I came to Alabama in 1995 to study stream ecology at The University of Alabama. I currently work as an instructor at the Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School (JCIB). As I complete my first year at JCIB, I can honestly say I’ve had a blast. I know I belong in the classroom and laboratory. My primary assignment is teaching a combined ib and ap biology course, but I will also have one section of ib environmental systems and societies, as well as two sections of botany and zoology.
Prior to joining the JCIB faculty, I was Science Content Director for A+ College Ready, an AP Training and Initiative Program in Alabama. We are partners with the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI). I worked with 80+ AP science teachers in 41 high schools throughout Alabama. Prior to that I was an AP Biology and AP Environmental Science Instructor at the Alabama School of Fine Arts. I started my teaching career in the Birmingham metro area at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham-Southern College, and Samford University. I also consult for PASCO Scientific, working as a curriculum writer and professional technology educator (PTE). During the summer of 2011, I was certified as a Laying The Foundation Trainer for Middle School science.
I hold a B.A. in Biology from Rhodes College, and a M.S. in Biology from the University of Alabama. I am a National Board Certified Teacher in Adolescent and Young Adult Science Education with a concentration in biology.
Prior to teaching (and graduate school) I had some of the greatest jobs ever. I was a research technician at the Univerisity of Tennessee-Memphis working on cell signaling in cardiac myocytes. Even more formative were the summers I spent at the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center (UNDERC) coordinating the collection and classification of benthic macroinvertebrates from three lakes. I was also a lowly undergraduate researcher at the University of Goergia’s Savannah River Ecology Lab (SREL).
When I’m not working; I’m hanging out with my family, running (getting my best ideas), working around the house, or paddling some of Alabama’s 77,000+ river miles.
Apparently, some people are foolish enough to believe I’ve developed leadership skills during my tenure as a science teacher. Therefore, I’ve been offered (and accepted) several volunteer positions. I’m the Cubmaster for Pack 386 in West Homewood, Alabama; I serve as an Elder at First Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and I’ve just been selected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Presbytery’s Living River, a retreat and conference center on the Cahaba River. I will be helping ramp up the Living River environmental education program. It’s a great opportunity.
Ryan,
THANK YOU so much for this blog. I discovered it a couple of weeks ago and it has been a blessing for this new AP Bio teacher. I was placed into my position when the former AP teacher was let go under unfortunate circumstances. As a result, I’ve been scrambling all year to find materials for labs or discover that they went missing.
I’m currently teaching the Central Dogma and was wondering if you could share your paper and pencil activity regarding mutations and Sickle Cell Anemia activity. I would greatly appreciate it!
Thanks…many times over!
It looks like I’m 6 months late in my reply. Sorry about that. I stepped away from the blog for the first 1/2 of the year as I finished up at A+ College Ready. This summer I did double duty wrapping up my work at A+ and gearing up for a new school year in a new school. I’ll be posting momentarily. Stay tuned for my weekly learning objectives and focus on the Essential Content in the revised AP Biology course. I’ll post weekly for the duration of the school year.
–Ryan
Hi Ryan!
I thought I recognized that name as I was reading your blog. Didn’t you serve a stint at Mcwane/UAB biotech as coordinator?
I’m the AP biology teacher (12 years) at John Carroll Catholic. You were the best coordinator they’ve had since JCCHS has participated. I see that your exhausting work ethic has brought you to new heights in our “Bio-Sphere” here in the south–a true teacher’s teacher.
I applaud the straight forward “lets plow ahead” approach to the new AP Bio teaching model or framework. Did you pilot this program before it went public this year? Is your 150 calendar days of instruction a success plan for 2012-13?
Let me know cause it looks good. Can it be integrated with other ways to teach the Big 4?
Sincerely
Lyla Marinelli
JCCHS AP BIOLOGY TEACHER
I’m starting at JCIB tomorrow. AP/IB Biology . We’ll be in the trenches together. Keep checking back for my interpretation of the 4 Big Ideas.
–Ryan
Lyla: i dont know if this is a redundant reply or not, but yes, the 150 day approach I outline on “The Skin Of My Teeth” is the way I approached the class at ASFA (the only change being Ecology in August instead of January).
