what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?
- Wayne
- Posts: 312
- Joined: 17 May 2006, 10:00
- School: Mount Carmel College
- Suburb: Sandy Bay
- State/Location: TAS
Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?
Thankfully we didn't re-subscribe to STILE this year. As you said it was wonderful for the teachers during lockdown, but some of the pracs, wow!
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- Posts: 1548
- Joined: 12 Mar 2013, 08:10
- Job Title: Labbie
- School: Wollondilly Anglican College
- Suburb: Tahmoor
- State/Location: NSW
Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?
Another Stile whinge. Yesterday I spent about two hours prepping for a Stile prac. I think I should be treating these like prac tests - every class does it, to justify the effort and I need two weeks notice!
Today's request - 1kg flour and 100g of cocoa so the kiddies can drop marbles from a height to recreate craters. I really hate food waste and am having a serious problem with just throwing good food away. Does anyone else have this problem? Then I start thinking of the waste I'll have to clean up...
Today's request - 1kg flour and 100g of cocoa so the kiddies can drop marbles from a height to recreate craters. I really hate food waste and am having a serious problem with just throwing good food away. Does anyone else have this problem? Then I start thinking of the waste I'll have to clean up...
- Labbie
- Posts: 3259
- Joined: 28 Nov 2006, 10:00
- Job Title: Retired
- Suburb: At Home
- State/Location: NSW
Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?
We also did this prac, we would keep the flour after use, in a airtight plastic container, and each year we would check it out. Most times it was fine to use for that prac ONLY. It was only put into the bin after about 2 or 3 years,
Regards Labbie
Lab Manager/Lab Tech, mind reading etc etc
Now retired
Lab Manager/Lab Tech, mind reading etc etc
Now retired
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- Posts: 1548
- Joined: 12 Mar 2013, 08:10
- Job Title: Labbie
- School: Wollondilly Anglican College
- Suburb: Tahmoor
- State/Location: NSW
Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?
They have to sprinkle cocoa on top so I'm not expecting it to last too long. Did your prac use cocoa as well? Or just the flour?
- Labbie
- Posts: 3259
- Joined: 28 Nov 2006, 10:00
- Job Title: Retired
- Suburb: At Home
- State/Location: NSW
Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?
Cocoa, the flour got darker each time, but the craters stilled worked.
Regards Labbie
Lab Manager/Lab Tech, mind reading etc etc
Now retired
Lab Manager/Lab Tech, mind reading etc etc
Now retired
- Anna Z
- Posts: 275
- Joined: 16 Feb 2021, 14:39
- Job Title: Lab Manager
- School: DET Secondary School
- State/Location: VIC
Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?
Maybe substitute some sort of garden product, then it can go out on some plants for a yummy treat. Perhaps fine saw dust.Merilyn1 wrote: ↑11 Nov 2021, 09:06 Another Stile whinge. Yesterday I spent about two hours prepping for a Stile prac. I think I should be treating these like prac tests - every class does it, to justify the effort and I need two weeks notice!
Today's request - 1kg flour and 100g of cocoa so the kiddies can drop marbles from a height to recreate craters. I really hate food waste and am having a serious problem with just throwing good food away. Does anyone else have this problem? Then I start thinking of the waste I'll have to clean up...
- Loopy
- Posts: 594
- Joined: 08 Jun 2006, 10:00
- School: Mater Dei Catholic College
- Suburb: Wagga Wagga
- State/Location: NSW
Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?
Morning Everyone,
These Stile pracs are doing my head in! And I agree with Merilyn1 about food wastage. There are days when I ask myself are we science or are we food tech! Next week we are going into Oreo Moon Phases... I ask you, do we really need to supply so many Oreo biscuits that we buy the supermarket out of Oreo's? Another favorite here is Crash test eggs. I cry when I think of all those eggs being smashed
These Stile pracs are doing my head in! And I agree with Merilyn1 about food wastage. There are days when I ask myself are we science or are we food tech! Next week we are going into Oreo Moon Phases... I ask you, do we really need to supply so many Oreo biscuits that we buy the supermarket out of Oreo's? Another favorite here is Crash test eggs. I cry when I think of all those eggs being smashed
Lou P.
Learner Lab Technician
Wagga Wagga
NSW
Learner Lab Technician
Wagga Wagga
NSW
Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?
