Things I Learned From My Students #6: The New Year

Two weeks in to a term that sees me preparing five new courses, and to be honest I'm astounded that I have time to write a blog post. It's really only because I decided I would make time to watch "300" this evening that I don't find myself with a hideous amount of marking to do or lesson prep to complete. The AS and A2 students will each be getting a test tomorrow, which gives me a bit of extra time, and A2 will be doing a practical (less for me to worry about).

But I have some modest observations to make...

1. Your responsibilities to your students do not end even when they're heading off to university.
   
2. Teaching human reproductive physiology is actually an awful lot of fun.
   
3. Sometimes you have to teach a bit of undergraduate chemistry or physics so they understand the high school biology.
   
4. Most forensic science students are in it because they think Horatio Caine is pretty cool.
   
5. Most forensic science students are pathetically squeamish about blood and decomposition.
   
6. Most forensic science students fail to see where this might be a problem.
   
7. I might be the only person in the classroom who thinks a blood clot the size of a satsuma in a sheep heart is cool.
   
8. Apparently lolcats are really lame and uncool now (what on earth replaced them?).
   
9. The pregnant rat pickled specimen with all 12 of her foetuses on show is a really popular feature of the lab.
   
10. If any students suggest that you should really listen to their podcast and that you'd enjoy it, just don't. It's safer that way.

Tomorrow, I try out chlorophyll chromatography for the first time ever. Wish me luck...