I hope your first few weeks have gone well, and that you are settling in and enjoying teaching your classes.
One of the most exciting things about science teaching is of course doing practical work. But it can also be problematic – if things go wrong in a practical it’s much more of a problem than in other lessons. Thankfully most teachers will never experience anything happening in a practical which is serious, although you can probably expect a few pupils to burn themselves on Bunsen burners and hot equipment no matter how cautious you are!
I’m sure by now you will have completed some practical work, but due to Covid restrictions you will have done less practicals than a teacher in your position normally would. So, this is likely to be an area you have less experience in. Here are some top tips on how to manage practical work effectively:
- Before completing any practical for the first time, have a practice – this can help you troubleshoot the common things that might go wrong and the things to watch out for. Put yourself in a pupil's shoes and imagine you are doing this with 29 other children. How does it change the way you’re doing it? What explicit instructions need to be given? How will the instructions be conveyed?
- Discuss practical work with your technicians and check what equipment you will be getting. Some practicals can use different equipment, for example the circuit building kits at your placement school and where you work may be completely different. The technician will also be able to advise on how to set up the apparatus correctly, and some common errors that teachers or pupils make.
- If you are using chemicals, make reference to the CLEAPSS hazards – the technician will show you where these are.
- Think carefully not just about how the pupils will collect the equipment – but also how are they going to put it away. Will it be in stations around the room? Will you put pupils in pairs, or will you send them to get it row by row? If lighting Bunsen burners, how are they going to do this? What good practice might you have observed while training? If your placement school didn’t do practicals in your training year, ask to watch experienced practitioners and note down what they do.
- Think carefully about the purpose of the practical work you are doing. It should have a learning purpose and shouldn’t be done just to engage the pupils or use up time in a lesson! Could a demonstration be just as powerful and useful, or is manipulation of the apparatus part of the objectives of the lesson?
- On the subject of demonstrations, when doing these make sure they’re done in a position where all pupils can see clearly. The use of visualisers is becoming common practice now, and these ensure that all pupils can see what is happening clearly. For example, cutting alkali metals with a knife under a visualiser will enable pupils to see the shiny surface without having to be close to the metal.
- Don’t forget to factor in time for a discussion about the results and getting the pupils to draw conclusions. All too often timing can go astray and too much time is spent on explaining the practical beforehand and on the collection of results. Often the putting away of equipment can take up valuable learning time if not organised correctly. Have you got something to do for pupils who finish more quickly?
There are lots of CPD opportunities on practical work through STEM Learning, for example the Future Learn course on Managing the practical classroom: secondary science would be a great starting point. Make sure you have signed up for the Early Career Pathway to ensure that you have access to this for no additional cost.
As mentioned previously, we are here to help so please do post questions about specific practicals. What is the best way to carry out practicals? What are the common pitfalls? How do you explain how to do them?
In addition to answering these questions we can also point you in the direction of the best resources to support you in delivering these practicals. We've also created a Practical Activity Advice Padlet which you can find here.
Most of all...enjoy! Practicals are one of the best aspects about teaching science!