Safety Above All

This is a plea by the editors of Science Scope that when budgets are being cut make sure you do not skimp or eliminate safety equipment. In other words, safety equipment and needs should co... See More

This is a plea by the editors of Science Scope that when budgets are being cut make sure you do not skimp or eliminate safety equipment. In other words, safety equipment and needs should come first before ordering other equipment or supplies.

Safety & Science Go Together: Hands-on-Safely

The editor of this article acknowledges that teachers spend thousands of dollars out of their own pockets each year to supplement their meager school budgets. This, coupled with ingenuity a... See More

The editor of this article acknowledges that teachers spend thousands of dollars out of their own pockets each year to supplement their meager school budgets. This, coupled with ingenuity and flexibility, enables financially strapped teachers to cover needed expenses in order to run suitable educational programs. Because there are inadequate funds and because many teachers have to spend their own monies, parents and school districts need to be made aware and should support appropriate educational expenses that will provide hands-on activities and safe classrooms in which to teach science. That being said, ultimately the teacher in the classroom is the one person who needs to take into consideration how safe his/her classroom is, as there are no shortcuts to safety. The editor states that if you are unsure of the safety regulations for your teaching space, then it is your responsibility to find out about them. The article provides some resources for teachers to check out. The editor encourages readers to read all of the articles in this particular month’s issue (February 2007) of Science Scope for many suggestions on how to skimp on money and supplies without short-circuiting safety. So for middle school teachers looking for ways to stretch their science-supply funds without cutting corners on safety, this article will get you started.