Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

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Ocean Breeze
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Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by Ocean Breeze »

Just wondering how many of us know the pracs that the classes are going to do... before you are told?
Anyone just given the topic and expected to work through it? Or given a program and have to find the expts from the folder?
Who recieves reminder/orders by email, and who gets given an order sheet?
If you ARE expected to know in advance whats coming up, anyone feel bad/pressured if you misjudge the timing/expt etc?
And what about classroom service?
Anyone do lots, seniors/juniors only, some, none at all?
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J
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School: DHS
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Re: Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by J »

Hi Barbara

If they were waiting for me to have ESP and know what they wanted next, they'd be waiting a while. :? :unsure:
We have order sheets that they pin on a board labelled with each day of the week. Sometimes I even get notice a week in advance, although certainly not all the time. Some teachers get their own stuff and just leave me the mess after.
I work in a very small school with only 2 labs, so things are pretty cruisy here. If they don't give me enough notice I just tell them they'll have to wait, and do something else meanwhile.
I know it's different in larger schools where you guys are totally run ragged every day, but most of our teachers are co-operative and even friendly. :-)
I wouldn't want to work in any other school, I've got it too good here. :coffee:
Julie
RosalieM
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Re: Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by RosalieM »

I have no idea until the teacher puts the request in. I have paper request sheets, but often it is a verbal request, followed by a comment such as "I'll try to write it all down for you", and sometimes I get the paper :) If I don't get the request form filled in, I usually get a photocopy of the prac. Like Julie, we only have 2 labs, so life isn't as crazy here as some other schools! I provide some assistance sometimes, usually just as an extra pair of eyes in the larger classes, but that's mainly if they are doing things with expensive equipment (like the distillation prac), food colouring with squirters and that sort of thing. Sometimes when the senior classes are doing something interesting I will wander into the lab just to check it out if I am not too far behind in other things :)
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Robdean
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Re: Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by Robdean »

My teachers are fairly good at filling in the order forms (sometimes too good!). Mind you there are a couple who insist on last minute verbal orders and if I happen to remember them all well and good but sometimes I am so busy these ones slip my mind! I have 7 labs to look after here, in 3 different buildings and on 2 levels. I have a reasonable idea of what is coming up and then 5 or 6 classes will do much the same prac one after the other (sometimes all at once - help!!) All will change soon as, since our numbers have dropped, (though definitely not the workload), I will be required to put in 4 hours a week doing the Home Ec orders, shopping and some prep. Feel sorry for the Home Ec teachers though as there will be 4 of us doing the Home Ec job over the week. My Science teachers have been warned that things are going to be a bit different here and already most of them are practising getting in their orders ahead of time; one impressed me with a week's notice! How many others are combining Science with other areas??
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dolphinscales
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Re: Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by dolphinscales »

I am totally lucky here

I have prac order slips which the teachers all know they give me at least 48 hours notice- specially for the chemistry ones that require me to make up chemicals.

When i started here i asked for the programs and worked out when pracs were going to be... or at least round about ideas....this also helped with ordering and keeping posters and displays relevant around the place.

i have only got senior student here so less worry with the timing of junior classes - espcially if differnt unit are getting run by differnt teachers - had that in the last school - :)

No i dont feel bad if miss time stuff - my job description does not include esp as a requirement so if they do teh right thing by me i do the right thing by them - but then i only have 5 teachers to deal with and they are all very supportive and helpful wheni am in need.
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dime
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Re: Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by dime »

Like Julie, we have a board with days of the week and divided into periods, for them to put up their completed order forms. I insist that orders for the next day are on the board by 9am, to give me time to get the stuff or negotiate with the teacher concerned for an alternative. Failing that they have to get it themselves. All equipment is delivered to their preprooms prior to the lesson. The teacher is responsible for returning the stuff to my preproom. Of course, there are many instances of late orders, and depending who, or how I am approached, whether I will help them. ( I usually do!) But they kinda have to grovel. :wink2:

I don't agree with being given an experiment and asked for the stuff to make it work. I don't consider that I am paid enough to think like a teacher, only a gopher. I am more than happy to help them with any knowledge that I have acquired along the way, but I do not ever help out in the lessons - have never been required to.

With 600 students, 6 labs, and 6 teachers, I also have to spend 5 hours a week helping in admin, and do Board of Studies entries as well.
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Loopy
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Re: Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by Loopy »

The teachers here follow the Science Focus text book for years 7-10 which makes it pretty easy to anticipate experiments coming up. The question for me is at what stage are they ready to do the experiments and sadly my ESP fails in that aspect. Mostly I can check in advance that I have all what is needed for the experiments and therefore it only takes a few minutes to put it all together. For that I am grateful. We have 5 labs here but only 3 classes of the same year on at a time. The natural progression of the classes learning tends to spread pracs out over the week ie the top class will be the first to request a prac and likely as not the second class as well. A day later will be the third and fourth class followed in the next day or two by the fifth and sixth one.

