Adventures d'une prof
Who said substitute teaching was boring?
Not I. This week I subbed for a junior high science teacher. There was a student teacher, so my "job" was more supportive. And trust me, that was plenty.
Why? Well, I walk in to class on Monday to see the weekly plan for the kids. Frog dissection Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. No kidding. Doesn't that sound like fun for a sub?? Actually, it was.
Prep is in the morning, before class. The frogs had already arrived, so this morning when we opened the box they were shipped in, we discovered how they were packaged. Vacuum packed frogs. Yep. There were three plastic vacuum sealed bags of frogs in the box. At first we were thinking of just having the kids come up to the front and handing them a frog from the bag...but not after we saw that. Could you imagine the responses of the kids?! (You must remember, these are 7th graders.) So Wednesday morning before class I spent an hour helping the student teacher individually bag frogs - 65 of them, if you want to know. All I have to say is thank goodness they're not allowed to preserve animals for dissection in formaldehyde any more. This was some other chemical combination, and it wasn't that bad. Of course, you'd get a different opinion if you asked the 7th graders.
She did a pretty good job of prepping the kids for it the first two days, but it's hard to get kids really for dissection, especially when most would rather just overreact because "it's disgusting". I have to admit, it was funny to watch kids freak out about frogs when they were handed out!! I mean, yeah the eyes were a little cloudy, but at least the frog wasn't discolored from the formaldehyde. My fetal pig from sophomore biology was this nasty gray color. Made you feel like it was rotting or something.
When they actually got to do it, most were loads of fun. Some took a while to get over the fact that they actually had to touch their frog. Once they got up the nerve to do it, they were holding it, making them dance, sing, and all sorts of silliness. Then they named the frogs. We had a "bubbles" and many other goofy names. One group told me there's was "Taylor", because "that's a girl's or a boy's name, and we don't know yet what it is!" I just laughed!!
Well, Thurday & Friday they will be getting into the abdominal cavity. That should get a story or two, right?
Not I. This week I subbed for a junior high science teacher. There was a student teacher, so my "job" was more supportive. And trust me, that was plenty.
Why? Well, I walk in to class on Monday to see the weekly plan for the kids. Frog dissection Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. No kidding. Doesn't that sound like fun for a sub?? Actually, it was.
Prep is in the morning, before class. The frogs had already arrived, so this morning when we opened the box they were shipped in, we discovered how they were packaged. Vacuum packed frogs. Yep. There were three plastic vacuum sealed bags of frogs in the box. At first we were thinking of just having the kids come up to the front and handing them a frog from the bag...but not after we saw that. Could you imagine the responses of the kids?! (You must remember, these are 7th graders.) So Wednesday morning before class I spent an hour helping the student teacher individually bag frogs - 65 of them, if you want to know. All I have to say is thank goodness they're not allowed to preserve animals for dissection in formaldehyde any more. This was some other chemical combination, and it wasn't that bad. Of course, you'd get a different opinion if you asked the 7th graders.
She did a pretty good job of prepping the kids for it the first two days, but it's hard to get kids really for dissection, especially when most would rather just overreact because "it's disgusting". I have to admit, it was funny to watch kids freak out about frogs when they were handed out!! I mean, yeah the eyes were a little cloudy, but at least the frog wasn't discolored from the formaldehyde. My fetal pig from sophomore biology was this nasty gray color. Made you feel like it was rotting or something.
When they actually got to do it, most were loads of fun. Some took a while to get over the fact that they actually had to touch their frog. Once they got up the nerve to do it, they were holding it, making them dance, sing, and all sorts of silliness. Then they named the frogs. We had a "bubbles" and many other goofy names. One group told me there's was "Taylor", because "that's a girl's or a boy's name, and we don't know yet what it is!" I just laughed!!
Well, Thurday & Friday they will be getting into the abdominal cavity. That should get a story or two, right?
affiché par petite américaine à 17:40
lol... I remember doing that!!!! I heard they were doing the dissections this week. That was sooooooooooo much fun.... Suprisingly, I wasn't grossed out and my partner, who, in fact, was a guy, was totally grossed out and got like real sick all over the place, i got to do the whole dissection by myself, and that was sooo fun... I love dissecting things. ... which is why I'm taking zoology next year, and pushing off chemistry for another year... because in bio, which I'm in now, you don't get to dissect anything... and I can't miss out plus it's my fav. bio teachers last year. I can't beleive they don't use formaldehyde anymore!! Our frogs were soaked in the stuff.. it was sorta gross, but once you got past the smell.... and the discoloration, it was great. lol... random... while i'm still rambling, would it be okay if this next Sunday i go to the English-Spanish class... I wanna see that in action... but, if i need help on hmwk... i'll let y'all know. lol... ooh... and i may have a chance in going to Peru this summer... I haven't posted it on my blog yet... but i will. :) ttyl.
that is awesome... you are the coolest sub in the whole world. i am dreading it when i have to do that with bella for science in homeschool. i am hoping that maybe she will be back in school for that... i just don't know about those preserved frogs!!
Em: they don't use formaldehyde b/c it's been known to cause cancer. Isn't that nice?? What they used this time doesn't smell nearly as bad, and it seems to have a lot of alcohol in it. Seems like a BIG improvement to me!
Thanks, Sparrow. Bio work isn't all that bad. It's really facinating, getting a close-up look at God's amaazing, miraculous creation!
We just laughed!! enjoyed you're tale and awaiting more on this subject! I'm sooo glad "work" makes you smile and laugh!!! Praying one day you will have your "own" class & students. Keep laughing & having fun ! (of course w/a touch of firm-loving discipliine! haha)