The Science Shirts

You have probably noticed that, most often, I am wearing a science-themed t-shirt. It’s kind of become a signature thing for me and it started with a gift from a fellow science teacher at the school I taught at before coming to the Bartlett. 

It’s the green one I still wear occasionally that says “I’m Awesome - It’s Science.” Sometimes, we’d wear our matching shirts on the same day.

As of this writing, I have over 50 different science/engineering shirts. I have certain shirts I only wear for certain days (Like the Christa McAuliffe shirt I only wear on NASA’s Day of Remembrance), and some shirts I wear a lot (Like the “Equality is Not Rocket Science” shirt or the one that has a rocket ship made out of stacked up books). 

Last year, when were were studying the ecosystem at Mono Lake in California, I was standing in the cafeteria and overheard the following exchange between students:

“What does his shirt say?”  

“Mono Lake.“

“Of course it does. I love that he does this.”

An 8th grader once asked, “Do you have, like, regular clothes? I mean non-science shirts, like button up shirts?” I assured her I have the complete wardrobe from button-up shirts to suits and sports coats, dress shirts and ties, polo shirts and non-science t-shirts. I’m not really sure she believed me. 

I do this because it’s fun and it gives me another thing to talk about. I have answered countless questions about what my shirt says or means and it’s a fun way to talk about science. 

When I’m standing in the hallway when you arrive, I am often asked, “What are you wearing?” And then, as I strike a pose so my shirt can be seen, its my own little red-carpet moment, but, of course, with a lot less paparazzi.

The Worst Books I Have Ever Read

As you know, I’m an avid reader. I routinely read or listen to 20 to 40 books a year. I share my reading with you by hanging mini-posters outside the classroom and when I finish, I write a mini-mini-review on the poster: 

“This was great!”  

“Excellent!” 

“This was okay.”  

“Boring!”

I’ve read so many great books and a few real clunkers, as well. There are a couple that stand out as the worst books I have ever read:

• Years ago, I used to write book reviews for Air & Space Smithsonian magazine. They would send me a box of books and ask me to pick out a couple to read and review. They actually paid me to do this! One book they sent me was about a World War II fighter pilot I happened to know a LOT about. I had read every single book ever published about him. I had spoken and corresponded with people who knew him. I had done extensive research about him. 

I opened the new book and read the first chapter and it seemed… familiar… like I’d read it before. I turned to my library of books on this pilot and, sure enough, the writer had stolen entire paragraphs from a prior book on the man. I alerted my editor at Air & Space. He thanked me and notified the publisher about the writer’s plagiarism. 

• Someone I know wrote a book several years ago and, of course, I was excited to read it. You know that feeling when you read the first half page of a book and you think, “Ohhhhh, this is gonna be good?” I love that feeling. I love when the writer hooks you and draws you in right from the first few words. When I read the first partial page of this book, I turned to the last page to find out how long this was going to be. The first page was awful and things never got any better for the next 200 pages. Ugh.

So, there you have it. The worst books I have ever read. But, contrast that with the, literally, hundreds of excellent books and that’s a pretty good ratio.  

Welcome to the 2022-2023 School Year - A return to Normalcy

Welcome to or welcome back to my blog. I write this for and to you, my students. 

This is my forum to write about my life as a teacher, a student and a person. Sometimes, I write to amuse. Sometimes, I write to inform. And, sometimes, I write to help my students put things into perspective.

Friday the 13th, 2020 was the last day we had school before the pandemic smacked us in our collective faces. Everything starting changing after that and things will never again be what they once were. But, after a very difficult few years, I’m hopeful we can have a fantastic, productive and fun year doing science tougher - a return to normalcy. 

By the way, that phrase “A return to normalcy,” is from a US president many years ago. (There’s a tiny gift for the first ten people to name the President and the year.)

I usually post to this blog on Sunday mornings - and no, not at 3:15 a.m. (the posting time is listed as Pacific Standard Time). I will post a link on google classroom, so you’ll get an email notification when there’s something new to read.

I hope you will find them interesting but you’ll all be the judge of that. Please read, share, comment, and disagree with my thoughts and feelings.

The Water Bottles - An Update

 There’s an old saying “One man’s trash is another man's treasure.” Well, I can update that to “One teacher’s recycling is another teacher’s project materials.”

In about an hour, one of my colleagues from a school where I used to teach will arrive to pick up 8 large garbage bags full of (mostly) empty water bottles. I have not counted them, but I estimate there must be three to four hundred bottles in those bags. 

