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Tech Tips | May 2024 Technology Tools that have Reshaped how I Teach Chemistry
A high school chemistry teacher discusses how technology tools have transformed his teaching, enhancing effectiveness and student engagement. He shares how he uses Pear Assessment, Notability, Explain Everything, Google Sheets, ChemQuiz, and Gimkit in his classroom.
Nuts & Bolts | May 2024 It Takes Two: Partner Work in the Chemistry Classroom
A chemistry teacher reflects on his transition from individual to partner worksheets. He shares his journey adopting the “Pass the Paper” and “Turn + Talk” protocols to enhance student collaboration and accountability in his classroom.
Advice Column | May 2024 Dear Labby: Seeking a Segue
A teacher asks how old is too old to begin to teach?
Classroom Commentary | March 2024 Experimenting with Standards-Based Grading in High School Chemistry
Two chemistry teachers describe their experiment with standards-based grading, sharing their reasons, methods, and challenges faced over the last two years. They hope to encourage teachers to use this practice themselves, and share their experiences.
Advice Column | March 2024 Dear Labby: Irritated with Infrastructure
A teacher asks how to engage students with limited lab utilities.
Nuts & Bolts | March 2024 Teaching Chemical Kinetics: Traditional or Non-Traditional?
This author describes an alternative sequence for teaching reaction mechanisms. She shares ideas and resources for the classroom, and why her method may benefit student learning.
Tech Tips | March 2024 Tapping the Potential of Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom
The author explores the advantages and disadvantages of AI in education. He highlights practical applications while encouraging a balanced perspective, thereby leveraging the potential while addressing risks.
Editorial | March 2024 Teacher Leadership in Science and Chemistry
AACT President-Elect Martin Palermo discusses the concerning trend of STEM educator retention, particularly in chemistry. He highlights the benefits of engaging in teacher leadership and the role of organizations like AACT in supporting chemistry educators.
In My Element | March 2024 Balancing the Pursuit of Higher Education while Teaching
In this article, a veteran teacher shares her experience of being a doctoral student while also teaching high school chemistry full time. She details the challenges of balancing multiple responsibilities during her academic journey.
Chemistry Fun | March 2024 Chemistry Emoji Pictionary
In this activity, students will try to determine the correct chemistry related term, phrase, or item based on a provided set of emojis.
Nuts & Bolts | November 2023 A Self-Paced, Mastery-Based Chemistry Classroom
The author uses three elements in her classroom: blended instruction, self-paced learning, and mastery-based grading. These components foster students’ ownership of their own learning, helping them find joy in mastering challenging topics and gain confidence in their abilities.
Chemistry Fun | November 2023 Chemistry Pyramids
In this activity, students will use the periodic table, combined with math and logic to solve several chemistry themed pyramid puzzles. In a traditional pyramid puzzle, there is a relationship between the numbers, which is used to determine the missing numbers. In all of these chemistry pyramids, each element symbol is determined by the sum of the two atomic numbers of the elements directly below it. Students are challenged with determining the missing element symbols in each puzzle, but first must use a periodic table to find the atomic number for each element symbol appearing in the puzzle. This activity is a fun challenge for students and provides the opportunity to strengthen logic and reasoning skills.
Classroom Commentary | November 2023 Student Mental Health Matters... and so Does Yours!
Student mental health has gained greater focus over recent years, yet many teachers have not applied that knowledge to themselves. A discussion at ChemEd 2023, led by the author, introduced techniques for teachers to prioritize their own well-being.
Advice Column | November 2023 Dear Labby: Frustrated with Flames
A teacher asks how to create a brighter green flame as part of the "Flame Test" lab.
Editorial | November 2023 Engaging Students Through Chemistry Research
AACT Governing Board SOCED Representative Don Warner explains how his career began with scientific research that changed his life. He implores educators to introduce their students to research opportunities and incorporate course-based research experiences into their classes.
In My Element | November 2023 An Unexpected Journey from Medical Aspirations to Becoming a Teacher in the UAE
In this article, the author describes lessons learned in her journey to becoming a teacher in both a foreign language and country. She also describes the challenges faced during her first years as a chemistry teacher.
Classroom Commentary | November 2023 Preparing Students for the International Science and Engineering Fair
In this article, the author describes her efforts to prepare students for the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) for the first time. She also shares the experience of two students who reached the regional and state levels.
Chemistry Fun | September 2023 Polyatomic Ion Word Search
In this activity, students will be challenged to recognize and identify common polyatomic ions by name and chemical formula. Unlike a traditional word search puzzle, students are only provided with a list of formulas for 24 polyatomic ions, instead of the names of each. They are tasked with finding the corresponding ion names hidden in the puzzle, and then must match each one with its correct formula.
Classroom Commentary | September 2023 The Impact of Mentorship
The author describes the sizable gap in academic performance in STEM that existed between the White and Hispanic students at the high school where she teaches. Creating a club for her school’s Hispanic students to provide STEM mentorship helped address the issue successfully.
Nuts & Bolts | September 2023 ChatGPT in the Chemistry Classroom

Learn how two co-teachers plan to explore and integrate artificial intelligence (AI), specifically ChatGPT, in their science classroom. This article emphasizes that AI should not replace teachers, but rather be used to enhance the learning experience.
Editorial | September 2023 Connect, Collaborate, and Contribute
As teachers embark on the new school year, the 2023-24 AACT Governing Board President, Michael Farabaugh, encourages educators to embrace what he calls the “three C’s.”
Resource Feature | September 2023 Developing Chemistry Lessons with Student Interest in Mind
The author shares an overview of example chemistry lessons designed to engage low performing students by connecting content with relevant life experiences. Connections to NGSS standards, as well as attention to reading, writing, and mathematics are described as well.
Advice Column | September 2023 Dear Labby: Puzzled With Precipitates
A teacher from Texas asks about precipitates and Labby answers.
Classroom Commentary | September 2023 Empowering Preservice Teachers Through Mentoring
In this article, the author reflects on her experience as a mentor of preservice teachers and the valuable impact it has on their personal and professional growth.
Tech Tips | September 2023 Making the Instructional Videos I Wish I’d Had as a Teacher
A former chemistry teacher shares about the challenges she faced in the past when incorporating videos into her teaching, and how she now uses that perspective in her work as a science video content creator.