The Great Science Fair of 2014

Last night was the year’s most anticipated event, the science fair. If the kids that were forced to participate in this grand event were anything like me, it was something they would both fear and loathe. The fear came from the fact that the project that each student would be required to do, would be a large part of their science class grade. The loathing came from the fact that it would require work to complete on time. For kids of a certain age, work is a dirty word, one to avoid at all costs.

My kids were no different. Unfortunately, if it weren’t for my insistence, pushing, prodding and thinly veiled threats, they probably wouldn’t have finished, let alone on time. Sometimes I wonder if I am doing them a disservice by doing this. Would a taste of failure and a bad grade get them to realize the need for them to take responsibility for their own destiny? I often wonder about that in regards to them getting up for school, brushing their teeth and taking showers. If it weren’t for my insistence, these things would probably never enter into their minds. Maybe I should start with getting up for school. When I was their age, we would get up, dressed, breakfast and off to school on our own. My dad was off to work early, and my mom often didn’t get up until after we headed off to school. I am not going to be around for ever to make sure they meed their responsibilities. So, maybe I am doing more harm than good.

OK, back to my story. From the get go, I could tell that my boys were not the least bit interested in this project. I had my work cut out for me especially when they weren’t forthcoming with the due dates and details of each step. Never the less, they persevered and with my having to rush over to the local OfficeMax to print out their pages and pictures for them to cut and paste on their display boards. They struggled, weary from being up way past their normal bed time, but in the end, they finished, put their stuff away and crawled off to bed. I think I was more relieved that they were finished than my sons were.

During the next two weeks, I would see a kid here or there coming or going from the school carrying their display board for their project for the science fair. I asked my sons why they were doing that and they said that they had not finished their projects yet. Either there were a lot of lazy kids or a lot of parents that didn’t push their kids. Later, when the day of the fair arrived, I would see more evidence that would support that theory.

When the day finally arrived, the family and I walked the two blocks to the school. There were lots of kids and parents already walking up and down the isles mostly searching for their child’s project. My sons quickly led us to theirs and I promptly took pictures of them standing in front, careful to include their second place ribbons. As I walked up and down the isles like the other parents, looking at the work of the other students, I couldn’t help but be proud of my sons even though I had pushed them, they had finished their projects and did good jobs. A number of the other projects I saw looked unfinished. Whether it was because the parents didn’t push their kids to do a better job, the student didn’t really care or that was actually the best they could do, I couldn’t help but feel bad for them. But, from looking at the subjects of each student’s “science project”, it was clear that the teacher had not done her job (a reoccurring theme I surmise in most public schools). That thought mad me sad (and angry) the most. Do teachers really care about the kids?

My oldest son never expressed anything about the quality of his science project, but my youngest was sure that he was going to get last place. That is his attitude about most things he does. I don’t know where he got it from or why but it is constantly nagging and eating away at me. To his surprise, he got a second place ribbon. But he didn’t let that stop him. He was back at it while finishing a homework assignment that required him to draw a picture. The fear that what he was doing would be the worst returned. My wife and I try our best to get his spirits up and help him through these incidents, but I don’t know how effective we are. I can only  hope that next year, when my sons will be required to do another project for the Great Science Fair of 2015 that they will be more excited and self starting about it.