When I sent her the picture of them piled up at my entryway, she texted back “Heavens! How long did it take to collect all those?” 

I replied “In our middle school, this is about a week and a half’s worth of water bottles.”

She was stunned. In her school, each student has his or her own refillable water bottle.

That’s a better way to do things then wasting gallons and gallons of expensive bottled water.  ‘Nuff said.

So, what are they doing with these hundreds of bottles? They will be used for a 7th grade science project. Each student will set up two identical terrariums where they will plant grass seed. One of the terrariums will be the control and they will change one variable in the other bottle and see what happens. 

Since the twin terrariums will be identical controlled environments, they will be able to observe and measure the effect of changing one thing. 

This seems like a great idea for a project and it’s now something I have tucked back into my mind for potential future use. 

The Water Bottles - Ugh

 OMG those water bottles!

They are everywhere; on the floor, on desks, sitting on windowsills, under the tables, and in the lockers - so many water bottles in the lockers. It seems if there is a flat surface, there’s a water bottle on it. 

I am sooooooo tired of cleaning up, mostly full, water bottles in my classroom. I can’t take it any more. 

If there were a professional league for throwing water bottles across a classroom and landing them in the sink, I’d be an MVP. I am the Steph Curry of three-point shots with water bottles. 

Last week, as I tossed the bottles into the sink, I intentionally didn’t empty them or put them in the recycling bins. I just let them pile up. I filled the sink and then some!

I can not imagine how much our little school has spent on cases of water, but I’m sure it’s enough to buy a considerable number of new books.

Nobody wants sluggish, dehydrated students or students who drink so much water they’re in the restroom half the time. But, there has to be some middle ground. 

How about about dumping them out in the sink when you’re done and tossing the empties in a recycling bin?

How about carrying a reusable bottle and filling it up from time to time?

How about taking your water bottles with you?

How about finishing what you take?

Thoughts on Grading

 I think some students are surprised that I don’t grade every single piece of paper they turn in. I think sometimes they are disappointed when they have worked hard on something and I don’t grade it. I think they feel they have wasted their time and energy. 

Not true!

Sometimes the work is practice or review. Some assignments are for me to see how you are doing learning a new topic or set of vocabulary words, etc. I look over the work, get a sense of how people are doing, of who’s “getting it,” who’s having trouble and who’s flaking off instead of working. (There’s a term for these kinds of assignments - formative assessments.)

These insights are addressed in the following lessons. Sometimes I need to review content, sometimes I need to speak one-on-one to someone about their work habits, and sometimes I need to reteach a topic all over again. None of these are a waste of your time and energy, they help us all move forward together. 

The work I grade is usually after you’ve had time to read and digest something, or have had time to practice a new skill, or to close out a section in our curriculum. (These are called summative assessments.)

Learning is a process. When you learn something new - like how to play the ukulele, write new code or identify the roles of certain organisms in an ecosystem, you’re probably not very good at the start. Do you really want me to grade that work? No, you want a chance to practice, to deepen your understanding, and to improve before I start entering grades in my grade book.

If I don’t grade a particular assignment, its not because I am trying to waste your time. It’s just part of the process. 

Choosing Summer School

Six Flags or Lowell High School?

Hampton Beach or ELA & math classes?

Sleeping late or catching the bus to school?

Doing your work now or doing it in a hot, smelly classroom in July?

Attending summer school is a choice. 

Granted, at the end of the year, if you have not done your work, Mr. Holtz will send you to summer school whether you like it or not. But it will have been your choice.

If you are not an active participant in school - not listening, not doing the work, not trying - you are choosing to go to summer school. It is completely in your control.

School is set up to help students get to the next level. We have systems to figure out who’s not understanding and how to best support them. We have people - Mrs. Rake, Mrs Motolla, Mrs. Lord and more - to help and encourage you. We have systems of assessment, reteaching, review and revision to help you reach your potential and level up.

What we don’t have is a way to get people to choose to participate in their own education. We have no way to instill drive and motivation inside your head and heart. You need to do that part. And, even if you don’t really feel it, fake it ’til you make it. In other words, just do your work and learn to enjoy the satisfaction the comes from accomplishment.

We’ve just started the 4th quarter - it’s near the end of the year. This is your last chance to show Mr. Holtz that you CAN and WILL become a full participant in your learning. 

It’s the bottom of the ninth, the two-minute warning, the end of the game when you’ve gotta make your free throws. Now is the time to choose Six Flags, Hampton Beach and sleeping late over going to school and not having a summer vacation. 

It’s really all up to you. 

Choose wisely.