Put the Pro in Improvise

Flexibility is just one of those things you can't have in short supply in your classroom. Each day of teaching presents new challenges, and requires a little planning parkour from time to time. This week started with Greenwood getting a PDE Ag program audit on Monday, followed by an early dismissal on Tuesday, which led to a two-hour delay on Wednesday and left us out of school on Thursday. All of this left me to face Friday with the attempt to get everyone back on track without hardly any motivation from the students to be there to begin with. There was a student who, when asked how her week went, replied with "I could have skipped." Who wouldn't want to skip on the Friday after a snow day? I had to change my lessons around some to fit the changing class times. I had students absent and had to decide how I plan to catch them up.

In keeping with the theme of improvising, I decided we should have a little fun on Tuesday due to the early dismissal and shortened class period. We are learning about carbohydrates, so I thought it would be cool to mix sulfuric acid and table sugar to discuss dehydration reactions. KP and Clark and our custodian Mr. Sowers all attempted this the night before. After waiting for what felt like forever, KP decided we should add more sugar, which sped up the reaction some. The carbon "snake" started to emerge from the steaming beaker we decided to take it outside. It was cool, but nothing crazy. The next day when I attempt it in a room full of high school students it reacts pretty quickly and fills the entire hallway and classroom with burnt-sugar smelling fumes. We rush outside with the hot beaker on our tray and have to vent out the hallway. During the performance through the hallway someone managed to toss their lunch up which really made for a crazy class. 

Although craziness and changing circumstances can put a damper on your plans, it makes for an interesting profession. There is a reason they say variety is the spice of life. I've learned through this week that sometimes things come out of nowhere
and you have to deal with them as they come down  the pipe. I've learned how a 3 week unit can easily become a 5 week unit depending on the weather. I've also learned to plan with a pencil that has a good eraser. My goal this week is to get back on track and as a future lifeline, have a few "snow day" lessons that can be used on those crazy schedule days. Weeks like these push us to get creative when it comes to creating material for shortened classes, and h