We talked to Drew Linder, a former educator & school administrator who oversees Labster’s customer success management team, about his back-to-school experience. He shares Labster-specific tips and general tips for educators returning to the new semester or year. 

You get to train so many different science educators. What are some things you found they have in common?

They're all very busy, almost to the point that they're stretched too thin.

They also want hands-on experiments, but many don’t have the resources, time, or space to provide them. That’s where Labster comes in. I think what we offer specifically is It's a much easier way to conduct an experiment multiple times, so it's not wasting resources. The platform is intuitive and saves educators time, which goes back to the fact that they’re stretched thin. 

You said educators are busy and stretched too thin. Do you have any tips based on your experience?

My blood pressure rose a little bit thinking about it. Unfortunately, There's never enough time in the day. So I think the best thing is always separating work and home. It's easier said than done, but it's a practice that I used to use pretty regularly and ensure that when I was at work and teaching my students, they got my full attention. And when I was at home and outside of the classroom, whatever was going on was getting my full attention. 

Based on your time as an educator and administrator, what are your tips for instructors starting the school year or semester?

I think always embracing the new is the best piece of advice. Nowadays, in education, things are moving so fast in terms of bringing in more and more technology and making things more accessible to students. Embracing that change and understanding that, while there will be a learning curve, it’s all for the betterment of the students. 

Also, understand that just as with students that we would teach, they aren't expected to learn something on day one and have it mastered. Neither are teachers. So they also have to be patient with the learning curve and give themselves time to learn the new product and technology.

How can educators better embrace tech in the classroom?

Aside from just having them embrace the change, having an open mind because technology is advancing so that it's almost hard for everybody to keep up with, especially now with the launching of all the different AI programs. It's a matter of learning and growing.

Is there anything else you want to say to educators starting their semester or school year?

I’d like just to say “thank you” to the educators. Especially now, there's such a bad educator shortage across this country, we want to show our gratitude and appreciation for all that you do.

Want to follow up with our customer success team?

Your dedicated Customer Success Manager takes responsibility for onboarding you to Labster’s platform and getting you started with Labster in your first course! You'll meet them as soon as your subscription starts, and they'll remain available for ongoing training to help you and your peers use Labster in the most effective way.

Email customersuccess@labster.com and they'd be happy to assist you.