Pooh-Stick Gate...a travesty in the making!

So, following the spectacular failure of my science practical yesterday, I shared my "head in the hands' disbelief with a colleague - it seems that in different practicals, we both experienced the same situation!

I told the aforemention colleague that she needed to remind me to tell her of the incident that shall be known as "Pooh-Stick Gate"... (the same students....)

A few weeks ago, when trying to get students to grasp the concept of measuring the speed and force of water flowing I made a significant tactical error in my usually flawless questionning strategies. I needed them to understand that to measure the speed of the flowing water, they needed to have an object in the water to identify the start point and end point of travel....

At the point of what I thought was about to be the pivotal moment, the point where the lightbulbs came on above their heads, another colleague entered the room...along with my wonderful teaching assistant, there were three grown ups there.

My question....

"Who has ever played Pooh Sticks?"

One particularly enthusiastic student was out of his seat with exxcitement

"ooo, ooo, ooo, Miss, Miss, I know know"

Says I "OK Bert (a pseudonym), explain what Pooh Sticks is to the rest of the group"

His explanation started well...river, bridge, sticks....happily, I awaited my glorious lightbulb moment.... I virtually heard the little 'ping ping ping' of bright lights above heads....

Then Bert uttered these words....

"But before you drop the sticks in the water, you have to find some poo and dip the sticks in it"

You can imagine the looks and reactions between the three adults. Consummate professionals that we are, we did not laugh....

Further questionning from me established that absolutely NONE OF THE 30 CHILDREN IN THE CLASSROOM HAD EVER EVER READ WINNIE THE POOH.

I was more offended by that revelation than Poo Sticks vs Pooh Sticks.

How do children get to 11 years old and never know about Winnie the Pooh?

My heart broke a little bit.

I shared this story this morning in the staff room, before the day started and it triggered a number of reminiscences about similar ridiculous classroom happenings. It made for a positive start to the day.

As a side issue, I opened the inside page of the book and saw my name and 1979 written in my Dad's handwriting. Along with a draft of a letter that I sent to the Post Office Head office in February 1984 - I was trying to arrange a visit to Goonhilly Downs Satellite and Earth Station in Cornwall! The Post Office 'owned' it at that time. As it turns out, I was successful in my mission and that summer, my Dad and I got a tour of a part of the facilities, many years before it was opened to the public. Tenacity pays off!!! That tiny neat handwriting was the product of a young girl, 10 years and 360 days old, desperate to find out more about space.... some things don't change!