Definitely being a middle school science teacher is not for the faint of heart. I just finished up a density lab that would make mere mortal men (i.e. non-teachers) run away screaming and wish they had their mommy close by. In each class I had around 30 kids broken out into 8 groups going in all different directions, mixing liquids, measuring things, whipping around glass beakers like pros all while I am wondering around making sure nobody is stupid enough to actually take somebody's bet to try an drink the corn syrup.
I remember being in the corporate world and having so many people brag about their "multitasking skills" - and frankly I was one of those arrogant bastards. But you do not know multitasking until you are in charge of a room full of teenagers who are just waiting for you to be looking away so they can get away with doing something they know they should not be doing.
It is almost like an Olympic event with my opponent trying to get away with something and me trying to catch them....pitting skill against skill....will against will. And the fact that the odds are 30 against 1 tells you just who the professional is in this game even though our side does not always win.
People are always getting hurt at work like getting carpal-tunnel syndrome for typing too much or getting a thrown out back from lifting heavy objects. I am just surprised that teachers do not get "eye sprains" from having to look at sooooo many different things in the room all at once. Come to think of it, this is probably why I sleep so well at night because my eyes are just so happy not having to look at anything for 8 hours.
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about this site...
This site is basically going to be some rambling thoughts from a middle school science teacher. I want to share some insight in what it is like being surounded each day by the "hormonally challenged" and why I could not imagine doing any other job.
I would love to get your feedback so please leave comments along the way...I always encourage lots of participation in my classroom.
And if you want to simply drop me a line or ask me a question, you can email me at:
I would love to get your feedback so please leave comments along the way...I always encourage lots of participation in my classroom.
And if you want to simply drop me a line or ask me a question, you can email me at:
about me...
- the teacher
- Well in a nutshell I am somebody who left an eight year career in the high tech industry to try and inspire greatness in young teenagers. Not only am I crazy enough to WANT to teach middle school, but I am also in process of getting my Masters in Middle Level Education...I have to be committed to be doing that (either as in being "dedicated" or "hosptialized" - your choice)
copyright...
Everything on this site is under copyright of the teacher. If you want to use or link any content you find here for non-commercial purposes, please make sure you reference this site. Hey, I am a school teacher after all and I do not even let my students plagiarize...
4 comments:
Teaching is definitely about multitasking. There is so much going on that it makes your head spin, literally. Of course, this is a good thing because you can then really keep an eye on things. One of my friends and I used to joke that we needed to be enclosed in one of those large hamster balls so we could quickly roll around the classroom. She was also a middle school science teacher.:)
Any emotionally challenged students, autistic and learning diabled students on your roster?
Man, I think you need a paraprofessional for the lab lesson.
density lab that would make mere mortal men run away screaming
For some reason this quote reminds me of my language arts class sometimes first thing on Monday morning. The only question is who is more dense, my students or their teacher?