It was 2016, and I had come back from the National Technicians' Conference very excited and brimming with ideas. After attending the ‘Starting a STEM Club’ session, I was hooked; I wanted to start a science club at Norton College!
The technician and teacher team leading it had shown us how easy it was to start a club from scratch and we’d even had a chance to try out some fun experiments while we were there.
I came back and spoke to my head of department, she was supportive but realistic, they had tried it in the past but teachers were overworked already and planning for the club always fell by the wayside. If I wanted to take part in a science club, I would have to start it up and lead it.
I was nervous because I’d never taught before, as a technician I was more than happy to stay in my prep room and not talk to any students, the idea of standing up in front of a room full students made my stomach turn.
Undeterred, I started planning. I booked a lab for Thursdays after school, planned five initial sessions, put up posters around the school and waited.
The first club we did was making Ooblek, which was lots of fun and messy, four students attended and by the end I felt all my nerves had disappeared and I was enjoying myself just as much as they were.
Club numbers remained between four and six for the first few weeks then the tipping point happened; we did a Halloween special where we carried out an experiment with elephant’s toothpaste in pumpkins, the foam bubbled out of the mouth and made it look like they were vomiting, the students loved it and it was so popular we ended up carrying out the session twice that week. By the next club we had 25 students wanting to join and had to open up a waiting list.
"I could see how much the students were enjoying it but I could also feel a change happening in myself. I became much more confident and happy in my job, and Thursdays quickly became my favourite day of the week."
I was thrilled but was quickly running out of ideas for activities, so I signed up for more CPD which gave me enough practical ideas to make a two-year scheme for the club.
We did lots of fun experiments in our first year as a club, we made brush bots, researched robot arms, raised chickens and made our own ice cream with dry ice. I could see how much the students were enjoying it but I could also feel a change happening in myself. I became much more confident and happy in my job, and Thursdays quickly became my favourite day of the week.
Now in 2018, our club is still going strong and I’m so happy that I took the chance to try something new.
Find out more
STEM Clubs Week is taking place from 5-10 February 2018 and aims to celebrate all the wonderful, fun, stimulating and creative work clubs do across the UK.