Brian :cupofcoffee: :rss:

Chemistry & web programming teacher in Michigan, hobby web developer (#Flask, #HTMX), beekeeper, wannabe homesteader.

#homesteading
#beekeeping

Personal website & blog: https://ohheybrian.com
Farm website: https://www.upstreamfarm.com

Last Notes

2026-03-16 14:49:22 UTC

The weather is not cooperating this week to do the barrel crush outside. Any #chemistry teachers do this indoors?
#askfedi #teaching

2026-03-03 14:43:05 UTC

I'm not giving enough work in my chemistry classes.

2026-01-07 00:30:37 UTC

I need a game to play that is super relaxing and allows for longer plays (as in little bits here and there, not grinding).
I do word games in the morning to help me wake up but I feel like I need some kind of gentle, relaxing brain stimulation to unwind at the end of the day.
Android, prefer free if possible.
#askfedi

2025-12-16 02:09:27 UTC

I haven't posted about this yet, but we're heading to my parents house tomorrow for my nephew's funeral. He died last week, very suddenly. I went down on Friday immediately after we got the call and came home to get final exams sorted so I could be out this week from school.
There are no words. There is no reasoning. It's just heartbreaking in every way.

2025-12-16 00:39:22 UTC

- reply

HS chem teacher here. The Bohr model has a lot of good empirical tie ins. We can look at flame tests and emission spectra to describe electrons. We can use it to understand the periodicity of the periodic table. It also helps kids understand ions.
In my second year class, we go deep into the quantum theory - a couple weeks over wave functions and that all ties into orbitals, hybrid bonding orbitals, and weird quantum phenomena. But the Bohr gives a good foundation.

2025-12-11 10:47:47 UTC

Woke up early to go to the gym before school. As I was walking in, I got the call that school was closed due to poor road conditions (roads were bad - super icy today because of rain and cold temps overnight).
Cool. Extra time.
Nope. I didn't pack any exercise clothes in my bag, just my work clothes.
😑
This is my Thursday morning toot.

2025-08-28 19:28:07 UTC

I think the only professional development I want this year is to watch master teachers of chemistry go through ratios and unit conversions with classes.
Every year I re-work what I do and I'm not happy. I'm not really sure how to approach it differently so I just need a domestic tour of other teachers teaching.
#teaching #chemistry