As summer winds down, it’s time to shift gears and prepare for the upcoming school year. For high school chemistry teachers, especially those new to the classroom, the start of the year can be both exciting and overwhelming. Proper planning and preparation during the summer can set the stage for a successful and smooth school year. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you navigate common challenges and set yourself up for success.
1. Designing a Coherent Chemistry Curriculum
One of the biggest challenges new chemistry teachers face is creating a curriculum that flows logically and builds on foundational concepts. It’s essential to avoid jumping between topics in ways that confuse students. While textbooks and teacher’s editions are provided, many chemistry books don’t always flow logically from one topic to the next.
For example, in the last textbook I used, basic math skills like algebra review and dimensional analysis were covered in Chapter 3, but stoichiometry didn’t come up until Chapter 11—leaving a huge gap in between! On top of this, it’s nearly impossible to cover the entire book, with test days, labs, and extra curricular events that always seem to be thrown into the mix with high school.
Given these challenges, it’s a good idea to design your own flow of topics. You can start with the structure of the provided textbook, which might be helpful since students will be using it, or you can refer to trusted resources like the American Chemical Society to map out a curriculum that aligns with your students’ knowledge and developmental stages. This approach will ensure a more logical and effective learning experience for both you and your students.
For me, I would begin with whatever book we were using and outline the chapters (or sometimes only parts of chapters) that we needed to cover. Then, rearrange those in a way that makes the most sense. This is your yearly outline of topics that can later be broken down into your long-range plans!
2. Establishing Lab Safety Protocols
Safety is non-negotiable in the chemistry classroom. Being completely open and real right now, my first year as a new chemistry teacher, I found it tricky to ensure that lab safety protocols were both comprehensive and consistently followed. When the school year began, it felt like a whirlwind of events with students coming and going, and I felt like I was just trying to keep my head above water!
Nevertheless, safety should always be the top priority! With that being said, the first step is to familiarize yourself with all safety equipment and emergency procedures at your school. Then, you can craft a safety contract that students must sign, which you’ll review together at the start of the year. I love this free safety contract from Flinn Scientific. It covers everything!
CHEMTip: Hang a visible safety guide in the classroom and review it regularly to ensure students stay alert and aware of safety expectations.
3. Managing Classroom Dynamics
Effective classroom management is essential but can be particularly challenging when teaching a hands-on subject like chemistry. Balancing the need to teach complex content with the demands of keeping students engaged and on-task can be overwhelming. Students get excited (and yes, you WANT them to be excited when coming to chemistry), but I’ve learned the excitement quickly turns into students touching labware and picking up chemicals they haven’t been instructed to use yet—which can lead to safety issues, distractions, and a loss of instructional control if clear expectations aren’t in place from the start.
To avoid this (and the need to correct students all year long), start by setting clear expectations for behavior and classroom routines from day one. My classroom management for labs looked like this:
- Students come in and place their bags/books/drinks etc. along the wall (somewhere out of the way)
- Students get out their pre-labs/lab books/lab worksheets and sit where they were asked to sit (this was told to them the day before along with their partners)
- If labware was already on their table, they knew not to touch it until we went over the procedure
- If they were responsible for setting up their labware, they knew (from the day before) what to collect and how to set it up) *one person collected the labware to take back to their desks
- Chemicals were either placed in smaller containers on each desk OR students (one student from each group) came to my larger lab desk to measure out chemicals when it was time. Both of these methods allowed me to observe students when measuring/handling chemicals
- Students were to raise their hands for questions/concerns and I would walk around to reduce foot traffic
- For cleanup, one student (the student that was not responsible for gathering equipment/chemicals) would take glassware to the sink and clean up. Students rotated out on these roles so all students had hands-on training in all areas
Having a protocol (and following the same protocol) is extremely important, especially for labs! However, there should be some sort of protocol/procedure students learn for regular class days as well.
CHEMTip: Positive reinforcement goes a long way—acknowledge and reward students who follow your expectations, creating an environment where good behavior is the norm.
4. Streamlining Lesson Planning and Organization
Teaching multiple classes or preparing for diverse chemistry topics requires smart organization. As a new teacher, it’s easy to feel burdened by the volume of lesson planning and administrative tasks. The solution is to establish a system for organizing lessons, assignments, and assessments. Digital tools like Google Calendar or Trello can help you manage your time and stay on top of upcoming responsibilities.
I personally love Google Classroom as an all-around solution for assignments and organizing assessments. You can manage multiple classes, add notifications, videos, lessons, etc. Students can reply to you and each other (which you can see). This also helped me stay sane during at-home teaching days while we were out for days due to an ice storm.
CHEMTip: Set aside a dedicated time each week to plan ahead, even if it’s just an hour or two. This way, you can avoid last-minute scrambling and stay prepared for the weeks ahead.
Check out this dated digital lesson planner created specifically for high school teachers. There is even a section to keep track of chemical inventory!
5. Reflecting and Improving Teaching Practices
Being a great teacher means consistently evaluating your own performance and identifying areas where you can grow. After each unit or semester, take time to reflect on what worked well and what could be improved. Gathering feedback from both students and colleagues will provide valuable insights for fine-tuning your teaching methods.
I would even consider giving students a questionnaire at the end of each quarter to help with this evaluation. Ask them questions like:
- What helps you learn best in this chemistry class?
- What would make the lessons or instructions more engaging for you?
- How do you feel about the pace of this class—too fast, too slow, or just right?
- Do you feel like your questions are welcomed and answered in class?
- Were the lab directions clear and easy to follow?
- Did you know what you were supposed to be doing during each step of the lab?
- Were the materials you needed for the lab easy to find and access?
- What would help you feel more confident working independently in lab?
- Do you feel confident in what to do if there’s an accident during lab?
- Did you understand all of the safety rules before starting the lab?
- Was it clear what safety equipment (goggles, aprons, etc.) you needed and when?
- Are there any parts of lab safety you’d like more training or reminders about?
- Are the classroom and lab expectations clear?
- What helps you stay on task during labs or hands-on activities?
- Are consequences for unsafe behavior or off-task behavior clear and fair?
- What classroom routines or procedures work well? Which ones could be improved?
- What’s one thing I could do differently to make labs or class time more effective for you?
- What do you enjoy most about this class? What do you enjoy least?
- Is there anything you wish you could tell me about how this class runs?
These can be used in anonymous surveys, google forms, exit tickets, or reflective class discussions.
CHEMTip: Keep a teaching journal where you can jot down lessons learned, challenges faced, and strategies you want to try in the future. It’s a great way to track your development and adjust your approach as needed.
As you prepare for the new school year, remember that the effort you put in during the summer will pay off throughout the year. From designing a solid curriculum to managing classroom dynamics and ensuring safety, thoughtful planning will help you feel more confident and organized when the school year begins.
These CHEMTips helped me create a positive, engaging, and successful learning environment for my students, and I hope they help you do the same!