structure helps me prioritize essential content, reduces planning stress, and gives students clear expectations. 📋
2. Using a Monthly Checklist To manage everything on my plate, I’m leaning into a monthly checklist broken into four sections. Instead of trying to do everything at once, I focus on one section per week and use staff development days strategically. I’ve also committed to staying one extra afternoon a week (Thursdays) for focused planning, grading, and lab prep — so work doesn’t spill into every evening or weekend. 🎯
Episode 21: How I Review for Semester Exams
samedi 13 décembre 2025 • Durée 14:18
🎙️ Ep. 21 – Simple Semester Exam Review Strategies that Keep Students Engaged
Episode Intro
In this episode of The Confident Chemistry Teacher Podcast, I’m sharing my favorite strategies for reviewing before semester exams — without losing your sanity or your students’ attention. You’ll discover how to keep students engaged during review days, balance independent and active learning, and design meaningful practice materials that actually prepare them for success.
By the end of this episode, you’ll learn how to:
✅ Create and organize a semester exam review that balances student independence and active learning.
✅ Use warmups, practice tests, and collaborative review games to reinforce essential skills.
✅ Set up simple systems to reduce teacher burnout while still helping students feel prepared and confident. ✅ Incorporate technology (like ChatGPT!) to build custom practice tests when you don’t have access to a test generator.
Activities / Labs Featured:
Warmup Questions – Short, high-impact review problems that align with the semester exam format.
Practice Test Creation – How to build a student-friendly practice test using ChatGPT screenshots.
Partner or Group Review Games – Examples include quiz-quiz-trade, whiteboarding, slide decks, and rock-paper-scissors review.
Task Cards Around the Room – Engaging movement-based review with problem sets and friendly competition.
Graphic Organizers & Flip Books – Tools for helping students visualize key unit relationships and concepts.
Next Episode Teaser Next time, I’ll be sharing what I do each day for my mole unit. Don’t miss it!
For more information or to join the Confident Chemistry Teacher community, check out:
I’ll be going LIVE on Tuesday nights at 5:30 PM throughout June to walk through: ✔ Year-at-a-glance planning. ✔ Lab organization & safety. ✔ Digital organization. ✔First weeks of school planning Systems that make teaching feel less chaotic 👉 Join the free Facebook Lives here: Free Chemistry Teacher Planning Sessions
You don’t need a perfect classroom. You need systems that help you feel more prepared, more organized, and less overwhelmed. 💛
👉 Pick 3–4 life buckets (school, home, health, business, etc.)
👉 Choose ONE main focus
👉 Break it into 2-week chunks
Because let’s be honest—life happens. And your plan needs to allow for that.
🎯 Try This
Take 10–15 minutes and ask yourself: What made this year feel hard?
What do I not want to feel next year?
What’s one thing that would make the biggest difference? Start there. Not with a giant to-do list.
📣 What’s Coming Next In June, I’ll be going LIVE on Tuesday nights to walk you through:
Planning your year
Organizing your curriculum
Building systems that actually stick
Stay tuned for details!
🧪 Join the Waitlist for The Confident Chemistry Teacher Lab Membership is opening in October
🎉 I’m looking for 20–25 founding members who want: Ready-to-use labs, organized systems, and ongoing support
👉 Join the waitlist to get first access + founding member pricing
💬 Let’s Connect
If this episode helped you, send it to a teacher friend who’s feeling overwhelmed right now
💛 And come hang out with me:
Instagram: @chemschemistryclassroom
Website: chemschemistryclassroom.com
🎙️ Closing Thought
You don’t need a perfect plan. You just need a plan that helps you feel a little more prepared and a lot less stressed going into next year.
🧪 Free Root Beer Lab Slides & Worksheet I’m sharing the exact materials I use in my classroom—grab them in the show notes and try it out yourself!
🌍 It’s All About Carbon Activity (TPT) If you want to go deeper with carbon cycles and real-world connections, this is a great extension for your students
This lab is a perfect example of the kind of ready-to-run, classroom-tested resources coming to the Confident Chemistry Teacher Lab Membership this October
👉 Join the waitlist to get first access (and founding member pricing!)
💡 Teacher Tip of the Week:
Dry ice doesn’t melt… it disappears 👀 If you buy 5 pounds the night before, you might walk into school with only 2 pounds left by first period.
Save yourself the stress and call ahead—have your store hold it for you the morning of your lab.
🎙️ Coming Next Week… Next episode, I’m switching gears a bit and sharing how I’m planning my summer goals—both for my classroom and my business.
If you’ve ever felt like summer flies by and you didn’t get done what you wanted to get done…this one’s for you.
💛 As always… Keep inspiring, keep experimenting, and keep being awesome in your classrooms.
