Anticipation

Sometimes life can throw curve balls at you. As one of my favorite teachers says, "Murphy's Law of Teaching: Anything that can go wrong, will...in front of your students."

Last week when I went to meet and observe with my mentor teacher at Oak Canyon Junior High , I experienced the most classic case of Murphy's Law.

First period, 9th grade Foods, went off without a hitch. The students made mystery smoothies and microwavable personal apple crumbles. When second period started, 8th grade FACS Exploration--Foods subunit, the students were a bit more rambunctious. After the teacher gave the instructions for the class and announced the students to begin cooking, the students divided into their kitchen groups and, as good students, preheated their oven. Within minutes the fire alarm sounds. The students look at the teacher and she tells them to turn everything off. As we exit the building in nothing to keep us warm but our aprons, we anxiously await the return to the building. The students were enjoying the opportunity to throw snowballs into the crowd of people and trying not to get caught. Fat chance. Once the all-clear was given, every kid in an apron starts sprinting back into the building. As the teacher and I slowly walk back, we noticed that everyone else had gone into their rooms, but our class was still out in the hallway. I thought this was quite odd because they had all hurried to get back to their cooking. As we make our way to the door, there are only a few students inside and a cloud of smoke at the ceiling. Apparently, as one of the ovens was preheating, a binder that was left inside had melted to the oven rack and caused the room to fill with smoke. Luckily, it wasn't the cause of the fire drill. As the oven rack was removed, a window opened, and the door left open, the smoke began to subside. Lots of the students complained about the smoke, but when given the option to stop cooking, not make up the lab and sit in the library for the rest of the period OR stay and cook, they chose to stay and cook. The administration had asked that we close the door to prevent another fire drill. It took slightly longer for the smoke to clear, but the students had a good attitude about it.
The hero of the day cherished the fact that he was the one who took the oven rack out of the oven (with hot pads, you know).
Then, another student was singing Disney songs complete with actions in one of the kitchens. All were politely told to help their group or not eat in time before the end of the period.
Maybe I'm stereotypical, but there was one boy whose group had finished their fruit pizza first. He wouldn't let the teacher photograph their masterpiece, until one of the apple was rearranged to follow the same pattern as the rest of the apples. The rest of the groups didn't care, but he did and was annoyed that the rest of the guys didn't.

So, friends, this is the Murphy's Law of Teaching. The first time I went to visit my mentor teacher, an unplanned fire drill and a near re-run occurred. In all nine years of her teaching, she has never had a kitchen fire. All I can say is that junior high is going to be an adventure and a half!!!!