Give me an S...s, give me a C...c, give me an I...i...

I have been scientifically challenged for a very long time. My theory[!!] is that this logic based subject is more difficult for lefties since logic is a left brain activity and I am definitely in my right mind!!. Even all the way back to my college courses, I had to take astronomy [twice], eked my way through geology, and the final hurdle was 'Teaching Science in the Elementary School'...gulp! Everyone had to teach a lesson to the class, and mine was progressing relatively okay. It had something to do with air...and I recall discussing that the use of a can opener allows the contents of a can to accessed. blah, blah, blah....And then the professor asked, " Why must you make two holes in the can? Why won't it work with only one opening in the can?"

Huh? What the hell kind of question was that??

My reaction was a combination of 'frozen with fear' and 'Good Lord...I have no idea!'

My immediate choices were to faint...or pray for a lightning bolt to put me out of my misery.
I had to seek a different route to keep that science lesson going...not the 'science' part, but the 'lesson' part. Graciously, I punted back to my fellow classmates,

"Great question! Phillip, what is your theory on that?"

"You have to have the second hole so that air can push the liquid out."

"Of course you do!! "

In my head, "Really, well bust my buttons! Who would've thunk that???!!!"

[Pop tops entered the scene years later, but please don't ask me why they work so well without the second hole to push out the air. And also, you 'can' [punny!]spare me the reasoning why...]

Several years later in a 5th grade teaching position, my observation by the principal was to be a science lesson.

Huh? Can't I just tell him that I have 'science dyslexia'? scientifically intolerant?[similar to lactose intolerant!] allergic, maybe?

Alrighty then! For my observed lesson in a previous job, I selected plants, cuttings, growing roots in the water, seeds, etc. It was fine! But plants were not in this 5th grade curriculum. The water cycle was the topic, and the lesson was to create condensation where droplets of water were going to form...and then...rain!!
We did everything right. And... did it rain?

Not one water droplet!

Was I surprised? No.

And once again, another punt to the kids...

"What do you think is the reason it didn't work?"

And after acknowledging several logical responses, and praising the thinking skills of my scientifically gifted ...future cancer curing geniuses...I said,

"That's right...and things don't always work out as planned!"

In my head I was thinking that I'd leave creating rain to the 'great creator' who knew how to get it right!!

Well, my strengths are definitely reading/language arts, math, social studies, ...ABS...'anything but science'. Before I was able to accept the things that were NOT going to change, I actually had to endure another chance to prove that it would be better if the science classes were taught by those who not only understood it...but LIKED it, too.

That story will be my next post.

"The Plight of the Unsuspecting Crayfish!"