Goggles and all!

Today, I was able to participate in a chemistry lab during 8th hour. I was able to jump into a group, goggles and all, and work as a team to discover the amount of water found in various brands of popcorn. As I worked with the students, I was quickly reminded why I enjoy my job so much. The three members of my group were awesome. They were able to work the experiments safely, have fun doing so and in the process learn something. The lab was well designed except for the fact that the smell of popcorn made it very tempting to eat the data. As I watched the rest of the class, I remembered why I loved my science classes back in the late ‘80’s. Labs provide a break from the note-taking and seat-time that are fundamental parts of school. Labs allow for movement and interaction that are both intellectual and fun. There was a challenge in performing the experiments properly whether or not the outcome was the expected one. This afternoon, the process was completed without incident. I would like to thank Mrs. Warren for the invitation this afternoon. I would also like to say “thank you” to the soccer player, the neighbor and the babysitter for allowing me to be part of their group and ending my day on a very positive note.