Captain's Log: Lava and a Letdown

When a kid begs you to let them play with lava, and you tell them to make sure it doesn't get on the table....yeah, it'll get on the table and then some.

Look, I'm learning, okay?

This week in wacky science I was able to explain homemade volcanoes to the kids. I had the science down, since I spent last week talking about it and writing about it and thinking about it and wondering how to make it fun for the kids. I had done so much about volcanoes, that now I don't ever want to hear the word 'volcano' again. This is what happens from deep dives.

And for the younger kids, I sped through the complicated parts so that they'd focus on the simple stuff. And they had a lot of fun. I got to teach them a little history, and they got to choose lava colors and see what happens when I fill a cup with baking soda and vinegar. There was a tarp on the table, there was a garbage can nearby, and I felt confident in what I was saying. So at the end of the day, it went pretty well.

Then the next day with the older kids came and I feel like a letdown. My first mistake was forgetting a tarp for the table. Consequently, the room became a big mess afterwards. Long story short, I can never forget the tarp again.

The fourth graders really didn't care for the history lesson. They really didn't care for the scientific explanation. They just wanted lava, and volcanoes, and their own time to spend covering their hands in dyed lava.

But that wasn't in my script. I was supposed to teach them about volcanoes using three examples from history, and to talk about volcano science and pressure dynamics. So I told them to come back to the table where I was demonstrating with the volcanoes and giving my lecture, and they looked quite annoyed. I got quite frustrated.

The 2nd and 3rd graders were being very good, watching my lecture. But they didn't look too entertained, and I realized if I didn't do something quick I was gonna lose everyone's interest. So I gave the kids red cups, had them choose lava colors, and they each had their own shield volcano to faun and play with.

The older kids had this too, and a separate table. I told them to make sure the lava doesn't touch the table, because of there being no tarp. It took about five minutes, and some of the extra-enthusiastic fourth graders broke their promise. And I stood there like a fool, wondering why I ever thought I could get them to be the slightest bit clean. Or just less chaotic.

In the end, all the kids had a chance to dip their hands into lava and make little eruptions, and a lot of paper towels were needed. But the real lesson for me came later, when I was trying to get the room cleaned up and the kids to clean up the room.

The older kids were trying their best to look like they had cleaned, or were cleaning, without actually cleaning. Or at least, they cleaned what they deemed 'their part' and didn't want to help with any other cleaning. I was reminded of a (Japanese? Asian?) custom where all the kids and adults helped clean a room, no matter who made the mess. I wanted this tradition, in this classroom right now, so so bad.

And when the mess got tolerable, and the fourth graders were hanging right outside the classroom, I went up to them. And I asked what I could have done to keep their interest. What I could have done to improve.

I admit, I should have asked this earlier. Four classes in, and I finally get to the opinions of the students. Why didn't I do this before?

Because I thought I could make assumptions and play on those. I thought it was my fault - not prepared enough, not knowing enough, not fun enough - that the students weren't having as good a time as I hoped. I thought it was just me. But I hadn't connected with the students because I hadn't even built a bridge yet.

So I asked them, and they told me I could do with a shorter demonstration, less history, and a bit more science. And I could probably give them a kit, let them figure out the science, at a different table while I walked through it with the younger kids.

So that's what I'm going to do next time.

I'll make two bags, one for the younger kids who want a demonstration and a lecture, and one for the fourth graders and whoever want to do this independently. Should I make handouts for them, so I could at least see if they're learning what I want them to learn? Or I just take the experiment logs that I've been trying to get them to fill, fill out one with my own words, and give that to them and have them just write down their observations and conclusions?

I'm tired. I'm as short as these kids, I'm a woman, and I can't tell if these kids just simply respect me. I'm trying my best to be a fun wacky science teacher and get the kids to learn. My new hypothesis is that if I connect with these kids, get their opinions and make my lecture and demonstration more flexible to their wants, then I could make a more fun experience for them where they learn and I don't feel like a failure, because engaging with them will let them know that I want to improve and try my best for them.

I can do this. I can get better. I can improve. I can learn. I can work with them. I can do this.