A Best Day in Education

 

I have been in education for so long that it is difficult to select one best day. I think one of my best days occurred when my class participated in our school-wide science fair contest. This was a new endeavor for our school, and it was part of an Expeditionary Learning Unit based on science inquiry. https://eleducation.org/who-we-are/our-approach?utm_source=SumoMe&utm_medium=SmartBar

As a teacher I was frankly daunted by preparing my students for a science fair. I had a fifth grade class which was self-contained in an inner city setting. The students frankly had not come to me with a strong scientific background. We had to progress from learning about the scientific method and guided science experiments to designing and preparing experiments we could present to judges.

After we divided into learning groups, I had the kids research various topics to see what kind of experiment they would like to research. We came up with testing paper towel strength, testing variables that affect plant growth, how different smells travel through water, and testing different surfaces for their amount of friction affecting speed. The group work was intense. I designed different check in pages to guide them through the experiment process. Students took pictures of their work and wrote up a report at the end explaining what they learned. This process took weeks! Both the students and myself learned so much from trial and error. I remember being very stressed by all the different demands and managing the groups and their interactions. We also practiced presenting the information so the kids would be able to interact with the judges.

The big day of the science fair came, and we were all understandably nervous. My kids had dressed up for the occasion and waited anxiously by their displays in the gym. I walked by each display and told them I was very proud of them. After that, my job was finished.  It was all up to them. As I observed, the children were talking with the judges and pointing out the details of their experiment. The groups were all involved in answering questions and talking about their experiences. When I walked around to view the other science fair projects, I was relieved to see that our class's presentations seemed to have the same amount of rigor.

After the kids went to a reception of yummy cookies and punch, the judges made their final decisions and ribbons were rewarded. Upon their return to retrieve their project, my paper towel group was ecstatic to discover a blue ribbon on their project, and two of my other groups got an honorable mention. This was a great day for us because we had worked so hard and presenting our learning made our class so proud. Looking back at this across the years, my appreciation for this day has grown because I have learned that authentic learning experiences such as this are to be treasured. I hope that my students still have this memory as well.