The first thing I saw when I walked into Northfield High School was a crowd of students wearing Hawaiian shirts. It was homecoming week and the theme for the day was “Tacky Tourists.” This dress-up day was one of the many all-too-familiar elements of this place. I graduated from Northfield in 2019 and it hasn’t changed much at all since I’ve left. There were still the same dress-up days, packed hallways, uncomfortable desks, and loudly ringing bells between each period. I was struck by merely two noticeable differences: they had repainted all the brick hallways white and every student now wore a mask. Considering all that has happened since 2019, I was shocked. We read about how drastically classrooms had to change in the face of a pandemic, but here I was in a school that seemed entirely unchanged. Other than masks, I did not see any sign that this school was impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic at all. However, it is worth noting that Northfield was one of the very few school districts in the area to mandate masks for all students. I am glad to see that, at the very least.

The classroom I am in is a 9th grade chemistry class. There are about 25 students sitting in the small, uncomfortable desks. I sit at a lab table near Mr. Wiebe’s desk, with a good view of both the board and the students. I am not sure if it’s because it is early in the morning or if students are scared to speak up in front of their peers, but class participation is very low. Despite Mr. Wiebe’s best efforts to connect with students, there is not a whole lot of verbal feedback. It is quite common for Mr. Wiebe to ask a question with absolutely no response from the students. Because of this, it is hard to see where the students are at in terms of their learning. I did not get the opportunity to work directly with any of the students this week, so all of my thoughts are based solely on observation.

The class content for this week has been focused on defining important chemical and physical science terms: elements, compounds, mixtures, solutions, etc. These concepts can be very abstract, as chemistry is usually not something you can see with the naked eye. Mr. Wiebe introduces each concept with real-world examples, having physical samples on hand whenever possible. When talking about homogenous mixtures, he turns on the tap at the lab sink, explaining how there is often traces of other elements (minerals, fluoride, etc.) in the water. He also does a demonstration, pouring sulfuric acid on table sugar to prove that compounds can be chemically broken down into their components. The small pile of white crystals started releasing smoke as it expanded into a porous, black substance.

This radical transformation of table sugar piqued the interest of nearly every student. It was cool to physically see the carbon that was released when breaking down C12H22011, as the formula felt so abstract without the demonstration.

In terms of Piaget’s stages, these students are around 14-15 years old. Thus, they should be in the formal operational stage. However, this is the most contested stage and many scholars disagree that formal operations begin as early as 11. Additionally, not every student moves at the same pace, so there could be some students still in concrete operational. From what I’ve noticed, there isn’t any evidence that these students are not in the formal operational stage. They seem to grasp the abstract chemistry concepts well, completing most homework assignments successfully. However, as I haven’t had the chance to work directly with students, I am not sure. If a student was behind, I probably would not hear them speak up in class about it. For that reason, I am glad that Mr. Wiebe tries to physically demonstrate as much as he can. Even for students in the formal operational stage, having concrete and tactical examples can help them understand the concepts better. And for those students who may not be in the formal operational stage yet, demonstrations can be a powerful way to bridge the gaps in their learning. As solely an observer, it is difficult to tell where each student falls within Piaget’s stages. However, I can say that I have observed a much greater interest and attentiveness among students when physical examples and demonstrations are involved. Regardless of where students may fall within developmental stages, I think it’s important for them to see the real-world applications of their content. If students do not find content relevant or meaningful, they will not engage, even if they are in the formal operational stage. I am impressed with Mr. Wiebe’s ability to relate to real-world applications, especially with content that can easily seem abstract and uninteresting.