how do you identify classroom glassware

[plooyen]

Hi all
Setting up 7 science labs with regularly used glassware items.
How do you label your glassware to ensure it gets returned to the correct lab.
It needs to be dishwasher proof
Olden days it was spots of paint but prefer to have something quicker and easier

What do you do in your space?

[Merilyn1]

I don't worry about glassware being returned to specific labs. I just work on each lab has a certain number of items, have some spares in the prep room and top up from those if the other items are being washed. This reduces your stress if you are busy and fall behind in washing up - anything can go in any lab. If you were matching them up you'll be pulling out your hair in busy weeks.

Depends on your budget how much you have. I have worked at a school where I had just 10 of everything in each lab (8 stations and two spares) and a scant number of spares in the prep room. Here it is a bit fluid - I don't keep specific numbers, just heaps of each size of beakers - 150ml, 250ml and 500mL. The Chem lab also has 10 x 1L beakers. Test tubes are just a tub that slots into the drawer and I keep that full. From memory (it's been so long) it holds about 40 TTs. Also have conical flasks in the labs. They like the plastic measuring cylinders around here, but I do have glass ones in the prep room if anyone specifically needs them.

[Labbie]

Every thing even glass ware was ordered. When our new principal started, he did not want any thing stored in the classroom, due insurance. So not a thing was stored in the class room, teacher knew where the glass ware was stored in the prep room. Must say it worked will, once I got use to it all.

[Anna Z]

I don't worry about glassware being returned to specific labs. I just work on each lab has a certain number of items, have some spares in the prep room and top up from those if the other items are being washed. This reduces your stress if you are busy and fall behind in washing up - anything can go in any lab. If you were matching them up you'll be pulling out your hair in busy weeks.

Depends on your budget how much you have. I have worked at a school where I had just 10 of everything in each lab (8 stations and two spares) and a scant number of spares in the prep room. Here it is a bit fluid - I don't keep specific numbers, just heaps of each size of beakers - 150ml, 250ml and 500mL. The Chem lab also has 10 x 1L beakers. Test tubes are just a tub that slots into the drawer and I keep that full. From memory (it's been so long) it holds about 40 TTs. Also have conical flasks in the labs. They like the plastic measuring cylinders around here, but I do have glass ones in the prep room if anyone specifically needs them.

^^ We do this also. We do have some glassware specific for some labs but pretty easy to work out. Like in Physics we tend to only have limited glassware...if the trays in there look a little sparse I just fill up from the stash in the prep room.

[RosalieL]

Yeah I wouldn’t worry about designated labs. Just like the others said, they have a set amount and as items are cleaned they go back wherever they fit.

[bigmack]

Every thing even glass ware was ordered.

That's how we do it here too Labbie.

Advantages are that teachers get clean glassware for every prac .
They get what they need . Sometimes they need 24 50ml beakers ,sometimes they only need 8 .
I don't need to constantly check labs for missing or misplaced glassware .

My off sider started this .He used to just hand out a whole box ( usually 12) but I find teachers usually ask for multiples of 8 .
It's a work in progress , but I am making boxes of 8 . It's a simple matter then to grab a box and put it on the trolley .

Do the same thing with measuring Cylinders . and as they lay down in the box , less chance of brakage.

Beakers.jpg

Measuring Cylinders.jpg

We do however , leave Retort stands, tripods and gauze mats in each classroom.

[macca]

Same, all glassware is in prep.room ordered with pracs through RiskAssess. Kids have to rinse free of residue before teacher returns to prep. room. 90% of pracs go out on trollies our prep. room is central to labs. Bunsen, tripod, gauze, heat mat, retort stand, boss head, clamp and test tube racks are the only thing at work stations in labs.

Works so well. Have a dishwasher just a house hold one. I can also keep track on breakages; as they happen so I don't have to do a full stocktake every year. Win Win

[Marama T]

Same, all glassware is in prep.room ordered with pracs through RiskAssess. Kids have to rinse free of residue before teacher returns to prep. room. 90% of pracs go out on trollies our prep. room is central to labs. Bunsen, tripod, gauze, heat mat, retort stand, boss head, clamp and test tube racks are the only thing at work stations in labs.

Works so well. Have a dishwasher just a house hold one. I can also keep track on breakages; as they happen so I don't have to do a full stocktake every year. Win Win

Macca, what about residues like copper sulfate which shouldn't go down the sink?

[RosalieL]

We had waste bottles that went out when required with a funnel and they tipped out the beaker contents into that and gave a quick rinse with a distilled water squirt bottle.

[Labbie]

Yes Bigmack it was worked so well for many a year now, win win. Copper sulfate should be evaporated, and put into a jar.

