what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?

for anything else that doesn't fit.
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Wayne
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Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?

Post by Wayne »

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!
Merilyn1
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Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?

Post by Merilyn1 »

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...
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Labbie
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Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?

Post by Labbie »

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 :wub:
Merilyn1
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Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?

Post by Merilyn1 »

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?
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Labbie
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Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?

Post by Labbie »

Cocoa, the flour got darker each time, but the craters stilled worked.
Regards Labbie

Lab Manager/Lab Tech, mind reading etc etc
Now retired :wub:
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Anna Z
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Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?

Post by Anna Z »

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...
Maybe substitute some sort of garden product, then it can go out on some plants for a yummy treat. Perhaps fine saw dust.
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Loopy
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Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?

Post by Loopy »

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 :cry2:
Lou P.
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macca
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Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?

Post by macca »

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 :cry2:
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!!!!!

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. :redcard: :-({|= Wow that's my vent for today.
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Lyn
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Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?

Post by Lyn »

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.
Merilyn1
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Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?

Post by Merilyn1 »

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 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.
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.
mtg
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Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?

Post by mtg »

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.
mtg
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Re: what weird/quirky things do your teachers ask of you?

Post by mtg »

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.
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