1. Rocket Science.
At one point, I relied heavily on worksheets and lectures. My class management suffered. Then, I became the “Rocket Man” at my school. We launch Estes Rockets all the time, turning physics into a massive school-wide show. It keeps interest sky-high and behavioral issues down. Even years later, former students still call me to ask if they can help on launch day.I love their class bulk sets- they are cheaper and easy to design.
2. Rollercoasters Engineering.
Whenever student energy fades, we drop everything and build paper marble rollercoasters. It is our absolute favorite multi-week engineering challenge, and I use it across both my physics and body systems units—like having kids engineer a track that models a marble traveling through the human digestive system. Pro tip: Tape the tracks directly onto your classroom walls to save space and create a giant, vertical Rube Goldberg machine.
3. Science Fair For All.
I want every single seventh-grader to experience a real science fair. My students take traditional poster boards and supercharge them with pocket-sized BBC micro:bit computers that they code themselves. Using the five built-in sensors—which measure temperature, ambient light, motion, sound, and magnetic fields—kids design incredible data-logging experiments like live weather stations, plant hydration trackers, or motion-activated alarms.
4. Student-Led Labs. 
This method completely revolutionized how I teach. I rely heavily on 5E center rotations and inquiry labs from Kesler Science to put kids in charge of their own pace. Anchoring these differentiated labs in the CER model teaches my seventh-graders to back up claims with hard evidence. To push higher-level thinkers further, I layer in interactive modeling using free PhET Simulations and advanced Gizmo labs, using Blooket games for practice.
5. Explorers In The Classroom.
I love bringing the real world into our room. I periodically invite field scientists to speak with my classes—like a local wildlife biologist and parent sharing her work on reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone and to our backyard in Colorado. I also use National Geographic’s free Explorer Classroom series, connecting my seventh-graders directly with global conservationists, storytellers, and engineers through live, interactive Q&As.
6. Class As A Museum.
When kids enter my room, they never know what they will find. I design it like a hands-on museum to provoke curiosity, packing it with accessible Stirling engines, Tesla coils, and anatomical models. I curate the lighting, music, and custom posters to tell a story and invite creativity. We even bring the outdoors inside with a window-spanning aquaponics fish ecosystem and year-round grow lights powered by microbits.
7. Keep Them Curious.
8. Nature Journaling.
Most kids think science only happens inside a sterile lab room. I use nature journaling to prove it happens everywhere. We take our notebooks outdoors to record observations using a simple mix of pictures, words, and numbers. Using proven frameworks from Wild Wonder and teacher training methods from Good Natured Learning, this regular outdoor practice forces my seventh-graders to slow down, notice details, and connect deeply with our local ecosystems.
9. Community Building.
Successful teaching is impossible if kids are afraid to fail or feel invisible. I intentionally construct a kind, curious, and inclusive family culture anchored in the African philosophy of Obuntu: “I am because we are.” We read outdoors, tackle team challenges, and cook healthy meals with lots of color. We also build social empathy by regularly listening to the moving stories on the My Unsung Hero podcast series. I share my commitment poster with them and co-create mutual agreements and invite all kids to share their story.
Our Favorite Read- Aloud Books
We love the Byrd Baylor series. In The Table Where Rich People Sit, a young girl demands her family get “real” jobs to escape poverty. Instead, her parents call a meeting at their scratched kitchen table to calculate their net worth, placing a dollar value on natural gifts like desert sunsets, coyote howls, and fresh air. By adding up these priceless experiences, they teach her that true wealth comes from connecting with nature, not accumulating money.. Her other books are equally inspiring and help all readers build and deepen their connection to the natural world.
Dyslexia. Now what?
In the U.S., 15–20%, or 1 in every 5 individuals are dyslexic.In many states, identification has increased, but only approximately 6% of public school children are diagnosed—despite prevalence being much higher. A staggering 74% of children with dyslexia who are not diagnosed by second grade remain poor readers into twelfth grade. Without timely intervention, 75% of poor readers in 3rd grade remain poor readers through high school. Although 90% of children with dyslexia can succeed in regular classrooms with early and appropriate support, only a small fraction receive such help. Nearly 75% of students with learning disabilities, including dyslexics, are suspended at least once—and they face significantly elevated risks for dropout and incarceration. Between 25% and 40% of individuals with dyslexia also have ADHD. Other common overlaps include dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and language-based learning disabilities. Children with learning disabilities, including dyslexia, have a 31% greater chance of being bullied than their peers. TIME.TO. ACT. Here are a few good ways to start:
Our Favorite Podcasts.
Plug-ins Designed for Dyslexia.
My Favorite Outdoor PD
Taking The Living RIver PD thorugh DMNS was an absolutely transformative experience that completely rejuvenated my teaching spirit. For three days and two nights, we paddled through vibrant river corridors and camped under the stars, with all the logistics and incredible riverside meals seamlessly handled by Centennial Canoe Outfitters. Led by a brilliant Master Naturalist and a Museum educator, the course immersed us in hands-on citizen science projects exploring river ecosystems and climate change, all perfectly anchored to Colorado’s Seal of Climate Literacy Framework. It was the absolute perfect blend of authentic environmental learning and a much-deserved opportunity to unplug, float, and reconnect with nature—I returned to my classroom deeply inspired and ready to bring Colorado’s living landscapes to life for my students!
National Geographic PD Courses.
We always expect our students to do better, to push themselves and step outside their comfort zone. I believe we, teachers must do the same. There are always a plethora of professional development we have to take and most of it we find unuseful or impractical. The National Geographic courses for teachers. are by far most practical and useful PD I have ever taken. They offer graduate credit and are really well designed. I particularly liked “Teaching global climate change in your classroom” for its innovative ways to help us visualize the changing climate though scientific modelling and discussions. I also liked their National Geographic Educator certification course.
What I learned From Bob Ross
When I used to struggle with classroom management in an intercity school, I asked my students for advice. One said to me ” we would not have a hard time settling if you only started the class with something exciting.” I asked them for ideas. They said: Bob Ross. Since then I use it weekly. Bob Ross taught me that a soothing voice while doing a peaceful, creative activity like painting nature, calms the spirit and inspires learning and the feeling of being in control.
Orbital mechanics
Take your physics instruction to another level. In this masterclass, Chris, the commander of the International Space station, teaches students what it takes to explore space and how will our lives will be forever changed once we explore the final frontier. He teaches anything and everything about orbital mechanics with engaging stories and inspiring concepts. I love lsitening to his videos with my students and pushing our understanding to a deeper knowledge and appreciation.
The Art Of Negociation
What did I learn from an FBI hoostage negociator? A lot! This masterclass has a lot to teach about mirroring and labeling, genuine empathy and mirror neurons, body language, the value of “no” and powerful negociation techniques I could use with students and adults alike. And this is not manipulation, These techniques are based in authentic connection. Some of this could be easily shared with students in direct applications to real life.
How to find Truth
In this engaging masterclass, Neil teaches how to think like a skeptic, how to open our minds through scientific literacy, distill data, and navigate bias to discover objective truth. He explains the difference between personal, political, and objective truth and teaches students how to deliver their ideas in ways that engage, excite, and inspire.