Science Experiment Gone Wrong

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This room is CHAOS. It's the same year 9, bottom-set class where the fight broke out a few days ago.

Everyday, I have something semi-fun planned during class. I say "semi-fun" because it's still work, but it's always an activity, group work, and experiment, etc. I hold it over their heads, telling them that if they don't behave, we won't get to do our activity. At my school in Tennessee where I taught last year, this always worked. Kids like to do experiments, so they behaved themselves so they wouldn't have to work out of their boring textbook.

But these kids don't care. They don't want to do my activities anyway, so it's no incentive to behave. We've hardly done anything fun in this class.

I've been thinking that maybe they're misbehaving because they're bored. Maybe they're tired of doing book work, taking notes, and listening to my voice. Maybe I need to give them a taste of something fun so that the next time I dangle that carrot, they actually follow.

Today, they will build series circuits! It'll be great! I've put together a small packet (about 4 pages, but it has circuit diagrams on it that take up a lot of space) that gives very detailed instructions about how to build the series circuit and how to measure the current with an ammeter. It tells them what to do step-by-step and then has questions to answer. Then they build another circuit and answer another couple of questions. I like it because I'm not doing any formal teaching; I can walk around and facilitate the groups. Plus there's no note-taking and no textbook involved! I'm excited!

The only trouble is that this class is going wild. Although I'm not formally teaching this lesson, I still need to give directions, pass out the packets, put them into groups, and distribute the materials. And they won't shut up! Most of the noise is just the cafeteria-like sounds of kids having conversations with each other. But occasionally, there are other noise problems--Farley singing and making loud yawn-like sounds, Chris drumming with his pencil and fist on the table, Adam picking on the quiet girl next to him, Denzel and Tiana arguing, Chantelle and Kisha yelling at me from the back of the room that we should forget this shit and just learn about sexual reproduction. (Since they seem to know so much about it, mabye I should let them teach that unit!)

All attempts at quieting to class are futile. I don't know what to do. Should I forget about the experiment and just have them copy from their textbooks? But that's what I always do, and it never seems to make a difference. No, they need to know what it's like to have a fun, hands-on activity. I start calling out specific people's names and telling them to do specific things. "Farley, get your feet off your desk! Turn around, stop talking, pick up your pencil and write down the materials for our experiment."

They look at me as though I sound like the Charlie Brown teacher, then they carry on with their conversations. I feel completely powerless. Thirty minutes of the lesson have gone by, and we haven't even done anything. I shout over the noise, writing on the board, demonstrating things with my own series circuit. I think about three people are paying attention.

"Oh my god," Denzel whines. "We already know. You keep going on and on."

I'm surprised. He's been turned around in his chair, arguing with Tiana. I didn't think he was listening. "Ok then," I ask. "What's this experiment?"

"Building series circuits," he rolls his eyes. "We already know how to do it. We've done in school before."

(I knew that it was part of their past curriculum to build series circuits, but the new item this year is how to measure the current with an ammeter.) "What materials are you supposed to use?" I ask.

"It's written on the board there!" he points, then rolls his eyes again, aggravated.

I'm pleasantly surprised. How many other people know how to do this already? How many other people have been hearing what I say? I wonder.

I put the students into groups of three. I hate doing it, because there's always some dramatic reason why the kids can't work with whomever I put them with. I ignore all argument about it and all requests to join so-and-so's group. They must work where I put them, end of story.

"Ok, your materials are on the back counter-top. I need ONE person from each group to collect the materials, then sit back down with your group and begin. Be sure you follow the instructions in your packet--"

I stop because a huge mass of students have raced to the back counter-top. Only about four students remain in their seats. It's like a free-for-all. Pushing and shoving, hitting people who get in their way, and so on. I back for crowd-control, but my presence doesn't appear to make much difference.

Basically, the kids don't even look at the packet I prepared for them. They don't work in the group I assigned them; they work with whomever they want. Some even just work alone, even though we don't have enough materials for them to do that. They don't build series circuits, either. They simply attach wires to bulbs and batteries however the hell they want to. I hear shouts of "Miss! Look! We're finished!" When I look, I see a jacked-up fire-hazard of ten wires connecting two lightbulbs to three batteries, and the bulbs are so bright they're practically twitching from the power surge.

Adam is hitting Laura with a ruler. Josh is chasing Farley around the room. Denzel and Tiana are arguing. Chris is just sitting there, staring at his desk.

Five minutes left. "Alright, everyone stop working and talking. Please sit down and listen for clean-up instructions!"

Heads turn and eyes widen as they see what time it is. Again, a huge rush to the back counter-top. Kids are throwing things into random containers. I don't even get a chance to give clean-up instructions, but instead go to the back for crowd-control and to keep an eye on the equipment. I have wires mixed with bulbs mixed with batteries. More pushing, shoving, and hitting. Whipping each other with the wires.

Next thing I know, someone at the front has gotten into my computer and put an Akon video on the projection screen. The class goes wild with laughter and dancing and jumping. I run to the front to turn it off. Of course, everyone insists they didn't do it. Little liars. It didn't come on by itself.

The only students still hovering around the experiment materials are Kyle and Chantelle. A few lightbulbs lay on the floor at Kyle's feet. With one hand on the counter and one hand on the back of a chair, Kyle braces himself, raises his foot, and STOMPS. The sound of shattering thin glass. "Kyle!" I yell, heading toward him.

Rakeem, easily a foot taller than I am, stands up. I can't get around him. "Rakeem, I can't see what Kyle--" I stop when I see Rakeem's face. He is glaring down at me with determination, as if daring me to try to get past him. More stomping, more shattering glass.

"Rakeem, get out of my way." I stare him right in the eye. "I mean it, Rakeem. You better move." Everytime I step to the side, he steps the same way, completely blocking me.

"Rakeem, get out of my way!" I'm so pissed off, my eyes are bulging out my head.

He glances back at Kyle, who is now finished, then steps aside to let me pass. I assess the damage--four bulbs smashed, five more missing.

"Kyle, you have a detention."

"For WHAT?!" he yells at me. "I didn't do nothing!"

Chantelle joins in, "He didn't do nothing, Miss."

"I saw you, Kyle! And Chantelle, I don't need your help. Just sit down. Look at this mess, Kyle!"

The rest of the class curiously jumps up and runs to me to check out the broken lightbulbs, laughing. I yell at them to sit back down while Kyle yells at me that he didn't do it.

Chantelle says, "Those were already like that. We don't know who did it."

"I know who did it!" I say. "Kyle!"

He goes beserk, throwing his chair and his backpack.

I put the experiment materials away, then stand in front of the closed classroom door. I fold my arms and tell them that they will be missing ten minutes of their break because of their behavior today. Uproar, chaos, insults flung at me, verbal abuse spouting out.

I stand, unmoving.

But inside, I'm scared. There are thirty of them. They're wild, unpredictable, and prone to violence. They could hurt me. I feel so small.

And they're soooo angry...

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Comments

[Victoria Westcott]

Teachers TV
Hi - have you watched any of the videos on www.teachers.tv? There are loads on there to help in these situations - they are online and you can watch for about 15 minutes and learn more about what other teachers are going through, and what solutions are presented to them. I saw a video with almost your exact same story going on just the other day - it was great! Hope it helps.