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Posted by SASTA

on 30/01/2025

Starting a new school year can be exciting but also overwhelming. To help you get off to a strong start, we’ve gathered a collection of tips from experienced science teachers. Whether it’s getting your classroom organised, engaging students from day one, or planning your year in line with the curriculum, these ideas will inspire you and set you up for success.

1. Build Connections and Show You Care

The foundation of an engaging classroom is strong relationships with your students and their families.

  • Listen to your students: Take time to understand their interests, learning preferences, and concerns about school. Ask them questions like:
    • What excites you about science?
    • What do you find difficult?
    • What do you hope to learn this year?

This helps create an inclusive environment where students feel seen and heard.

  • Engage parents and caregivers early: A friendly introductory call or welcome email in the first two weeks can establish positive relationships and make future conversations easier. Providing parents with an overview of the term helps them understand what to expect and how they can support their child’s learning.
  • Collaborate with past teachers: Seek insights from previous educators to learn more about your students’ strengths, challenges, and preferred learning styles.

"Spend some time investigating your students and their backgrounds, particularly if you don’t already know them." – Rachel Pillar

2. Capture Interest and Inspire Curiosity

An aim when beginning the year is to spark curiosity and inspire students in science. Make it fun, engaging, and hands-on from the start!

  • Check in with students—find out their passions and prior knowledge. Students can be amazing sources of knowledge themselves, so be willing to learn alongside them.
  • Use a fun activity to get students thinking scientifically. Try writing questions on pieces of paper, scrunching them up into "snowballs," and having a snowball fight! Then, read the questions aloud and guess who wrote each one.
  • Take an interesting object—like a shell, pine cone, or crystal—when collecting new Reception students. Holding something physical can ease anxiety and serve as a great conversation starter.
  • For lessons after break time, start with a science-themed story to settle students and refocus their energy.

"We often write their questions down on pieces of paper and have a snowball fight—then read them aloud and try to guess who wrote each one!" – Christiana Schammer

3. Create a Welcoming, Organised Classroom

An inspiring science classroom is more than a collection of resources—it’s a space that supports learning and creativity.

  • Declutter and reset: Organise your classroom by cleaning up your workspace and refreshing shared areas.
    • Repot plants and clean any pet enclosures for a fresh, welcoming vibe.
    • Throw out broken or outdated materials to avoid visual clutter.
  • Set up clear expectations: From day one, establish classroom norms around behaviour, collaboration, and equipment use. Ensure students understand:
    • How to handle science materials responsibly.
    • The importance of leaving workstations clean for the next class.

“Set up classroom expectations from the start, including how you expect students to use equipment and how you expect them to leave it for the next class.” – Sarah Todd

  • Create flexible exploration areas: If space allows, set up stations for independent, hands-on learning. Great for early finishers or disengaged learners, these can include:

    • A light table with coloured blocks
    • A water trough with pipettes
    • Seed investigations
    • Building materials like blocks or a marble run
    "If space allows, have several areas of free exploration for early finishers or disengaged learners—these should be open-ended and independent." – Christiana Schammer

4. Stay on Top of Your To-Do List

The start of the school year can feel overwhelming with so many competing priorities. To stay organised and reduce stress:

  • Make lists: Write down everything you need to do and prioritise tasks. Identify what needs to be done immediately and what can wait.
  • Break big tasks into smaller steps: For example, instead of simply "organise the lab," list each step involved: clean workstations, label shelves, sort chemicals and equipment, etc.
  • Plan ahead for practical lessons: Book your lab sessions early and coordinate with your lab technician to make sure resources are ready.

“The amount of ‘stuff to do’ at the beginning of the year is often overwhelming—it helps to write it all down.” – Rachel Pillar

By staying a few weeks ahead in your planning and bookings, you’ll help both yourself and your lab tech keep things running smoothly.

5. Plan for a Strong Start to Learning

Effective science lessons start with thoughtful planning.

  • Year planner: Map out your year with themes for each term, aligned to the Australian Curriculum. For composite classes, ensure there’s no overlap from previous years by carefully structuring topics.
  • Focus on key strands early: Use the first few weeks to introduce Science as a Human Endeavour (SHE) and Science Inquiry Skills (SIS). Jenny Woodcock recommends using term one to explore questions like:
    • What is science?
    • What tools do scientists use?
    • How do scientists share their knowledge (e.g., through diagrams)?

There are plenty of books and YouTube read-alouds available that can make these concepts engaging and accessible, particularly for primary years.

"I make Science as a Human Endeavour my theme for most of Term 1, with activities around questions like 'What is a scientist?' and 'How can we be safe like a scientist?'" – Jenny Woodcock

  • Incorporate local contexts: Connect students with South Australian science initiatives, such as Coorong ecosystem studies or renewable energy projects in Port Augusta, to make science feel relevant to their world.

"Build connections to real-world science initiatives to help students see the relevance of science in their own lives." – Jarrod Johnson

  • Collaborate with class teachers: Where possible, plan science units alongside classroom teachers. Many Units of Inquiry are science-rich and provide great opportunities to make learning more connected and meaningful.

"Check in with class teachers to plan units of work together—collaboration is key!" – Christiana Schammer

6. Engage Students with Hands-On Activities

First impressions matter! Capturing your students’ interest early can set the tone for the rest of the term.

  • Start with something fun: Engage students with an open-ended STEM challenge, like designing a Mars habitat or solving a local environmental issue.
  • Teach the scientific method through engaging experiments: Use practical activities that encourage teamwork and inquiry-based learning.

"Start with something fun, something that gets the students working in teams as scientists don't always work alone!" – Sarah Todd

  • Encourage open-ended investigations: Pose questions like “How might we reduce microplastic pollution in our waterways?” to encourage creativity and independent inquiry.

"Promote curiosity by starting the year with open-ended, student-driven investigations." – Jarrod Johnson

  • Make hands-on investigations and experiments a must in the early weeks—science is fun and best when students are actively doing!
  • Include brain breaks to help students reset and refocus during lessons.

"Hands-on investigations and experiments are a must in the early weeks—science is fun and best when students are doing!" – Christiana Schammer

7. Collaborate and Build Your Networks

Your professional network can be a valuable source of support and inspiration.

  • Collaborate with colleagues: Share lesson plans and ideas with other teachers in your school or professional learning communities (PLCs).
  • Join science organisations: Groups like SASTA and the Nature Education Centre provide valuable resources and professional development opportunities.
  • Leverage external expertise: Participate in initiatives like the Oliphant Science Awards or CSIRO’s Science in Schools program to broaden your students' experience.

"Make time to catch up with your colleagues to share planning if you can—both within your school and with your professional networks." – Miriam Doull

  • Explore emerging technologies: Introduce tools like ChatGPT for inquiry-based learning or Merge Cube for AR science simulations. Discuss AI ethics to develop students’ critical thinking skills.

"AI can help students brainstorm questions, model data, or visualize scientific concepts—use it as a tool to support, not replace, critical thinking." – Jarrod Johnson

8. Finish with Reflection

End each lesson with a quick "What went well?" discussion. This helps students reflect on what they learned and gives you insights into their understanding.

"Finish lessons with 'what went well'—a quick check-in to gauge what students took away and learned." – Christiana Schammer

Final Thought: Enjoy the Process

Starting a new school year can feel overwhelming, but it’s also a chance to reimagine your teaching and set the stage for incredible learning experiences. Remember to make time for creativity, collaboration, and fun—you deserve to enjoy your work, too!

“It’s a creative job, so make sure to put yourself into your plans.” – Miriam Doull

What are your favourite tips for starting the school year? We’d love to hear your ideas—share them in the comments below!