Building a CS community means finding connections that have nothing to do with code.
I use Pear Deck drawing prompts to lower the stakes before the lesson kicks in.
Those few minutes of silliness build community where students feel seen and connected.
#CSedu #CSforAll
Surprised my students with a Wayground review all about me!
Happy April Fools' to my fellow teachers surviving the day before spring break!
#TeacherLife #ClassroomCulture
Creating belonging in CS is a byproduct of structure.
In my Web Dev course, we build community through monthly seat swaps, year round icebreakers, and Coding Parties that celebrate creativity over speed.
It’s about making sure students feel they belong in the room.
#CSedu #TeacherLife
Video lessons don't need a production team, they need YOU.
Use YouTube, skip the niche EdTech, and embrace the "umms."
It’s about being available to students at home or catching up from an absence.
Simplicity and one-take authenticity is the magic.✨
#CSedu #MasteryBased
If I find myself repeating information during work time I am likely to record a one take solo zoom meeting of me sharing that information and posting it online as a resource for my students.
This video has 47 views after one month indicating that was a good use of my time.
Today’s fireside chat at Math for America sparked lots of ideas for subtle changes I can make to increase my students interest in studying computer science long term.
Updated coding memes for my cs classroom.
This time with an Olympic theme! 🏅
#CSedu #RepresentationMatters #APCSP
#APCSP Create Task: High Stress & Debugging. 🐛
Normalized the grind today with memes featuring Zendaya, Sabrina, Alexis & Taylor.
Search results show animals before women in CS memes—I’m changing that.
If the code is a struggle, the representation doesn't have to be.
#RepresentationMatters
20 years in, and these 3 reads actually stuck:
📖 Lemov for the early-career routines.
📖 Kirch for the 5-year Algebra 2 flipped classroom.
📖 Agarwal/Bain for shifting to retrieval practice.
Theory is nice, but these gave me the actual building blocks.
#CSedu #MathEd #EdSky
I add student-sourced features to our rubrics. 💻
It validates their discoveries & turns grading 101 student projects from a chore into a showcase of student creativity.
Each year's rubric is a unique reflection of this specific group’s interests. It represents us.
#CSedu #WebDev #EdSky
Built a Form Mule system to automate the admin side of parent comms.
470+ emails sent this year —> some for praise, some for pivots.
It’s about lowering the friction of staying connected.
Plus, it’s great ✨therapy✨ after a hard day. 💻
#CSedu #TeacherLife
Being able to take a step back from the daily grind of teaching. Getting new ideas and perspectives.
The Delayed Start ⏳
After giving instructions, I stay at the front of the room to take attendance.
I let students sit with the initial friction of the task.
By the time I finish, the majority of the class has already bypassed that first barriers on their own. 💻
#CSedu #Pedagogy #TeachingTips
Yes, please use these! I gathered them from assorted placed online years ago. Feel free to adjust and use for your classes!
Thanks! My students enjoy them! Understating why roses are (255,0,0) and the <style> is stuck in my <head> are nice “inside jokes” they would not have understood before.
I found these HTML, CSS, and JavaScript themed Valentines online years ago. I now share them with my high school Web Development classes every year. 💻❤️
#WebDevelopment #CSforAll #STEM
Moving toward mastery-based, self-paced learning by labeling my Web Dev lesson components.
✅ Must Do
✳️ Should Do
🚀 Aspire to Do
70% hit the first two; 10% reach the extension.
It’s a work in progress, but moving in the right direction. 💻
#SelfPaced #CSedu
When a new admin started last year, I created a one-page guide to my classroom.
It was a grounding exercise that helped me reflect on my priorities and the environment I strive to create for my students.
#CSForAll #STEMEducation #MasteryBasedLearning
I limit competition in my CS classroom to focus on growth over speed.
By anonymizing names in review games, the focus stays on retrieval practice, not leaderboards.
No more singling out the same few students. Just everyone beating their own best.
#CSed #CSTeachers #GrowthMindset
My EdTech Favorites
🏠 Google Classroom: The hub for everything.
🍐 Pear Deck: Essential for 1:1 screen following + instant feedback.
🏔️ Wayground: Mastery-based assessments
✉️ Form Mule: Best Sheets add-on for automated, custom form replies.
#EdTech #CSTeachers
Sobering reality from #NYCSchoolsTech
📈 82% of students (6th+) are already using AI.
Still processing the big ideas and concerns from a day of learning. 🧠✨
#EdTech #AI
Thanks for the idea!
Spending the day at the #NYCSchoolsTech Summit! I’m hoping to find plenty of new ideas to bring back to my computer science classroom. 💻🍎
Moving toward a #SelfPacedClassroom, #MasteryLearning classroom means resources must be easy to find! 🌐 My one-page site links everything in one spot.
Best part? I link last year’s page for easy copying & use site data to keep only the links students actually use. 📈💻
#EdTech #EduSky
Found a seating system that works!
📝 Numbered desks + a posted chart = total student independence. 📍
We switch every 2 units, alternating between random and choice. It builds community! 🤝 I print the date on top to stay accountable to regular changes. ✅
#TeacherSky #EduSky #ClassroomManagement
Looking for a sign to start a classroom Amazon Wish List? This is it! ✨
I added a link to my email signature a year ago, and families have been so generous without any hounding. From charging cords to band-aids, it’s a game changer for supplies. 📦
#TeacherLife #TeacherSky #EduSky
Our new bulletin board is up! 💻🎉
I love using our CS Ed Week coding tattoos to foster belonging. By featuring photos of the students, the classroom becomes truly theirs—a permanent reminder that they belong here. Can’t wait for them to find themselves! 📸✨
#CSEdWeek #CSforAll #TeacherJoy #STEM
I end every #WebDev unit with a Coding Party! 💻🎉
1️⃣ REBUS puzzles to break the routine. 2️⃣ ★★Code Celebration★★: Students leave 4 positive comments on peer sites via Google Slides. 3️⃣ Games: Gartic Phone or Drawasaurus.
Plus, a 2000s throwback playlist for the vibes! 🎶
#TeacherLife #STEMEducation
#TeacherHack: Taking notes while circulating the room. Shout out @mathforamerica.bsky.social Summer Think 2018 for the inspo! 📝
Now my class check-ins use live data: ✅ Common FAQ answers 💡 New student coding ideas
Here's a list from earlier this week!
Love that I have it as a resource I can fall back upon. I am very comfortable filming a quick tutorial. Not obsessed with being perfect. Knowing it’s a video representation of me in person. A human who makes mistakes. 😃