Had a couple of issues today - first year teacher moments I suppose. Learned a lot.
In the Learning Area taster I ran today, I was not expecting so many students to turn up. That's not an excuse, that's my first mistake. The taster I was running was supposed to show off science. I thought it would be a cool idea to do a physics/engineering thing, where students use some materials to build a catapult or something which could otherwise move a bouncy ball as far from a line as possible. I deliberately didn't suggest a catapult, knowing full well that with rubber bands available the majority of such devices would be slingshots. There were, however, some excellent ideas using balloons and string, along with some rocketish devices. They didn't work of course (how could they after just an hour) but I was very impressed. Now that I write this I don't know what I was so worried about, they actually did some cool stuff. I think I just need to loosen up.
What wasn't cool was the way they left Foxtrot, after I deliberately left what I thought would be an ample 7 minutes for clean up. Many simply made more mess by popping balloons, and I think one of them skewered his hand. I was left with but a few valiant souls helping tidy up. A lot of stuff I expected to be returned, wasn't.
Next time I do this on Friday, I will prepare some packets for individual groups with limited resources to prevent wastage, and confine ourselves in a smaller area to keep an eye on them. I also think I will structure the time more carefully, to emphasise the plan-build-trial-improve cycle, get some proper learning out of them.
Anyway, this is too short but I'm going to bed. I promise more effort tomorrow after a much anticipated all day community meeting.
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