Science Fair

Science Fair is frustrating, both academically and management-wise. I think it's that hoop I have to jump through for the sake of the administration. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great idea, I just don't like the way it's done (or the way I'm doing it).

First, it's really challenging for the kids. It assumes they have 7 years of science experience, even though grades K-6 are really emphasizing math and reading, because that's what the tests test. So, in the three months I've had them, I needed to have taught them how to design their own experiments. For the seventh graders, whose curriculum involves less experimenting and more demonstrating, I don't think I've even effectively taught them how to follow a procedure and do an experiment, much less design their own. This results in a lot of aggressive hand-holding-and-dragging through this project. This also doesn't account for the significant percentage of my students who are not proficient in math, reading, and writing.

And that's only the academics. The management is another problem, which is my fault for not preparing them. It has taken me the entire school year so far to get the hang of managing a class through a regular lesson: some lecture/note-taking, some group practice, some individual practice, an exit ticket. Lots and lots of practice and made this routine run smoothly. And then, I had to stop everything and work on Science Fair. Not only am I leaving the curriculum behind for now, I'm also leaving the beloved routine behind. And kids love routine. I haven't taught them how to work in pairs and use time efficiently. I spent too much time teaching them not to be chaos. I never taught them how to work efficiently.

Of course, the book says ALWAYS prioritize management over lessons. I've gotten good at stopping the lesson to deal with management problems. Unfortunately, we don't have the time now. Time is limited for Science Fair. So, when students aren't working hard on their project, so they get bored and distracted, and can't sit still, I can't stop the class because some students are still working on it, and I need to give them the time to work. So, chaos ensues. It's frustrating.

Next year, I will start showing them how to work efficiently from the start of the year. It should take me less than three months to teach them how to not be chaos, so I can start holding them to higher academic standards sooner. This learning curve thing is tough. Fortunately, I don't have to worry about forgetting all of this, because the internet has stored all 122 of my blog posts in the cloud.

For now, let's forget the fact that I HAVE to give them class time to do almost all of the preparation for their experiments, because they can't do homework on their own, or their parents will complain they didn't have enough time to do the project.

I'm frustrated. Of course, some kids are great. They take initiative and go above and beyond what is expected of them. I can't wait to see their projects. They listen to directions the first time, get excited about their projects and enjoy doing the work. I need to keep thinking about that. Not about the kids I'm dragging through this. Science is supposed to be fun.

It's almost Friday. I think I've gotten this week under control. 6 more school days until Christmas Break!