Human Body is Over, A Kid Fainted, and An AWESOME Resource

I have officially finished teaching my Human Body Systems Unit and I was so sad to see it go. We went out with a BANG and dissected frogs last week to wrap up the Human Body study. I have four classes so we separated our dissection into two days. My first day was FANTASTIC - all of the kids joined in, they were engaged, no one got sick, and we truly worked as scientists in a science lab. Even big ole' preggo Mrs. Brown had no problems dissecting those little suckers! I had never dissected a frog, so I was a little worried about it, but ended up being okay with it.

I wish, wish, wish I could say the same thing for my 2nd day of dissection. Poor little buddy. Had one bite the dust, I'm afraid to say. And it was so weird how it happened. Let me lay it out for you, my dear reader. My little friend (who was a male) came to me and asked to go to the bathroom. Of course, the first thing I asked was "Are you going to get sick?" When he replied yes, I had him immediately take off his gloves and I told him, all in one word to "HURRYANDTAKEYOURGLOVESOFFANDRUNTOTHEBATHROOM!!!" Because I cannot deal with vomit in my classroom. Can't do it. Especially not with 18 other students and 9 dead, open frogs in the same room. It'd be like a domino effect, I just know it. It never even once occurred to me that he was feeling faint. I mean this is a kid that I picture going on hunting trips with his dad on weekends. He's just not a "fainting" type of kid, you know? So when I was trying to hurry and shew him out of the room so he wouldn't barf all over me or my room, I was perplexed as to why he was moving so slowly! WHAT ARE YOU DOING, KID?! I mean seriously. I kept telling him "GO! GO! GO!", as if he were in some relay race and needed motivation. "GO!!" So, he's making his way out of the room and the next thing I know, he is stumbling back in the room. Now this is when I finally realize that this kid is going to pass out. I am trying my damnedest to get to this kid so he doesn't bust his face and it's too late. The last thing he says is "Mrs. Brown...." and then SPLAT. Down he goes. Right in front of me. The only thing separating me from him was a stupid little chair. The only thing keeping me from leaping over that dang chair was my sweet, unborn daughter. Had I not been pregnant, I know I would have been able to catch him. But I didn't. And because I didn't, this sweet boy had to get 5 stitches in his chin.

I sobbed the entire way home. I have never felt so bad about anything as a teacher. I called his momma later that night, who was so sweet and understanding about the whole thing. He was fine -  up and playing around by the time they got home. It did make me feel better to know that, but I just couldn't shake the thought that I could have prevented the whole stitches thing. It's one of those moments that I will always look back and say "if only I could've...." and I am just going to have to learn to deal with it. The next morning, I grabbed this little guy, squeezed his neck, and profusely apologized to him. He looked at me like I was nutso and laughed at me, saying "Mrs. Brown, I was never mad at YOU." Ha! What a sweet kid.

The fainting incident triggered a whole line of other students getting "sick"....meaning they stopped the dissection. But interestingly enough, it was the BOYS that stopped!! All of my girls were TROOPERS and not one single girl bowed out or got sick. Ha! Take that, boys.

So anyway, there's that. I'm trying to put it behind me and move forward. I have A LOT to do over the next few weeks, so my posts may be few and far between. I'm gearing up for this little thing...um..no big deal. Just giving birth to a human is all. I've been planning my maternity leave lessons and it's no easy feat. But at the end of it, I will have at least 2 big packets, complete with FULL lesson plans and activities to share with the world. One will cover Properties of Matter, which is quickly becoming my favorite unit thus far, and the next will be Energy. I MIGHT have a little packet for Newton's Laws and Levers and Pulleys, but I don't know how that will turn out yet. We'll see.

Finally, I just want to share a really fantastic resource that has been my saving grace while I am planning my Properties of Matter unit. While I am taking some of the ideas from here, I am mostly using the site to teach myself about this stuff. It's awesome. Click on the pic to check it out:

Hope this helps. Be back soon!