High/Low

This year, for the first time in several years, I have no cavities. Three cheers for dental health!

I'm coping with the stress a little better, especially by prohibiting thinking about school while in my bedroom.

You know you're a science teacher when...recent purchases have included iodine, toothpicks, onions, stopwatches, and toy cars.

I borrowed a couple of microscopes from my friend upstairs, used the iodine to stain some onion skin and cheek cells, and amazed my students. They loved it. I managed to, pretty successfully, have the class work on a cell packet while I took pairs of students and showed them the cells under the microscope. It really helps to SEE cells, rather than just talking about some abstract small thing. Perhaps why so many find chemistry so challenging?

My next class was not quite as good. I gave them a quiz, and they stared blankly at me. And complained. They seem to think that the class is too boring, so they don't learn anything. And it's my fault they don't pay attention when I'm teaching, because the class is too boring.

My first instinct was to take it personally. After a few minutes during lunch being upset in my classroom, I realized a couple of things (with the help of some colleagues and a supportive boyfriend). First, they're eighth graders. They should be mature enough to realize that if they don't do the work, they don't learn the material. I can't help everyone. I saw a few kids take the quiz seriously, so I must be doing something right. In addition, I need to make the class more interesting and interactive. Of course, if the kids don't cooperate, I can't do fun labs, but maybe I can plan the labs and give them another chance. I never made it really clear that if they don't cooperate in a lab then they lose ALL lab privileges. So, rather than giving them more worksheets to practice calculating speed, I went out and bought some toy cars and stopwatches. It was a lot of money, but the stopwatches will be useful in the future.

My homeroom took a quiz as well, and totally rocked it. I think that all except for 2 students passed. I think this unit is going well with them. It helps that I move slowly enough that almost everyone understands, but make it fun enough (i.e. do silly dances for them) that they don't get bored with the speed. I need to teach more slowly than I initially thought.

And then I got home and graded the challenging class's quizzes...and they weren't so bad! About 20% of students scored above an 80, and everyone who tried got at least 50. Nobody is failing who wasn't failing yesterday. In fact, only one student is failing that class, and that is because he sits in class and does absolutely nothing. I wish I could invest him, but I need to spend my time now with students who want to learn.

Now it's 7pm, time for me to sign off. Relaxing time and dinner time. Maybe beer time. Definitely clean teeth time. Also, this.