As far as seniors go, I am mostly (although not always!) given a fair 24 - 48 hours notice depending on how much equipment/chemicals/stuff needs to be put together for the experiment. I freely admit if I am not given much notice I am my own worst enemy and just do my damnedest to give them what they want... (silly me). This is only my third year at this, so I consider that I am still on a learning curve.

All in all, the staff here are very understanding regardless, so I know if I said no to them giving me short notice they would understand. I consider myself very lucky and do not know what I would do without Chemtalk. Thank you to all and have a super Easter!

Lou.
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nickyw
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Re: Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by nickyw »

No I have no idea what pracs are coming up. The teachers fill in a prac request form from an access database that has been set up with every prac we do. They then email it to me with 24 hrs notice (mostly).

My teachers are very good to me and sometimes I get a weeks notice.

I dont usually go into the classroom only if I am asked to on a rare occassion I would love to be more involved though. One time I did go to a reef in a tinny with the yr 12 marine ed class that was fun.

As I now only work 3 days a week I have been working my other 2 days at home Ec while that lady is on LSL. I think it is good to wear a few hats and work with other people. The home Ec staff are great and I have made new friends. The work is very similar and lots of fun as well not to mention all that yummy food. The home ec staff get to eat their demos which means great lunches. Mind you my time is almost up over there and I really am looking forward to only working my 3 days again.

Hope everyone has a happy and safe easter. I am off to Cairns for easter to catch up with my brother and sister cant wait. Hope you all get lots of choccies.
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coxy
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Re: Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by coxy »

Like most others I've just read, there are order forms (or you can create them as I did) and the teachers SHOULD have the decency to fill them out, put them on a notice board, and give you plenty of time to make them up. I have 7 science teachers, and am usually lucky to get 24 hours notice - only if items need to be purchased i.e., red cabbage, certain items that we don't keep here or particular solutions. Oh! Sorry, I forgot, I don't make solutions because I have refused to use our fume cupboards because they are still not fixed and I have called in WorkCover..... blah, blah, and that's another story.
Where was I? Oh yes, I have some very simple order forms if you would like me to email them to you. Let me know: sue.cox2@education.nsw.gov.au
Good luck. We certainly do not earn enough to test things out, or do practise runs on experiments - what do they think we are!
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Labbie
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Re: Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by Labbie »

We have a a book, in which the teachers write their orders, under the said day of course. As the labbie before me, only worked a 3 day week. Most of the teachers write their orders in for the week, on the Friday afternoon, of the week before. With writting it in a book, each teacher can see what the other is doing, and as some of the teachers have been here for over 30 years, they know what equipment we have and roughly how much we have. This system seems to work very well.

They can not do any washing up, do'nt think they know how. I use to have flexi days, but give them up, you worked like mad to get everything ready for your day off. And came back to so much mess and test tubes just everywhere. It just did not work out. We have 6 teachers, 6 labs, and 4 prep rooms, all the prep rooms are different set ups. And each teacher has a different way of storing items. Guess you get use to it. Some teachers just help them shelves, which is not really helping me at all.
Regards Labbie

Lab Manager/Lab Tech, mind reading etc etc
Now retired :wub:
Courtney
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Re: Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by Courtney »

We too have order forms but I also accept emails, as long as it is a written request I don't mind (then I can stick it to the prac tray and when something is missing they can see that it was them that forgot to order it). teachers are for the most part good at getting requests to me with 2 working days notice, any short notice requests are done only if I have time and no-one has a problem with that. I also require that they write on requests if they need my time for the lesson as i do often help out in classrooms or run demonstrations if I have more knowledge in a certain area (usually biology as I used to work as a medical scientist) or the teachers are too scared to operate the equipment. As for the ESP thing, I do have an idea of what may be coming up but that only serves me as a guide in the back of my mind, if it's not written down it doesn't happen!
ellice
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Re: Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by ellice »

