Eighth grade math. It's the end of the year, so they were working on a final project. They were making pinatas.
It's a volume exercise. They were to use at least three different shapes, put them together in such a way as to suggest some sort of critter, and then calculate how much volume (for candy) was in the thing.
As you can imagine, they made quite a bit of a mess. This was the last day they could work on the project (it was due Monday), so mostly they had the main body complete, and most were doing some detail work.
(That may be a bit simplistic. We are talking about eighth graders. Some of them had barely started the project.)
The teacher had left all sorts of materials for the kiddos to use. (I imagine many of them were paid for out of her own pocket, such is the state of school funding these days.) They had rulers and scissors. There was construction paper and tissue paper. They had glue sticks and markers. And there were two hot glue guns the students could use.
I bet you can see what's coming...
"Ouch! That glue is hot."
Well, yeah. When you plug the hot glue gun into the wall, melt the glue, and then touch that melted glue, I'd imagine it's hot.
I didn't say this, however. I feigned concern.
"Are you okay?"
I offered to let the student go to the health office. I'm not a monster. I even suggested using the restroom and running cold water over any burns. But the girl didn't get burned. She had just not been as careful as she could have been.
Then it happened again. And again. Throughout the day, various students yelped in pain at the hot glue. (The glue guns weren't thrust upon them. They had to choose them and then use them. I imagine the teacher spent some time going over the proper use of them on a previous work day.)
I found this quite entertaining. Does that make me a terrible person?
Some will never learn.
ReplyDeleteThe lack of common sense continually amazes\petrifies me.
And you see that on display every day in middle school classes :)
DeleteIts kind of like when you see a "wet paint" sign and you are so tempted to touch it and see if it is true. Must be the same for the hot glue gun; they have to prove it themselves that indeed it is hot.
ReplyDeletebetty
Yup. I bet there are adults who have the same compulsion :)
DeleteI thought the eighth graders would be a bit more careful. Possibly, the natural instinct that Betty referred to above.
ReplyDeleteNope. 8th graders are crazy and wild. And that's on a good day.
DeleteEach one had to individually test to see if it was hot, three or four times just to make sure.
ReplyDeleteAt least the three or four times didn't apply to them. One time was enough to convince each kiddo.
DeleteHot glue is 'hot'. I've been burned a time or two!
ReplyDeleteYup, it is.
DeleteThey just had to know!
ReplyDeleteYup.
DeleteLearning by doing. Yeah, right, oh wait, teacher was right, ouch! Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteLOL
DeleteBetter to be amused than annoyed. ~grin~ Be well!
ReplyDeleteAh, true.
DeleteI have just done an art class where we used a creme brulee burner to finish off the art and make the colours pop, but we weren't allowed to use the heat gun because of an unfortunate incident in the previous class aka it's not just kids!!! Hopefully the lollies were enough to take the pain away? :)
ReplyDeleteWren x
Oh, I'm sure it's not. At least with adults the instructor isn't liable...
DeleteOh yeah....hot glue is not something you just want to go touching! haha
ReplyDeleteNope. They know this now.
DeleteOh you gave me a great ideal for a pagan project
ReplyDeleteThat would be a great project for your pagan group.
DeleteMy two Barbarians: Heckle - if you use glue gun may be scarred for life, avoid at all costs; Jeckle - must touch to see if it really is hot
ReplyDeleteYeah, that pretty much sums up the class...
Delete