Days Until Science Expo: 22

Monday.

On four hours sleep.

After a disorienting and sad weekend.

After a day out sick.

When apparently no one received the lesson plan or worksheet that I got up at 7 am - despite flu - to email.

Yeah. Could've been worse.

*****

I enjoyed this exchange:

Ms. Frizzle: "Are you ready to start your experiment?"

Girl (casually): "Oh, we did it already."

Ms. F.: "At home?"

Girl: "No, in school."

Ms. F. (surprised & perplexed): "Oh, really? Where is it?"

Girl: "In the cabinet!"

Ms. F.: "Um.... Okay. I think you should show me."

(Girls open cabinet and pull out several pieces of moldy bread... in plastic bags, thank goodness!)

Ms. F.:"Hmmm, well, it looks like you got it off to a good start."

(Next group of students).

Girl: "Can we look at our experiment, Ms. Frizzle?!"

Ms. F. (increasingly incredulous): "You did yours, too?!"

Girl: "Yes, on Friday!"

Ms. F.: "Okay... where is yours?"

Girl: "In the cabinet."

Ms. F.: "Go get it."

(Girls go to cabinet and pull out a tray with several (labeled!) plastic cups full of evil-looking black liquid, pieces of celery leaning limply inside, veins black, leaves limp).

There is a certain, extremely scary point in the Science Expo process when there is simply no more planning I can ask the kids to do and I just have to let them go ahead and Start Their Experiments. I imagine this must be like a parent running along beside a five year old learning to ride a bike, realizing that it's time to let go and allow the child to ride, wobble, maybe even crash. Today officially marked the beginning of a whole week of letting go of control, over and over and over again.