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Using My HELP System: A Grading Practice That Works

Anthony Stetzenmeyer | Sat, 09/06/2025 - 08:28

Grading can feel tricky when school policies and student expectations don’t quite match—especially when students assume turning in all their classwork should equal an A. To bridge that gap, I created the HELP system, which lets students earn extra “HELP points” through things like going beyond the required work or scoring above the benchmark on tests. These points act as a kind of currency that students can redeem to recover from a low quiz score or a missed assignment. The system keeps students motivated, gives them ownership of their progress, and turns grading into more of a growth experience than just a final judgment.

Five for the First - Part II

Nora Walsh | Tue, 08/26/2025 - 08:44

In this, the second installment of "Five for the First", Nora Walsh shares five simple activities for the first few weeks of school to help build her classroom culture. 

An Empirically-Based and Logical Approach to Teaching the Oxidation Number Concept

Michael Jansen | Sun, 08/24/2025 - 12:32

Oxidation-Reduction (Redox) reactions, also referred to as electron-transfer reactions, are common. So common, in fact, that four of the five general reaction types studied in Honors Chemistry involve the transfer of electrons. In this post, lead contributor Michael Jansen outlines three approaches to teaching electron transfer and Redox reactions. 

 

Three Turmeric Treats

Dean Campbell | Wed, 07/16/2025 - 08:32

Curcumin, found in the spice turmeric, varies from yellow in acidic conditions to orange-red in basic conditions. This enables curcumin to be used in many acid-base demonstrations and incorporate ideas such as hidden messages and mechanochemistry.

Choose Your Framework

Erica Posthuma | Thu, 07/10/2025 - 19:30

Over the course of this summer, we will be publishing a series of blog posts aimed at teachers who are new to teaching chemistry or who are looking to refresh something(s) about their chemistry courses. Each post will feature several teachers' thoughts on how they approach topics in their classrooms, with teacher-facing examples, or artifacts, to support you in your own planning. This post, the first in our (Re)Bootcamp series, will explore instructional models that shape chemistry classrooms. The next post will incorporate smaller aspects from each of these methods, because your course can incorporate pieces of a pedagogical style without committing to adopting any one method for a whole year. Variety is indeed the spice of life, and courses that are diverse in terms of methods have the potential to be more engaging for students. That being said, organization and consistency are also important, so having a thread that weaves through all of your content to help students keep track of their learning is very powerful.

The Value of Microtitrations

Michael Jansen | Sun, 06/22/2025 - 15:58

Microtitrations can be used as a stand-alone lesson or as an introduction to more complex titrations. Done without expensive glassware and materials, this alternative to buret titrations is easy to implement in most classroom situations.