This Didn't Go Well

 My plan going into the 2022-23 school year was to “fill my room with interesting objects, things that would ignite my student’s curiosity.” 

When the year started I had, what looked like a museum, in my room. 

I had scale models (Mercury & Gemini rockets, X-15 rocket plane, S’cool bus dragster), a newton’s cradle, magnetic field display tube, plasma light, samples of fossils, shells, rocks, a natural sponge, a giant conch shell (Thanks, Mom), and more. The whole set-up looked nice and I expected the 7th and 8th grade kids would be intrigued.

I was very clear that they should not touch the models - I even had little “Do not touch, please” signs in front of them. With the rest of the stuff, I encouraged you to touch, explore and ask questions.

Explore you did. 

The Newton’s cradle was destroyed - I mean they tend to tangle when used too aggressively, but there’s usually one kid with the patience and skill to untangle it - at least that was my experience last year. This year, the students tangled and broke many of the strings. 

The rockets were the next to fall, then the magnetic thing ended up being dropped so many times it ceased to be a magnet.

I don’t even know how anyone could punch a hole in the side of a plastic display case, but that’s what happened. 

It’s gone, all gone, destroyed. 

A classroom is a harsh environment - I know this. There are over 110 kids moving in and out of my room every day - they are large kids, prone to acting without thinking, not what you would call “careful.”  

But, this level of damage….seems extreme.

This doesn’t even take into account the two electric pencil sharpeners that were broken and the remote control device that was stolen off my table.

Will I do this again next year?  Will I try to make the science lab an interesting place?

Will I feel free to leave things on my table and expect to find them there when I need them?

I really do not know.