Accountability

My mission is to 

• Create a classroom culture where being brave is encouraged, fostered, and deliberately and diligently taught.

• Create a love and appreciation for science through exploration and discovery.

In order to stay true to my mission this year (even in the throes of the school year, when the novelty of "back to school" is long gone), I have hung a simple form behind my desk that I use to fill in evidence demonstrating my commitment to my mission.  

I hope to reflect on this document weekly, starting today.

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Week of 9/9

I did two things that were fun:

_x___1) The Color Wheel Lab

_x___2) Scaredy Squirrel Does a Lab Project

I did two things that encouraged exploration and discovery:

_x___1) The Color Wheel Lab

_x___2) Scaredy Squirrel Does a Lab Project

I put up a new quote: "You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them." Michael Jordan

I put up a new joke: Why was the sand wet?  Because the sea weed!

I put up a new "way to be brave": Admit you were wrong about something.

I put up a new Throwback Thursday sign-up: __x___

I encouraged students to use the brave board:  __x___

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I am not sure if it's lame or really cool that my "fun" activities were also the ones that encouraged exploration and discovery.  But, for now, I guess that I will say that I don't believe that those two have to be mutually exclusive.  

The Color Wheel Lab went beautifully in advanced chemistry.  I gave the students several topics pertaining to the lab to research prior to performing the procedure.  It's a beautiful, simple lab that demonstrates the principles of solubility, polarity, and convection currents.  After they finished making their observations, I allowed them to use any of their research to explain why they saw what they did during the lab.  There was a ton of critical thinking that took place and I was incredibly happy with the results.

Scaredy Squirrel Does a Lab was a project I dreamed up over the summer, while reading my kids the book Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt.  You can read more about this project here.

I had some really cool Throwback Thursdays done by students too.  I learned that Albert Einstein was a member of the NAACP and called racism America's "worst disease".  Other students chose to highlight the bravery and innovation of Nikloa Tesla by defying traditional ideas about electricity.

The brave board is slowing gaining popularity.  My favorite additions this week were both by seniors. One posted "10 senior band members traveled to Olivet for a "home" football game to play and support the team." Another mentioned "_______________ singing live in front of the class during review karaoke."