If you love labs like the ones in this episode but want everything organized and ready to go… That’s exactly what I’m building inside the Lab Membership—complete labs, setup support, and classroom-tested systems.
🎧 What’s Coming Next Next week, I’m breaking down one of my favorite activities from this unit—the Ocean Acidification + Root Beer Lab—so you can easily bring it into your classroom.
💬 Final Thought
This unit isn’t about adding “one more thing” to your plate. It’s about giving students a moment where they finally think:
👉 “Oh…this actually matters.” And honestly…those are the lessons they remember.
🎧 Enjoying the podcast? Make sure to follow/subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes!
Even though this is a math-heavy unit, I rely on explicit modeling through Google Slides. My slides focus on how to think through problems, not just the answers. I typically teach skills in this order:
Molar mass Mole-to-gram and gram-to-mole conversions Moles to representative particles and liters
Multi-step (double conversion) problems
Percent composition, empirical formulas, and molecular formulas
Throughout the unit, I remind students that dimensional analysis is a tool, not a trick — something they already know how to use.
Practice: Boring Practice + Fun-ish Practice
Because chemistry skills require repetition, I intentionally plan for both types of practice.
Independent practice:
Worksheets for building confidence
Quiet work time so students can’t rely on neighbors
Active or “fun-ish” practice:
Rock–Paper–Scissors review
Whiteboarding
Small-group and partner practice
Practice tests in mixed-ability groups
This balance supports both skill mastery and student engagement.
Mastery Checks (Before the Test)
Instead of waiting until the unit test to find gaps, I use short mastery checks throughout the unit. Each mastery check is only a few questions.
Students receive feedback quickly.
Retakes are built in when students show effort
These checkpoints:
Create urgency
Prevent last-minute cramming
Help me adjust instruction with warm-ups, extra practice, or short videos
Labs & Hands-On Learning
Labs in the mole unit help students connect math to real substances. Some of my favorites include:
Counting by measuring mass (early in the unit)
Avogadro and the Mole lab using real substances
Extension activities like Mole Olympics or sewing a mole These activities don’t replace instruction — they enhance understanding and make the unit more memorable.
Assessment & Grading Philosophy
My assessments are a mix of multiple choice and free response, with a strong emphasis on showing work.
I use a consistent grading approach:
Credit for showing work
Partial credit for reasonable answers
Points for units and significant figures
Using the same expectations from the start helps students understand what matters and builds confidence over time.
Final Takeaway
The goal of the mole unit isn’t just passing a test — it’s helping students believe they can do hard, skill-based chemistry.
When students leave this unit knowing they can:
Set up conversions
Use units correctly
Explain their thinking
…it sets them up for success in stoichiometry and beyond.
Closing
As always, thank you for listening to today’s episode. Teaching chemistry can feel overwhelming, and my hope is that this episode gave you one idea, one strategy, or one small shift you can take back to your classroom. If you found this episode helpful, please share it with another chemistry teacher who might need some encouragement. And until next time — keep inspiring, keep experimenting, and keep being awesome in your chemistry classroom. Happy teaching.
If you’re teaching the mole unit right now and want some ready-to-use resources, here are a few free activities and some from my Teachers Pay Teachers store that align with what I shared in this episode:
Measuring by Mass Activity (Paperclip Model) (Free) – helps students understand how chemists count particles using mass.
(Use what works for your classroom — these are simply tools I use to support the strategies discussed in this episode.)
3. Modeling More for Students This semester, I’m being more intentional about: Modeling procedures Modeling lab techniques Modeling notebook setup If students don’t do something correctly, I’m having them go back and repeat it. I’ve learned that when I’m frustrated later, it’s usually because I skipped modeling earlier. 🌱
4. Being Intentionally Positive I’m working on using more positive language and recognition in my classroom, including: Verbal praise for effort and growth Calling out groups who are working well Stickers on assessments Small academic rewards
The goal is to help students build confidence so that external motivation can eventually turn into internal motivation.
What’s Coming Next on the Podcast
As the year continues, I’ll be sharing:
How I plan chemistry units using these systems
Deeper explanations of why I structure lessons the way I do
Episodes on labs like my dry ice root beer lab, gas laws activities, and other high-engagement chemistry experiences
My goal is to help you adapt strategies — even if you don’t teach the exact same labs or units.
Final Encouragement
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, remember: You don’t need to do a thousand new things You don’t need a complete overhaul. One intentional system can make a big difference
Closing
As always, thank you for listening to today’s episode. Teaching chemistry can feel overwhelming, but I hope this episode gave you one idea, one strategy, or one small shift you can take back to your classroom. If you found this episode helpful, please share it with another chemistry teacher who might need some encouragement. And until next time — keep inspiring, keep experimenting, and keep being awesome in your chemistry classroom. Happy teaching.
