Inspiring Science Teachers

About Inspiring Science Teachers

Bite-sized PD from classroom teachers. We interview awesome science teachers and try to capture some of their best lessons and strategies in addition to insights they've learned along the way. We hope to share some of their passion and expertise in a way that motivates, encourages and inspires you to try new things and get better at the art of teaching science.

Publisher

Chris Stoker

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

15 Oct 2022

Latest episode

29 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

35 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   29 Sept 2026

   You Can Get Paid to Make Eyeshadow? A STEM Career Story

   Title: You Can Get Paid to Make Eyeshadow? A STEM Career Story Host: Chris Stoker Guests: Mara Reed, Chief Operating Officer, Artisan Labs; Sonya McGruder, STEM Ecosystem Hub Coordinator, Magic Valley Mara Reed’s journey from making soap with her mom at age nine to leading technical operations at an Idaho cosmetics manufacturer is a great reminder that STEM careers can grow from unexpected places. In this episode, we explore the science, business, and career opportunities behind some of the products we use every day. In This Episode: Part 1 — The Science of Cosmetics: How chemistry, microbiology, formulation, stability testing, and manufacturing come together to create safe, effective personal care products. Part 2 — Mara’s Story: From a small farm and a garage-based family business to discovering cosmetic science as a career. Part 3 — STEM Career Connections: The many roles behind cosmetics manufacturing, including chemistry, microbiology, research and development, quality, manufacturing, communications, and business. Key Takeaways: STEM careers can be found in places students may not expect—including cosmetics and personal care products. Hands-on experiences such as internships and industry connections can help students see what STEM careers actually look like. Connecting students with local businesses can make STEM careers feel much less abstract. STEM workplaces require more than technical knowledge; communication, spreadsheets, email, calendars, and other everyday technology skills matter too. Mara’s advice to her younger self: “Experiment sooner.”

2. 

   28 Aug 2026

   Elevating Student Voice with the Idaho Ecosystem Student Ambassador Program

   Title: Elevating Student Voice with the Idaho Ecosystem Student Ambassador Program Host: Chris Stoker Guests: Darrell & Cohen (Student Ambassadors), Sonya McGruder & Ashley Schaffner (STEM Hub Coordinators) Welcome to the kickoff of Season 5! Host Chris Stoker explores the Idaho Ecosystem Student Ambassador (IESA) program—a flexible initiative for 6th–12th graders that empowers students to lead in STEM without adding heavy workloads for educators. In This Episode: Part 1 (Student Perspective): Recent grad Darrell Libbe and rising senior Cohen Adams discuss stepping into leadership roles, judging elementary 3D-printing projects at the Idaho Design Expo, and bringing genuine student feedback to regional education leaders. Part 2 (Program Breakdown): STEM Hub Coordinators Sonya and Ashley explain how IESA works and how teachers or community advisors can easily integrate it into existing clubs or classes. Key Takeaways: Student-Driven STEM: Projects range from daily morning announcement science jokes to researching local invasive species. The 3 Program Pillars: Every ambassador completes a student-led project, a leadership interview with a local mentor, and a STEM industry tour. Zero Extra Teacher Workload: Operates as an "umbrella" framework for existing robotics/science clubs and can even be advised by parent volunteers. Timestamps: 00:00 – Season 5 Kickoff & IESA Overview 01:51 – Student Ambassadors Darrell Libby & Cohen Adams 04:20 – Behind the Scenes: Judging 3D-Printing Competitions 08:56 – Advocating for Student Voice at Education Panels 13:51 – Advice for Middle & High School Students 15:39 – Program Deep-Dive with Coordinators Sonya & Ashley 17:05 – The 3 Core Pillars: Projects, Interviews & Tours 18:50 – Low-Workload Integration for Teachers Link for students, parents or advisors to apply:EcosySTEM Student Ambassadors | EcosySTEM (https://community.idahostem.org/page/studentambassador)

3. 

   8 Jul 2026

   Ambitious Science Teaching book study roundup

   What does it really take to shift a science classroom from covering content to helping students make sense of phenomena? In this episode, Chris Stoker talks with Emily and Jamie about the lessons they learned while leading an Idaho Science Teaching Association book study on Ambitious Science Teaching (AST). Practical tips discussed about AST strategies: they force students to think more deeply they work k-12 and you can start off small they raise state test scores link to Idaho Science Teaching Association book study page (https://www.idahoscienceteacherswix.org/2023-2024-book-study)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 22 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

20

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60

Contact Inspiring Science Teachers

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.