Australia's Science Forum

I don't intend for this to be a whinge. I'm just hoping to make things run smoother.

In the past I haven't had to worry too much about the amount of notice I require from teaches to get their experiments ready. I've managed keep up with things both organised and last minute. But lately i'm swamped and not coping.

Hope much notice do you all require from your teachers? Do you have any strategies to "enforce" this?

Thanks

WHS reasons surgest 24 hours, We had this at the last school, took a while for the teachers to get use too, but it worked fine. If they where away sick, they would email the next days requests etc. Some schools I have heard have 48 hours. But on my own 24 hours was great.

We encourage 24 hours notice and normally this occurs but teachers are only human and things happen so last minutes get done . That's the advantage of 24 hours notice , it gives a bit of a buffer for the last minutes .
As you can expect , there are some who leave everything til the last , the occasional missed order usually gives them a kick in the backside to be a bit more organised .
It is not in my nature to be forceful with the 24 hour rule . My off side has no problem with telling them no . Perhaps I'm making a rod for my back .

Like you Matt , I generally have kept up but it is a bit insane here ATM . These Independent Research Projects ( IRP's) are a bloody tax . Instead of a class set of something , there can often be 20-25 different orders just for one prac . There are trays and trays of this and that , and a ridiculous amount of time needed to source and supply so each kid has their own special tray of stuff . The teachers have been pretty good with this and normally give me 3-4 days minimum .

Depends. We say 48 hours but in reality 24 is usually fine. We say a week if something needs to be brought in, but in reality 48 hours is usually fine. With my IB students who all do individual research projects for ever subject I say a week, 2 if I need to order stuff online. In my new job I have never said no to last minute requests but if I was ultra busy and they were same day then I would and my teachers would understand.

I try for 24 hours notice for standard "off the shelf" items. For things that have to be prepared, especially chemicals two to three days notice. Two weeks for prac tests. The school prefers me to buy supermarket items with the on-line order, so I let teachers know when that is. In a busier school if they couldn't get the order to me when the on-line order was being prepared, they would have to buy it themselves. I'm a bit easier on that here as we are only a stone's throw from the supermarket and it's a good excuse for a walk.
I have also frequently pulled pracs out at short notice. Sometimes it comes down to the teachers attitude. If they appreciate what I am doing I am more likely to help them out than someone who just expects me to do it and never thanks me. I have said no to late pracs if I have been busy with other things.

24 hours notice is the latest here,most give me 3 days or 48 hours notice. My Senior Chem teacher gives me a week notice for all he's pracs, I love it
They do a lot of team Teaching here and I find that it helps with the time management in planning and giving me the notice I need to get things done here on my own.

No warning is usually necessary (except for offal/phenolphthalein agar etc - then 24 hours is normally more than enough).

I provide an on-call service. If they want something, they ask for it. If it fits what I would do if it were my class then I prepare it.

I'm older than all my teachers and have been here almost as long as some have been alive. I have a Mentor (me)- Trainee (them) relationship. They know the labs are mine - and know that when they ask for something, what they receive will be what I think (know) they need not what they think they do.

It's great here.....I get chocolates for doing the routine things!

Our rule is 24 hours notice. Sometimes I will get experiments out if less than 24 hours ordered but I have great teachers who will get in and help me also as I do food tech prep as well and sometimes it can be quite hectic. They look after me too!

Yep same as everyone else - I ask for next days pracs in by recess day prior ... and any food / prep / purchase required items they let me know as they book them in ... Any purchased items need to let me know by Friday week before so I can get over the weekend or plan when I can get ... Works well most of the time and do have teachers who fall on their sword with late pracs and offer to assist and others who sneak them in and say nothing and may also include something that needs to be made or bought Anyway it is what it is ...