Our culture is the exponentially growing collection of knowledge and invention that we pass from one generation to the next. Science and mathematics are especially rich components of our culture with millenia of contributions from many cultures and all regions of the globe. Unlike other forms of inheritance which must be subdivided and are often distributed with inequity, this inheritance is the birthright of every person, and every person may consume as large a share as he or she would wish. Our world is one of science, mathematics and technology; literacy in these areas is essential for any individual who is to be engaged with and empowered in our world. The curriculum is a subset of this inheritance which is distilled down and shared with students in the environment we call school.
The America that we know today was built by those who left their homelands because they were not first-born sons and therefore had very limited birthrights. Others came from situations where even first-born sons had few if any prospects. With an education in America a person has prospects to not only survive but to thrive and to provide for children. But if we measure the value of an education solely in terms of economic benefit, then we ignore the greater part of its value.
In times past you might have been a carpenter because your father was a carpenter whether or not you were well suited for that occupation. You might have been a mother and a housekeeper because it was expected, but even learning to read was not a possibility. Perhaps you would have been a field hand because that was the only option available. Carpentry, parenthood and farm work are all important roles, and they bring joy to those who choose them. However, with education you may choose to be a nurse, or a doctor or a software engineer because the work suits you well. And along the way you may sculpt your own identity; you need not accept the identity that others force upon you.
Students do not always appreciate the awesome value of this cultural inheritance, so a primary function of the teacher is to help the student understand the meaning of the curriculum with respect to the life of the student. Once the student is engaged the teacher serves as a guide. Success is achieved when the student is able to function as the most important person in his or her own education. A successful education system produces graduates who are life-long learners that are able to learn and grow with or without formal schooling. I teach as a matter of social justice. I teach to empower students. I teach so that students may understand their world, be part of it, contribute to it and reap its rewards. I teach because the rewards of working with students greatly outweigh the economic remuneration that comes with teaching.
Now take a look at the painted shelves. You can clearly see how the shelf is recessed relative to the rails on all four sides. This prevents bottles of chemicals from slipping or rolling off of the edge. Notice also how the rails on the shorter side have been notched in a way that corresponds with the notching in the uprights. This adds about 2″ to the overall length of each shelf, and overall it is just a more pleasing result. However, the notching of these rails and uprights was the most challenging part of the construction. The grooves which were cut to support the plywood were done using a plunge bit with a router on a router table and went very quickly. If I had a table saw or a radial arm saw available I would have made the notches using a dado blade, but alas I just made many passes with a hand-held circular saw. That was a lot of work!
When teaching Chemistry or Biology (Living Environment, etc.) the preparation of professional-quality class materials can be challenging when we want to generate images of molecules. My solution is ChemSketch from ACD/Labs. (Just Google it!) There is a free-ware version which may be downloaded and installed on your PC or Mac. I am very comfortable with technology, so I was able to have it installed pretty quickly, and the learning curve wasn’t very steep. Within a couple of hours I was able to produce quality the drawings as you see here plus many more. I may be presenting examples that are more complex than what you need. For people who are less confident with technology it might be nice to work together with a colleague or perhaps a technology specialist.
I immensely enjoyed the narrative portions of this book. Ross Greene does an exceptional job showing how deficits in skills oftentimes manifest themselves as behavioural challenges. The gut response by adults is too often that it is an issue for discipline. Yet, so often, the disciplinary approach only increases the undesired behaviour. On the other hand, addressing the underlying skill deficit is both the compassionate approach and the approach that succeeds.