Australia's Science Forum

If you get a reaction and change with the more dilute solution...I'd just put it out and not say anything to the teachers in future. If anyone gets agro...just plead the safety line :) Ha - they don't get agro, more just disappointed - kind of like if I'd told them the college has banned cake. :?

I've offered the more dilute form to teachers and they seemed a bit unimpressed, without even trying it out! Occasionally, one will do it as a demo but not often. I'm happy, because regardless of what the students get to use, I have to handle the solid. I haven't had to make up new solution in years.

Thanks for your input, everyone, I don't feel as stressed as I did, I have not been through the process before and thought being selected meant you would be committed to a 10 week trial. I'm not trying to get out of jury duty, just would prefer to wait until I have retired, with all the time in the...

bigmack wrote: ↑02 Mar 2021, 08:18 LOL Merilyn ...just had to google Pony Beads

I'll send you the name of my counsellor

I remembered something I thought was strange: pony beads. Not being a crafty kind of person, I had no idea what a pony bead was until I had to work with a teacher who liked to demonstrate lots of things via craft. Look, it was probably really effective, but the teacher made such a big deal about it,...

Yeah, I should remember that. Did it at uni, but that was in 1990-something! I guess I'm excused for forgetting

We use methylated spirits and any soft leaves - so pinch stuff from the garden. I'm not sure of the method, but I do know they have to heat it first - usually a water bath set up. Sorry, can't help any more!

Don't like your chances just based on employment restrictions. If a trial actually went as long as 10 weeks, most don't, the school would have to find a replacement. There's a good chance if you get called up you will either receive a message to say you are not required, show up and sit around for h...

We've bought piglets from Dissection Connection. Teacher was happy with them. We only bought one for each bio class for a teacher demo, so cost wasn't excessive for a senior class.

Assuming your teachers have "common sense"

We don't have a specific policy on such a thing but your teachers would need to do a risk assessment. Consider what the students are doing in the lab - is it just theory work or are they doing pracs. Are there risks for someone being there with limited mobility who could cause a student to trip when...

You can delete risk assessments, so can't see a problem doing that. I assume that Food Tech people do risk assessments? (But that is their problem, not your's) If you decided you need to do a risk assessment for your Food Tech prep, you could use Riskassess for that, but it might be easier to use a ...

You could easily use Riskassess for scheduling - add it in without signing off on the risk assessment. Your only problem is it will add the food tech pracs in with the science pracs on your schedule, which may or may not be helpful to you. I've done both jobs for a short time (5 terms) and it was a ...

Thanks for resurrecting this one Rosalie. I love the teacher who asked for the labbie's phone number so they could check on stock over the weekend! Not so much a weird thing, but I think a good forum to rant - at one of my past schools, the Year 7 lockers were in the Science block. Year 7 being Year...

Labbie wrote: ↑18 Feb 2021, 11:34 Gosh is that allowed???

For cane toads it should be mandatory. One way of getting rid of a few!

Have a look at Logical Interface - he sells a really good computer simulation program. No more worrying about water sitting on top of electrical equipment.

Check with the person who services your current microscopes. They have a good idea of quality and if the 'scopes are worthwhile repairing later down the track.

A braver person than me!

If you are not using them, and they haven't been used for a long time, maybe it is time for them to go. You would need to check your school to see what they feel is acceptable for SDSs. The Chemwatch ones may not be suitable. I'd have someone with greater authority make that decision if you are unsu...

My first response this morning when I read this was just make up a fresh batch of 2M and be done with it. My second response after reading all the advice above is: " make up a fresh batch of 2M and stop stressing out". My head hurts after reading the above two answers. :-? Is it :coffee: time? Yep....