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Category Archives: Challenges & Frustrations
Clinging to What We Think We Understand
Einstein once said Whether you can observe a thing or not depends on the theory which you use. It is the theory which decides what can be observed. +20
Frustrations With Teaching Science in the Current Educational Climate
This is a message I sent to my department head that outlines some of my frustrations with teaching science in the current educational climate. For my out-of-state readers, MCAS is the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System–a set of high-stakes tests that … Continue reading
Teaching Kids How to Read
Last fall, I took a graduate course called Reading in the Content Areas. The course dealt with various ways of improving students’ reading comprehension. The course made me realize that most students are never taught how to read anything other … Continue reading
Stoichiometry Test Redux
Yesterday in one of my classes, I spent a few minutes talking about the results of the test I described in this post. The two kids who stayed after school for three hours both scored in the 90s on the … Continue reading
A Modicum of Effort
The topic I just finished teaching (moles & stoichiometry) has given me a little more insight into the minds of high school sophomores. +4-4
Administering a Hard Lesson
One of my students turned in a science fair project that turned out to be his sister’s project from last year. I find it amazing that he thought he could get away with it. His sister’s project won second prize … Continue reading
Posted in Administrivia, Anecdotes, Challenges & Frustrations
Tagged administrivia, anecdotes, challenges
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Academic Integrity
I gave my honors chemistry II students a lab practicum for their mid-term exam on Friday. I divided them into of three students per group (assigned randomly) and gave the groups two problems to solve and write up (in a … Continue reading
Posted in Administrivia, Anecdotes, Challenges & Frustrations
Tagged administrivia, anecdotes, challenges
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Kids Who “Get It”
I had a frustrating organic chem class on Wednesday. The class appeared not to understand or be able to reproduce some of the reactions that we had studied in detail in recent classes. This is normal and expected behavior for … Continue reading