[macca]

marama


send in waste beakers marked with which chemicals, kids pour into there, then rinse. Anything that can't be comes back to me to clean up.

[Anna Z]

We couldn't do the whole glassware out on the trolley and it comes back, we had 13 pracs running today over 2 floors, it would have been a nightmare. I do love how you guys have it so sorted that it works for you though Saves the annual stocktake

[mtg]

When we designed our new science space (with very limited room) we made stations with a sink 2 x bunsen outlets, power points and also terminals connected to my work spot, under their benches are cupboards with most of the equipment all classes would use. Expensive equipment must be requested. I also put out a waste beaker. There is a big double sink with hot and cold water down the back, the dishwasher is in my space though. Not perfect but given our lack of space it works OK. I have 2 more rooms which have no sinks, or bunsens, ridiculous! We have a lot of hotplates.

[bigmack]

My new school has equipment in Labs in trolleys near each bench . I'm presently going through sorting and cleaning . The glassware is discustingly dirty so I'm hand washing and dishwashing it all as I sort it . I can't believe that Senior Chem students let alone juniors are expected to use this filth and get meaningful results .
Nothing is where it should be and broken stuff has not been reported so I can replace it .
I really would like to do what I had at old school and have it all in prep-room but it is so space deprived , I can't cope with the extra storage of glassware .

I'm thinking of having maybe all the glassware stored together in the Labs in one trolley , but another trolley for dirty stuff that I can collect and clean .
Does anyone do something similar ?
Does it work or do you get dirty stuff put back with the clean stuff ?
Another suggestions , because having a list of equipment at each bench is not

[RosalieL]

At my previous school, glassware was stored in a cupboard in the room (a tall one). Test tubes were in a tote tray and beakers were arranged in sizes at waist to chest height for the commonly used ones and less used were higher up. The measuring cylinders were down on the lower shelves (so kids had to squat and balance to get them and appeared to be more patient with each other). All used glassware, even if it was just water, was supposed to come back to the prep room. It was rinsed by the kids and came back in tote trays. I'd put the clean stuff back in the cupboard. The cycle happened quickly enough that if dirty glassware was put back in the cupboard I would find it and just take it back to the prep room to get washed with the next lot.

My current school doesn't work that way. I've experimented with a few different layouts and nothing has really worked so far but as mentioned in other threads that's all changing over the holidays and glassware is most likely going to be stored in the prep room from next year because there isn't any storage space in the new lab designs.

What worked relatively well was having the glassware at each station and spare glassware in drawers (a cupboard would work) so the students use what's at their bench for their prac, put the rinsed, used glassware in dish racks on plastic trays on the bench near the door, and re-stock their stations from the spare glassware drawers. I then would restock the drawers with the clean stuff. Unfortunately the teachers rarely reminded students to restock their stations so I'd end up with nowhere for the clean glassware and go and restock the stations during sport when the labs were empty.

[Rockhard]

Hi
I have multiple tubs which I numbered for each lab for dirty items (tubs kept in lab).
I asked teachers to place all dirty items in the numbered tub and place on my bench for washing.
So after I washed the items, I placed them back in the cleaned numbered tub that i also washed and back in the classroom and leave tubs in lab for next usage.

I hope that helps

Cheers
Rockhard

[bigmack]

Hi
I have multiple tubs which I numbered for each lab for dirty items (tubs kept in lab).
I asked teachers to place all dirty items in the numbered tub and place on my bench for washing.
So after I washed the items, I placed them back in the cleaned numbered tub that i also washed and back in the classroom and leave tubs in lab for next usage.

I hope that helps

Cheers
Rockhard

I like that . I'm implementing a new system here and that was the missing part of the plan , Thanks

[Debbie]

Being the only Sci Tech in a school of 1400 Year 7 - 12 Students, I have to be very organised (and have been here over 30 years and imaginative and creative with the science budget to make my job easier!) We have 6 labs and all the common equipment including glassware is stored on shelves in the front of the classrooms and students only approach them when they are doing an experiment. The teachers have been trained to finish up the experiment 15 minutes before the end of the class, and the students wash & dry the glassware and put it back on the shelf. I only remove pieces to wash during my weekly checks of the labs if they are very dirty - doesn't happen often. Any glass ware broken during an experiment is swept up by the teacher and put in a broken glass bin in the room. They leave a laminated card in the prac box so I know to replace it.

[Marama T]

Wow, you are so organised. Thanks for the inspiration - I have a feeling I will need it as my school grows.

[RosalieL]

The teachers have been trained to finish up the experiment 15 minutes before the end of the class

Ahhh... this is the pinnacle of lab assisting!! Having the teachers trained!!

I genuinely love that you have teachers who respect time, equipment and training kids to be useful members of society.