The beginning of school was primarily spent reviewing basics while convincing students of the superiority of the metric system and my competence (with mixed results). This week though, our Physical World class is learning Newton's Laws. It's a favorite of mine. I still managed to flop yesterday's lesson though.
Please, take a moment to visualize with me:
a dozen less than focused high school students lining a hallway for 10 minutes...
as I accelerate fifteen meters backwards, staring at the scales in my hands,
frantically trying to maintain constant force in both (a single scale proved too weak),
pulling a tall junior boy sitting on a skateboard
as he refuses to stop singing, "They see me rollin', They hatin'..." to passersby on their way to lunch
Did they kind of learn F=ma after we assessed our data? Hopefully. Regardless, I was determined to have a demo-riffic day to solidify understanding.This morning I gathered supplies from home for my favorite demo. I didn't have much time and somehow couldn't remember where I'd placed the integral egg shaker after my April interview mock lesson. With no time to boil them, I packed two real eggs and hoped our band teacher would be able to provide me with a percussive substitute.
Arriving at school, I checked with our band director (no luck), and made a trip to the PE dept. to gather a few more supplies (and awkwardly waited outside the guy's locker room as a student fetched a teacher from the offices inside). I decided to treat myself to coffee for my first hour prep, and by second hour, I was really really feeling the caffeine.
Still feeling slightly jittery, Physical World began. The demo's went well...mostly. Students excitedly launched tennis balls to each other, were entertained by Newton's cradle, compared tension forces at angles, and watched with bemusement as a student on the computer chair (or as I call it after my tumble, the "danger chair") accelerated ever so slightly backwards after nearly knocking the wind out of me with a medicine ball chest pass. Turns out he's stronger than I expected.
I was about to give them a practice assignment when I remembered the egg demo and ran to the fridge for the more perishable equipment. First, I placed 4 plumb bobs in a cup of water, then a pie tin on top, then toilet paper tube, then egg. As my nerves were quickly mounting (I've never used a real egg), I relaxed slightly noticing that the tube was too wide to balance the egg on. But, realizing the solution, I powered forward, creasing the tube.
I don't get nervous as I teach. I mean, stressed, excited, or frazzled, sure. But heart racing-butterflies in stomach-6th grader asking someone out for the first time-nervous? Not so much. However, as I noticed everything in the potential path of eggyness and knowing that I've failed plenty of times with the egg shaker, I was more than a little on edge. After repeatedly mentioning my trepidation, I abruptly and violently whacked the pan out of the way sending it clanging to the floor... and perfectly plopping the egg into the cup of water.
 |
| It happened like this... But without the cool skeleton kid |
Victory. Without concision choice, both my fists pumped into the air as students exclaimed. Primarily, they were surprised (loud noises help with that)... and incredulous that I hadn't asked them to move out of the "line of fire". After a second successful trial (students shuffled out of the way first) we discussed implications, and I gradually revisited earth from my adrenaline high.
It wasn't much. It was five minutes of success in a job where I'm frequently falling short of my own expectations. But it was enough to energize me...for at least another week. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment