Vision: To support middle- and high- school teachers in best practices for science education. Focus is on methods that help students develop models of our world, not memorizing ‘facts’ and equations.
Founder: After 30 years as a high school science teacher, Lee Trampleasure retired in 2024. He has developed a following among science educators through his contributions on email lists, social media groups, and presentations at local and national conferences.
Modeling Instruction™
The Modeling Instruction™ pedagogy, based on research and practices developed at Arizona State University in the 1980’s, has been shepherded and supported by the American Modeling Teachers Association since 2005. Initially developed for physics classrooms, AMTA has expanded the content to include biology, chemistry, and middle school sciences. AMTA trains nearly a thousand teachers annually through 2-3-week workshops around the US and the world.
“I hope to develop a website where like-minded educators can contribute through posts and discussions. Most educators will visit the site and add questions and comments at the bottom of posts; those who wish to share their ideas as posts are invited to contact me to become authors on the site.”
Lee Trampleasure
More about Lee
My emphasis is on aiding educators to develop an understanding of the models that make up science. Models are ways we represent observed trends in the world. While science education traditionally focused on ‘laws’ (Newton’s three, gravity, etc.), as our collective science knowledge increases, we discover that many of most of these laws don’t always hold up. A model, on the other hand, is a means explain observations and makes no claim on being the ultimate truth—it is understood that there are limitations to any model.
I have been a “modeling teacher” since 2007, after attending my first three-week workshop in North Carolina. Workshops I have attended include:
- 2007: Mechanics (Physics): North Carolina
- 2011: CASTLE (electrical forces and circuits): Arizona State University, AZ
- 2015: Mechanical Waves: San Luis Obispo, CA
- 2016: Chemistry: American River College, CA
- 2016: Workshop Leaders’ Training, New York, NY
I co-led a two-week Mechanics workshop in Concord, CA in 2012, I served on the AMTA Board as Treasurer from 2014-2018 and 2023-2024.
Education
I hold a Bachelors in Science degree in Physical Science from California State University, East Bay. As part of my undergraduate work, I completed the coursework for a Single Subject Waiver, demonstrating my knowledge in chemistry, physics, and earth science.
I completed the teaching credential program at CSU East Bay, and hold a Clear Single Subject Teaching Credential in Physical Science as well as a Certificate in Crosscultural, Language and Academic Development (CLAD) from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Since earning my teaching credential, I have earned 40 units of university credit in professional development courses, as well as completing multiple non-university workshops.
Professional Networking
Throughout my teaching career, I have contributed to the science education profession through conference attendance and presentations, peer-to-peer email lists, and my personal blog (mostly science) and YouTube channel.
In 2014, I received the Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to the American Association of Physics Teachers. I served as Treasurer of the American Modeling Teachers Association from 2012-2016.
Outside of teaching
I live in Bradenton, FL. I enjoy bicycle riding (mostly just around town these days, but I have also completed multi-week tours) and hiking. I lead a Meetup hiking group focused on geology for ten years, including short hikes and multi-day trips. As a long-time resident of the Berkeley/Oakland area, I’m getting used to the heat and humidity the Tampa Bay Area in Florida.