We are only just starting on the Stile pracs., so far both are sitting in prep. room not done. A case of pay back I think!!!! I don't know how we are going to do it I have the same teacher that ordered them that refuses to book pracs at an appropriate time. We are also the trial school for no Petty Cash. With minimum of $20 - $30 order at Woolies it's impossible, it's no longer coming out of my pantry or pocket!!!!!Loopy wrote: ↑12 Nov 2021, 07:01 Morning Everyone,
These Stile pracs are doing my head in! And I agree with Merilyn1 about food wastage. There are days when I ask myself are we science or are we food tech! Next week we are going into Oreo Moon Phases... I ask you, do we really need to supply so many Oreo biscuits that we buy the supermarket out of Oreo's? Another favorite here is Crash test eggs. I cry when I think of all those eggs being smashed
It's becoming like a primary school, with all the food pracs., I have purchased 8 large packets of colouring pencils this year, I would have loved science when I was at school if it was like the Art classes that's what they have become now.
Cupboards and cupboards full of science equipment not being used. Wow that's my vent for today.
- Lyn
- Posts: 709
- Joined: 16 May 2006, 10:00
- Job Title: Lab Assistant (Technician)
- School: St. John's Catholic College
- Suburb: Darwin
- State/Location: NT
Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?
We have done the crater practical outside the science labs. Had a large dirt area at the back of the middle school labs where the industrial bin was kept or it was done on a grassed area away from student traffic. Saves on cleanup and the labs are flour free. Just had to make sure that all the asteroids (marbles) were returned. The dirt area also provided different sized asteroids (pebbles and small rocks). I never gave a thought to recycling the flour/cocoa mix especially since some of the bacteria we have in the soil up here is not exactly good for your health, in particular meliodosis. Definitely no qualms about throwing out the remains of the practical into the bin. I don't cry over the eggs and yes it does seem to be a waste, but if only one child appreciates the fragility of what they are handling and can see the point behind trying to make their eggs crashproof isn't that what learning is all about.
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- Posts: 1548
- Joined: 12 Mar 2013, 08:10
- Job Title: Labbie
- School: Wollondilly Anglican College
- Suburb: Tahmoor
- State/Location: NSW
Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?
I think the biggest complaint from Stile user labbies, isn't so much just general food waste but it feels like food products are the "go to" for the Stile writers. Yes, if they need to use eggs, it's hard to substitute something like that. But when Stile asks for food products when we have shelves of unused Science equipment, I get annoyed and I think other users do, too.Lyn wrote: ↑12 Nov 2021, 12:17 We have done the crater practical outside the science labs. Had a large dirt area at the back of the middle school labs where the industrial bin was kept or it was done on a grassed area away from student traffic. Saves on cleanup and the labs are flour free. Just had to make sure that all the asteroids (marbles) were returned. The dirt area also provided different sized asteroids (pebbles and small rocks). I never gave a thought to recycling the flour/cocoa mix especially since some of the bacteria we have in the soil up here is not exactly good for your health, in particular meliodosis. Definitely no qualms about throwing out the remains of the practical into the bin. I don't cry over the eggs and yes it does seem to be a waste, but if only one child appreciates the fragility of what they are handling and can see the point behind trying to make their eggs crashproof isn't that what learning is all about.
I'm finding that teachers are under a lot of pressure to do more in the same amount of time and they don't stop to think about the prep or the cost of some of these pracs. So I don't blame the teachers but I think it would be good for Stile to see things from our view at times.
I take the approach of doing what I'm asked to do as long as it is reasonable. I don't get paid enough to rethink all their pracs. If something is really clear, or I hear of someone doing things a different way, I will speak up. But - I get on pretty well with my teachers here because I don't question absolutely everything they order. I do the best I can with the time I have.
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- Posts: 525
- Joined: 15 Aug 2011, 10:48
- Job Title: Lab Tech
- School: NDSC
- Suburb: west gippsland
- State/Location: VIC
Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?
New teacher just asked me if we had any more warming plates. "Judging by your laughter I guess I got the name wrong", yes she wanted evaporating basins.
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- Posts: 525
- Joined: 15 Aug 2011, 10:48
- Job Title: Lab Tech
- School: NDSC
- Suburb: west gippsland
- State/Location: VIC
Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?
Re Stiles pracs, I modify and rewrite them if they suck. Our orders every single little thing has to be done online through compass, approved by the AP and my HOD, so now the teachers have to buy the last minute stuff.