A while ago we were studying plant growth in second
grade. A few of my students dug up a
plant on the playground, found a plastic bottle, turned it in to a vase and
brought it in to my classroom to observe its growth.
I forgot about this plant and over the next few days my
classroom began to smell like something had died or left its waste in my room.
I gagged each time I walked in, but once the fan was turned on and worked its
magic, the smell was bearable. The smell
grew worse as time went on.
I was about ready to ask the custodians to help me search my
room when I discovered the revolting source… the festering plant specimen. I
grabbed it and started taking it out of my room. Each movement stirred the
spoiled water and the decaying smell would waft out. I was going to get sick if
I carried it much longer, so I threw it in to the first bush I found outside my
classroom. This also happened to be right outside the girls’ bathroom and right
where everyone passes by to go to class.
The smell soon filled the area and people upstairs were even
complaining about an awful smell. One of
the custodians appeared outside my room and was pointing towards the bathroom
while quickly fanning the air. She
started talking in Tagalog to another custodian as they were trying to find the
source of this strong stench. I was crying tears as I was watching them and
finally went outside to talk to them.
The one custodian said worriedly, “It smells so bad. People will think
that I am not doing my job properly.” Through many tears, laughter, and broken
conversation, I was able to shed some light on the situation. The custodian was
so relieved to know what was causing the problem. Parents and students kept
walking past complaining about the potent smell. It literally smelled
overwhelmingly like feces.
The custodian tried to clean the dirt with toilet cleaner to
get rid of the smell. This only worked for a few minutes before the awful smell
returned. It was so entertaining to
watch her efforts. After many attempts,
water, fresh soil, and chemicals, the smell began to fade.
Moral of this story: Be careful of what you allow in to your
classroom!
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| My adorable Science-loving class! |
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