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Original poster

Science teachers, please help !

32 replies

Twink · 27/06/2004 01:14

Hopefully one of you will see this. I'm about to apply for a part-time job as a science technician at a local secondary school and would love to hear what your 'ideal' tech would be like.

It will be my first attempt to re-enter the job market after 5 years at home so am feeling pretty nervous. Any advice welcome !

OP posts:
Tinker · 27/06/2004 02:54

Well good luck Twink, think you would be ideal.

hmb · 27/06/2004 03:51

Sounds like a great idea!

Science Techs rock! We have two and the department revolves around them. Without their organisation the place would grind to a halt.

So, Organisationional skills. Being dependable, and at the same time flexable enough to bail you out when you have forgotten to order something. The ability to enter and leave classrooms so calmly that they kids doen't even know that you have been there! My Y11s have even commented on this. Enjoying working as a team. And obviously enjoying science! And being able to adapt. Good knowledge of the H & S regs . CLEAPS would be the place to look this sort of thing up.
All the best , let us know what happens

Original poster
Twink · 27/06/2004 13:16

Thanks Tinker !

Thanks for the tips hmb, I've found the CLEAPSS site - I'd never even heard of it before you mentioned it, it will help me to feel a bit more confident if I get an interview.

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Original poster
Twink · 05/07/2004 18:13

Not sure if it should be or but I've got an interview !!!

Any tips/hints/suggestions welcome, I've not had an interview for over 7 years - and that was internal.

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Original poster
Twink · 07/07/2004 21:20

Actually, what the guy on the phone said was 'come in for a chat' so do I wander in jeans & DM's or make a big effort and feel totally OTT - what would be a suitable in between the extremes outfit ?

OP posts:
KangaMummy · 07/07/2004 21:34

DH says long fingernails NOT a good idea as they get in the way of washing up test tubes!!!!

Like someone who came for interview who had ones about 3cm long!!!!

hmb · 07/07/2004 21:35

Trousers and a plain shirt? That would be the norm where I work. Don't wear open toed sandels in a lab for H & S reasons.

Re the interview I'm sure it will go well. If you get over awed in interview situations a good technique is to imagine the interviewer having a dump! Always makes me feel better.

Have some questions to ask. Numbers of kids, number of classes, are techs expected to give hands on help in the lesson, or is it 'behind the scenes'. A probing question would be to ask about the level of practicals listed in the schemes of work for KS3 (lower school) and KS4 (upper school). For example in our school we have adopted a new scheme of work to cover the governments KS3 science stratagy. This has increased the numbers of practicals that the kids do, and this has increased the work loads for the techs.

Ask about further training.

I hope that it goes well, if you have any more questions, ask away.

KangaMummy · 07/07/2004 21:35

Also DH says he agrees with everything hmb says

Goodluck

Original poster
Twink · 07/07/2004 21:48

Oh thanks guys, yes I am nervous so that will help enormously hmb

Really appreciate you taking the time to reply, esp knowing how busy you are and the grief you are getting from dd. Thanks again.

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gscrym · 07/07/2004 22:24

I was a science tech and honestly I hated it. That may have something to do with the 2 aged technicians there and the horrors that went to the prestigeous all girls school I worked at. Also the fact I was only 19 wouldn't have helped. I used to get to do all the things the other tech didn't want to (washing microscope slides - friday afternoons job. V pleasent after a cell biology week using onions).
The job itself would have probably been okay but I got bored. There were some really funny bits to it like the physics teacher who had a chart on the lab oven so that he knew how long a frozen steak and kidney pie would take to cook.
Long nails probably aren't great as I remember it's quite a messy job. Especially if you have to dig out bits of animal out of the sink. The other thing that was a big let down was having to work the school holidays. That worked out quite well because by that time, you were sick of the kids.
Good luck with the interview and it is the type of job you can have a lot of fun with if you have a good department.
Another little gem - our head of department stood up infront of her 6th Year form class and announced 'girls, I've never had a sexual experience in my life and I intend to keep it that way!'

hmb · 07/07/2004 22:43

RE the animals out of the sink, we do very little whole animal dissection nowerdays. We do a heart and kidney with years 10 and 11 as a practical, but these are food grade pigs organs. We sometimes get lungs for a demo, but that is just teacher led. The sixth form sometimes do some rat work, but that is quite rare.

coppertop · 07/07/2004 22:46

ROFL at "imagine the interviewer having a dump."

gscrym · 07/07/2004 22:56

I meant things like lungs and bulls eyes. The little darlings were quite keen to see what these looked liked and then promptly chucked them in the sink. This was of course in 1992 (god I feel old). I also know other science techs who absolutely adore their jobs. It's horses for courses. I'm back working in a lab after being a process technician for nearly 8 years and I'd much rather be a process tech.
Like I said before, there are some things in the job that you'll get a real laugh at. I would agree on the sandals point. Not good on the H&S point of view. The female (yes she was, just) aged tech I worked with insisted on wearing a nice pair of Dr Scholls (with tights) to work even though there were risks of acid to the toes.

hmb · 07/07/2004 23:02

We don't do eyes as a class dissection, as a result of the minescule risk of BSE! Teachers and techs are disposable

And no-one chucks things in Mrs hmb's sinks! Fierce I am!

gscrym · 07/07/2004 23:06

Our teachers pretended to be fierce right up until parents said 'my little darling would never do such a thing' and then the bursar woudl tell them they must have been mistaken. Can't be seen to be losing fees.

gscrym · 07/07/2004 23:08

If I was a teacher, my ideal tech would have all my teaching stuff in place and know what would be needed for the next part of the curriculum. Also be able to do minor repair work and fix any overhead projector or slide projector issues that the last teacher to use them would have caused.

hmb · 07/07/2004 23:13

You've met the techs I work with?

Seriously they are fantastic, and I'd be stuffed without them. They are so good at getting stuff at last minute when I've been an arse and forgotten to order stuff up. The department would grind to a halt without them. And their preproom is the centre of the department and the place where we all hang out and drink coffee.

WideWebWitch · 08/07/2004 00:51

Good luck Twink!

WideWebWitch · 08/07/2004 00:52

old but good interview tip thread!

Original poster
Twink · 08/07/2004 01:23

Oh you lot are fab !

Pmsl at the 'sexual experience' bit, I MUST have had the same teacher at some point, hence my loathing of biology & my determination to be the opposite.

I must admit I only applied because the ad concentrated on physics & chemistry so by implication someone else was doing biology !

Gscrymum, another key point for me was that the ad stated that they have a department dishwasher, so hopefully they don't mean the successful applicant..

OP posts:
ScummyMummy · 08/07/2004 23:29

Best of luck, Twink. Well done for getting the interview. I'm sure they'll take one look at you and hand over your white coat.

Original poster
Twink · 13/07/2004 19:38

Thanks for your advice and confidence.

I GOT IT !

OP posts:
hmb · 13/07/2004 19:41

YIPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good on you girl!

Tinker · 13/07/2004 19:47

Weird, was wondering about this this afternoon.

WELL DONE THAT WOMAN!

KangaMummy · 13/07/2004 21:25

Congrats