The demo that you do on the first day of class DOES NOT matter!
OK, that might be a little hyperbolic, but hear me out. I have been watching as science teachers, particularly young ones, are scouring social media to find the perfect first day demo. And I get it. Completely. We want the first day of science to be exciting, engaging, memorable. We want the first activity to be the one that sets us up for success for the rest of the year. We want the kids to go home talking about how cool we are. We all want the right things.
And they will. But it's not because of which demo you choose. It's because of who kids are and who you are.
Let me explain. We, as humans, were created to wonder. It's in the most base foundation of what makes us human. And teenagers, despite feeling only vaguely human at times, love to wonder. They love to see stuff blow up. That is why, "When do we get to blow stuff up?" is the first question of the year. (As an aside, you chemistry teachers should have an answer to that question. Mine is "On the last day of school" when we do our Chinese gunpowder lab.) But here is the struggle with the wonder that comes in the 15-year-old mind. It wanes. Quickly.
Do you remember the end to the movie, "The Truman Show"? After the the dramatic ending to the reality show which is Truman's life in which all the people have been watching him 24/7, the people shrug and change the channel. And that is NOT what I want for your classroom. I don't want them to change the channel on you. Below, I will outline three ways to help your first day truly set the table.
Tell your story. The demos will come and go in the classroom, but you will be the constant force. The students want/need to know who you are. Why are you here? What drives and motivates you? No, you don't need to give an hour-long oration discussing every nook and cranny of your past. But they need to feel you. They need to know you. They need to begin to trust you. So no matter what you do on the first day, make sure that your students feel you. I still remember Mrs. Bigelow. And trust me, it wasn't because of world geography. It was because I learned that teachers were actually people. In my 8th grade mind, she was a character. She was heavy and awkward. She was strict for no apparent reason. She taught geography (gross). But one day, there was picture sitting on her desk. It was her, dressed in camo, sitting behind a huge bull elk. I asked her about the picture. She told me matter-of-fact that she had ridden her horse up in the mountains shot the elk and packed it out herself. WHAT!? Mrs. Bigelow was a real person? I had no idea. In that moment she became a person to my 13 year-old brain. If only I had known her from day one. Maybe geography would have gone a little better.
Create a mission. Nothing energizes like a mission. Tackling science for some kids can feel overwhelming. They have been told (unfortunately) by their parents that they "just aren't a math and science kid." And they believe it. But sometimes, a wandering kid just needs to know that he is part of something bigger than himself. Each kid will be bringing their own skills to the classroom. No one else can bring what they do. The entirety of that student is in the right place for this mission. We are going to be battling together. The leader will always have their back. They will have to cover each other's backs. They are needed for this mission that is bigger than they are. I am a cross country coach and one of the things that I love about the sport is that every kid will pay it out on the course. Some will run fast. Some will have to walk. But when the first kids finish, their race is not over. They aren't done until they have cheered the last kid in. The leaders will be running back to cheer in the slow kid who never has a chance to win a race. And they will cheer at the top of their lungs because that slow kid is on a mission. No, that slow kid is PART of the mission.
3. Do a demo. Wait? What? You said that my demo sucks. It does. If all you do is choose the "best demo ever". Your demo will be hollow without you in it. Your demo will not inspire unless it connects to your mission. Your demo will be forgotten unless it allows you to tell your story and lay out the mission plan. But remember, kids are made to wonder. So let them wonder. Let them see something cool, unexpected, curious. Just remember, your demo is not the answer. You are. Your demo will not carry them through the year. Your mission will. So relax. Choose a demo that you love. So what if someone else has a 14-step, 23-chemical demo set to music and lights. It sucks. But YOURS doesn't. Not if you are there ready to lead the mission.
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