Anyway…I’m out at JCIB now, and I’m loving it. You can keep up with my proposed pacing at jcibapbiology.wordpress.com
–Ryan
Ryan,
I do not have any tests for AP Bio and was wondering if you are willing to share. This is my 22nd year teaching, but 1st year with AP Biology. Thank you for matching the curriculum frameworks to your curriculum. I’ve been spending hours on this! Our Solomon Berg text did not come to me with a test bank and I am finding it too time consuming to search AP old tests for unit exams . Based on your website, I can only hope to do what you do this year! Again, thanks for any help you are willing to give. Below is my new edmodo site as well.
Alison
http://www.edmodo.com/home#/join/c288ebd30c4164c96af8460df79f5e6f
Code: dwy70w
I’ve got a dropbox folder with all my old tests (they’re for the old course), but they’re better than nothing.
Please send me a reminder email, and I’ll invite you to the folder with all my old exams.
–Ryan
Would love access to old test questions as well!
Hello Ryan: Thanks so much for making your curriculum and syllabi available. As a new ap bio teacher this information has really been invaluable to me. I have a nerdy, probably naive, ap lab question – i tried my hardest to visualize mitotic cells using fresh onion root tips – but was resoundingly unsucessful. wondering if you have any tips, suggestions, advice on this lab and how to ensure good visualization – plant type? dye? protocal? thanks for any advice and if you don’t reply i understand – teachers are busy – peace
Alex:
As much as I’d like to think students should be able to do a simple “root squash” and stain their own slides, I think it’s best to buy some good Allum root tip slides and let the students spend time getting good at recognizing the phases of mitosis.
Carolina Biological and Triarch (out of WI) make great slides. I really work hard to develop good microscopy skills in all my students (I’ve got remedial students as well as lots of AP Bio students). I want them all to be good at using a microscope and “extending their senses.” Thanks for checking the blog…I’m glad you’ve found it useful.
–Ryan
[...] About Ryan Reardon [...]
Ryan,
I stumbled across your site while checking out AP Bio resources. Next year will be my 7th year teaching (mix of general-level chem and bio) but I might pick up 2 sections of AP Bio. I love biology (esp. ecology!) but I’m worried about sustaining the time commitment. I think teaching AP Bio would be exciting, but I’ve been out of high-level content for so long that it’s a little scary what it would take to “re-learn” (or rather uncover what’s hidden in the recesses of my memory) the detailed content and teach it well. (I only have a B.S. in Biology and no grad studies or research experience beyond one summer in a euglenoid systematics lab.)
What intrigues me is that you’re an elder at your church. I am going through officer training to become an elder in my church (also Presbyterian, though PCA), and I have a family and I coach cross country.
Obviously everyone is different, but like I said, just wondering about the time commitment needed to excel and its impact on family and church life. Thanks for any info and advice.
Hi Andrew:
I”ll be honest with you, teaching APB the first time is extraordinarily challenging. I came at it from a University job, and I wasn’t used to seeing the same kids every day. You already understand school culture, and you the daily/weekly rhythms of school, so I think you’re way ahead of most APB teachers starting out.
Personally, my first year of APB almost ruined my life. However, but February, I had it figured out. All my kids passed the exam that year. I had 15 of 17 students earn 5s. Looking back, I over prepared. I over did it. I wouldn’t, however, trade that experience for anything. It made me a better teacher. My passion for teaching biology often takes priority over everything, but that’s how I’m wired. I’m fortunate to have a very capable, smart, and patient wife. My church feeds my intellectual curiosity, is very open to my lapses in faith, and helps me understand theology.
I’m pivoting away from APB…slightly. My focus next year will be more on the IB Bio curriculum. That being said, both curricula compliment each other nicely. The major difference with IB is the increased emphasis on physiology, and not as much emphasis on basic cell-to-cell communication. As I enter my 8th year of teaching APB, I am increasingly leaning on my ecology training, and teaching my class from an ecology and evolution perspective. I love the cellular and molecular stuff as well (that’s what I did post-graduate school), but students need to think ecologically (think systematically) about all biological concepts.
Just so you know, this summer I’m going to out a series of 5-minute screen casts that connect all the major concepts in APB/IB Bio. They, along with all the content on my jcibapbiology blog will be a huge help. I’ll share everything I’ve got, including exams.
I say…take the risk. They rewards will be way bigger.
Cheers,
–Ryan