Hi All,
It's really interesting reading how everyone does it. (preparing pracs I mean!)
I have a large diary, with a page for each day, and teachers write in what's required. As we use the Heineman textbooks for 7-10, I know whats coming up, and usually I just get an Expt name with page number, room, etc. I like this system as other teachers can see what's been ordered, so what will be available. I tick off asit's ready. I've actually started packing individual senior Chem pracs into a cupd ready for the call. I have six labs, and two prep rooms, and as I've been doing this job for 25 years, I have it pretty well under control! (famous last words!)
Most of my teachers are good. I'm a bit of a Nazi with people that get outtheir own stuff. They never put it back in the right place!
Hope everyone has a safe and happy Easter.
Ellice.
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sunray18
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Re: Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by sunray18 »

In general I SHOULD know as we have the Topics for the year for Juniors all mapped out on a time-line, and the teachers all follow the Science Focus books. However, there are always those teachers who have their own pracs from 'years ago'.. most of which you can't do now.. those new teachers who look things up on the internet and come up with wonderful but dangerous new ideas - and those teachers who rush ahead of everyone else and are onto the next Topic before the rest are finished. Time would be wonderful - I never have time to gather all the gear for any one Topic for all the classes...
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pkij
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Re: Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by pkij »

We have a prac request form (24hours notice) here with all the info I could need, I have attached a copy if that is of any use. I will accept email requests also. I ask the Academic Co-ordinator for the term planner so that I have some idea of what topics will be covered and I attend Science Dept meetings to keep up with what is going on. In theory this works but I often get last minute request and will do these if I have the time. The teachers are helpful and because we have a lot of inexperienced teachers I will often make suggestions. I don't like teachers just coming in to help themselves the only people to have prep room keys are myself and the academic co-ordinator. We have three labs and two prep rooms. I help out in classes sometimes, depends on teacher, recently I had to help with a class because the teacher who was relieving for another sick teacher for a few weeks had never taught science before (I did score a nice box of choccies). He actually did really well because he is an excellent teacher, I have never seen those kids behave so well.
I'm not sure how other labbies feel but I consider myself a professional and have a fair amount of input into the department, we have a high turn over of staff so I am usually the one who knows what is going on!!.

Have a happy Easter everyone. :-)
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lita*
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Re: Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by lita* »

Hello!

I never know what pracs the teachers are doing, I would actually like to know, it makes it more interesting to understand why you are getting certain things out. As there is no set program, each of the teachers are able to go about there pracs anyway they like so long as they have met the requirements of the course. So I am kept guessing. After a year now, though I can see the general pattern. I can see how after not very long you would know more pracs than you would come out of uni with.

Happy Easter !!!!
lygray
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Re: Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by lygray »

Hi everyone this is my first time on Chemtalk, thank you so much for all your help, I have only been in the job for two years and feel I'm beginning to get a handle on it now!
We have 6 labs and 8 teachers put their requests on a board with 24 hrs notice. most teachers are very good. I love the job, as in all jobs some days are better than others. it is always interesting.
Have a relaxing break
Lyn :-)
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Ocean Breeze
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Re: Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by Ocean Breeze »

Welcome Lyn :D
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smiley
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Re: Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by smiley »

I have a 48hours prac request time. My teachers fill out their requests and do a "tick the box" risk assessment on the back of the form. This is to make them aware of the basics, really. With our Yrs 8 - 10, we are following a program, which I have a copy of, and using textbooks, which I have on CD. So teachers will ask for "the prac on p161, Yr10" and I can get it all ready. Usually, if one class is doing the prac, all the classes will be doing it, so I just refill and refit tubs for the next lot. In my school junior classes get the teachers who do Science/PE or Science/Maths etc, so a fair bit of babysitting goes on. But thats OK, they ask me for ideas, and when I get input, then I get to moderate what goes on in junior classes.

The ONLY thing my teachers do by themselves is organics with Seniors. I have a chronic allergy to alcohol, so they have to do all their own pracs when they're using all the alcohols etc. If I inhale the fumes I get asthma and die. 8O

I'm with pkij, I consider myself a professional, and have lots of input. My HOD is straight from heaven, and we work very well together. So I guess I'm very lucky really. :thumbup:

Cheers, K 8-)
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Sharls
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Re: Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by Sharls »

I am really lucky. Our head science teacher set up an experiment request page on our school extranet site under science. The teachers have to have their requests in by Monday for that week but usually they are in a week in advance. It comes up on the web page as a monthly or weekly calander (which ever I choose) and all of the information is there including date, time, text page (if needed),equipment and the teacher that has put in the request. I am then informed via e-mail that a new request has come through. This way all pracs are set up on time and everyone knows what everyone else is doing. It helps to have computer savy people around.

Sharls \:D/
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smiley
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Re: Do we know pracs in advance/provide classroom service?

Post by smiley »

Oh wow Sharls - that's just showing off! :thumbup: You win, I think.

Cheers, K 8-)
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