My search for labs has intensified, because while lecturing on molarity and solution stoichiometry, I found myself saying things like, “now, if we were in a lab, and you were going to make this by mixing these two things, you would do this, because…..” and so on. How awful is that. So hard to follow, and so simple fix, if one could just find/design a decent lab.

I will have to think about my criteria for a good lab. At the moment I have a “I know it when I see it” thing.

Apparently the state standards say that 25% of time in a science class should be spent on lab work. That doesn’t even happen in the AP course here. Of course, labs for labs sake is no better than math or homework for their own sake, and there are some awful activities out there. But quality lab work should be a priority.

I’m stating what may seem obvious because my mentor advised me not to make it a priority. To be fair, he was thinking of labs-for-labs sake, and he is worried about me getting to overwrought with this whole teaching/grad school/ life thing. Which is kind. But I have to learn somehow. More to the point, my students have to learn

Last night, I thought I had about 30 minutes of grading. Everyone seemed to find the equations and homework easy. I was going to grade their homework on a credit, half-credit, no credit basis. Ahhhhhh, the honors students.

The first one I graded I actually used as a key, it was so perfect. Then, things went downhill. I noticed that many of my students were not doing as well at the math as they thought. Many students weren’t rearranging their equations properly, or using the correct equation, or reading the problem correctly. I began to grade them problem by problem, making notes and corrections. I resolved that the quiz could not happen today, because clearly, about half the students would fail it. Plus, we haven’t finished two other activities I think are necessary before the quiz. An hour later, I have one class left. I’m a little depressed. 2nd period averaged a 2 or so out of 6. I pull out the pile of 3rd period. Ten minutes later, I am done. Why does that happen?

But, back to the quiz, I told them today that we wouldn’t have the quiz “because most of you would have failed it,” and that we needed to do some math review. This was met with surprise and relief.

I am not trying to be an easy teacher. I see this quiz as setting the standard for every other test I will give, and I want to expect great things from them. I will not be giving them scantron, or anything like that. I don’t think the material lends itself to multiple choice at all. I think my tests and expectations are different from other things they have seen.

Also, I see the purpose of a quiz as one of information gathering. How well have they built up new knowledge? How well can they use it? For the math half of the quiz, I had my answer. Not well. I don’t have time to administer and grade something that gives me no new information.

I want them to learn, and I want to the quiz to be an opportunity for them to show me (and anyone else who might ask) what they have learned. I don’t want to punish them, or give them a grade. Obviously I have to give them a grade, but it’s not the reason I give them a quiz.

I have been wondering if I am going too slowly. My students have told me they like the pace–and not just the lazy ones =).

To be honest, I don’t have a very firm idea of exactly what I think we should accomplish. I really want my students to understand what we do. I am a firm believer in depth over breadth, especially for non-specialists. They will understand it better. No one has given me any idea if there is anything I MUST do. I know what the other teachers typically do, and what the teacher I am replacing planned to do.

I suppose I could look at the standards for chemistry here in my state. But I’m not sure I’ll bother. First of all, they are probably like all the other state standards: physical chemistry focused and taken from the chapters of a chemistry text book. The last state I was in, I didn’t even know what equation one of the standards was referring to, and  I hold a chemistry major from a top university. Clearly, most state standards don’t care about what is central to the discipline.

I know what I like to cover and teach about. Organic, biochemistry (FOOD!!!), environmental chemistry, equilibria, atomic theory, light….I love light. I love waves, actually. The electromagnetic spectrum makes me sigh with joy. I think they already “did” it. In two days probably. Oh, the things we could do with the electromagnetic spectrum, especially with so many artists in the classroom.

I’ll do solution chemistry and acids/bases next, because I think those concepts are central. I’ll probably also do equilibrium, because it is central, difficult, and important in many other disciplines. Or at least it’s important in biochemistry.

As far as the rest of the year, I plan to survey the students. I really think the emphasis on physical chemistry is unfortunate and unnecessary. Is electrochemistry really a more important topic than biochemistry? I don’t think so. Batteries are cool, and silverplating is cool, but biochemistry is involved in so many major public debates, from the Atkins diet to the different types of stem cell research.

What happens if I don’t teach what I am “supposed” to teach? Will my students do poorly on the science section of the state tests?  What if I only “cover” three or four more topics this semester, instead of six or seven more? Does my conviction that my students will have learned more overall matter that much to parents, administrators, testers, colleagues, and my students?

By the time I get to the least question, I start to wonder why the public schools exist in a depressed sort of way.

My goals for the semester, as stated on my course syllabus, are to have the students be able to describe phenomena molecularly and mathematically.

Phenomena are the things we observe. Obviously these will be chemistry focused. I hoped that phrasing it that way will help me remember to connect our material to real life.

Otherwise, I am planning on a lot of drawing and a lot of math. I don’t think that’s a bad summary of science. I’m also trying to emphasize scientific behavior and thought: making observations, collaboration, self-evaluation, error analysis, questioning and testing explanations, and so on.

A lot of my students are interested in art, and I would love an animation from one of them. I know the graphic arts teacher, and they have amazing resources as far as software, clay, cameras, etc, for making all kinds of animations. I don’t know what to have the rest of the students do for a project if they aren’t in that class though. Maybe flipbooks?

I have my first teaching job. I am not yet a certified teacher, but they are so desperate for chemistry types in these parts, it doesn’t matter.

I have this blog because I need to journal and “reflect” so I can write my Master’s Thesis, and finish the anti-intellectual drudgery that is an education degree. So different from actual teaching, which requires all of ones wits.

This will be much easier to search than last year’s attempts at Word documents. And maybe someone who knows more than I do will occasionally comment.