Do you allow "FUN" in your classroom?

[TouchOfWhimsy]

Originally Posted by Ivorytickler

At least my classroom has a real teacher in it. Yes, my classroom creates logisitcs issues, however, that doesn't diminish my ability to teach. My classroom, with all it's faults, is still better than your kitchen and I'll pit my chemistry teaching ability against yours any day of the week. You can't do a thermite demo either so this is the pot calling the kettle black. I'm willing to bet most home school "labs" are worse than what I have.

What I have is far from ideal. It has issues. I'd love to teach in a full lab and have a full demo station. I'd love to start the year with something like the thermite demo. I'd love to be able to do a demo a day to hook the kids in. However, I don't think most homeschoolers are in position to these things either. At least I can explain why the thermite demo works. I may have to show a video (most likely, so would a homeschooler) but I can explain what's happening. Six different ways if I have to.

Honestly, I'm stuck using the same kinds of demos a homeschooler would. If you want to fault me for that and say that makes the education I offer inferior, then you'll need to remember that while you point one finger at me, three are pointing back at you.

Well, if they didn't send their kid to the local community college or to a private high school for advanced science classes, like many do. (Remember, as has been said over and over and over again, that homeschoolers don't do all of their learning at home.) I know that many of your students don't care about chemistry and have to take it anyway, so they aren't affected much by having inferior equipment to work with... but what a shame for those who are truly interested and don't have the option to go elsewhere for a better laboratory experience. Their parents probably think everything is just dandy (educationally speaking), when it's not.

[Ivorytickler]

Originally Posted by TouchOfWhimsy

Well, if they didn't send their kid to the local community college or to a private high school for advanced science classes, like many do. (Remember, as has been said over and over and over again, that homeschoolers don't do all of their learning at home.) I know that many of your students don't care about chemistry and have to take it anyway, so they aren't affected much by having inferior equipment to work with... but what a shame for those who are truly interested and don't have the option to go elsewhere for a better laboratory experience. Their parents probably think everything is just dandy (educationally speaking), when it's not.

Fortunately, we do dual enrollment so many of the advanced students can take chemistry classes at the local community college. For me, teaching chemistry would be a lot more fun and interesting if I could do the cool demos and labs. You're right about it being transparent to most of my students. They'd just as soon not be there .

The point of my post, however, is my school is, certainly set up better than a home school. Both for chemistry and lower level classes. Even a lousy lab is better than none starting at about 6th grade. Unfortunately, my lab looks more like a middle school lab than a high school lab. It is what it is and that's what I have to work with. I'm, definitely, learning creativity here.