Teachers are human too.

For some reason teachers seem to be looked upon by pupils as machines; who live in our own classrooms and have no life. Even though the reality is we probably feel as though we have no life sometimes; but we still must laugh and enjoy our work.

Teaching is a profession which is best described as a daily roller-coaster and no matter how good you are at the job you will always have areas in which could do with improvement; this should be the same for all professions. As I am constantly trying to enhance my own teaching techniques I came across an easy solution that could settle many problems teachers may have in their classrooms; which could be based around the simple human process of laughter.

As I was undergoing one of my own demonstrations with my year 9 classes, 'the squeaky pop test', done from reacting a dilute acid with a metal. I had simply asked ‘does anyone know what gas is being produced?’ However there was a slip in my voice and it came out high pitch and lacked any bass (which normally is the other way round). One of my pupils had decided to say the correct answer (hydrogen), however mimicking my lost voice hoping that the rest of the class would laugh in which he succeeded in doing so. I know he was a character and will try everything to be the centre of attention. Next he (and the rest of the class) seemed surprised as it made me laugh too, in which the class retaliated with more laughter. This moment was where my pupils had developed to conclusions: one, I can have days where I am not always going to sound my best and two most importantly, teachers have a moment that shows we can laugh, enjoy our own teaching and the pupils funny remarks.

The lesson to be learnt here is don’t try to fight these moments as being embarrassment or bad behaviour but embrace them and build that relationship. For it is moments like these (as little as they are) that will probably stick with us for a long time, helping with the learning process for both pupils and teachers.

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why do we need science?

I am sure if you are a teacher you have heard it before; or if you are a parent you may have been asked by your children; or some of you may have asked the same question when you were at school.

'Why do I need science? Why do I need maths? When would I need to find x? or would it really matter if I cannot write up a conclusion for my investigation?'



To be perfectly honest I give my pupils another way to look at. It is not about the knowledge or the facts you write in a lesson; it is to do with the skills you develop to learn from someone more experienced than you. We all need to learn, I am still learning myslef; the worst mistake anyone could make is to feel as though there is nothing else more to learn.

Pupils need to listen and learn because it helps develop essential learning skills. Now it is frustrating when you want to teach someone something you are passionate about, like myself with my science lessons; but at the end of the day you cannot make someone love something you are passionate on, we are all different and we all have different interests.

What you can do is ask the pupils what interests them and then relate it to why sitting through a science class can prove to help get the pupil to where their heart is.

Touch the heart first then you have their minds.

So you could say to your pupils or children;

'try your hardest in concentrating in class, not because you need to learn the facts but because the embedded skills that are unseen within the class while you are learning can prove to be more valuable'.

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Motivation is key!

I have found that to have real success at something you have got to have a hard work ethic. There is no easy way to get through something you want to be successful at than by putting hours of hard work into it.

Don't give up, do not look at your mistakes and wish that had not happened, but look back and reflect, ask yourself what can I do better next time to improve? Once you have done this, look forward, implement what you have learned to improve your work ethos and overall you as a person.

I have had bad days where I just feel like I want to move on, change my line of work and try something different; however these are the days where you realise just how strong you are. How you deal with it from this point can make or break you next time you encounter a bad day.

Pain is temporary and it will pass.

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