Experiments for 18 Classes per Grade Supported by Laboratory Assistants (Senior High School)

I took up my post in February of this year (2025). I am in charge of physics, and I help with things like preparing for experiments.

I am in my ninth year of being in charge of biology. I mainly prepare for experiments and raise the organisms used in class.

I am also in charge of biology. I just started my post this March, so I am currently learning various things from Ms. Mori.

What surprised me most was the frequency of experiments. Actually, I didn't choose physics when I was a high school student, and I didn't graduate from this high school, so I was very surprised that experiments are conducted every single week.

I got the impression that history and tradition are valued very highly. Regarding the experimental equipment in particular, each item is handled with care, and things that have been used for a long time still exist. Rather than the latest technology, it feels like traditional techniques have been passed down and connected to the present. I was very impressed by that.

I feel a sense of depth. I didn't graduate from a science department myself, so I started with a completely clean slate, but even now in my ninth year, I can enjoy preparing for experiments without ever getting bored. I think that is truly amazing.

Hearing "18 classes per grade" makes it sound like a lot, but in terms of preparation, my impression is that it isn't that difficult if Ms. Kawai and I communicate with each other while working.

However, since our working hours are fixed from 8:00 to 16:00, I make sure to prepare well in advance so that we can finish the work within that time. Cleanup after an experiment also has to be finished in about an hour, so we divide the work by discussing who will handle which task, and by checking each other's work, we can proceed smoothly.

Physics experiments are the same. There are four classrooms for experiments, and at busy times, we might conduct experiments five or six times a day. But basically, the main task is preparing the experiments and moving them into the classrooms, and I can do that with the other assistant.

Rather than the frequency, what is more difficult is when the same experiment overlaps on the same day. This is because the amount of experimental equipment is limited, so we have to move equipment from classroom to classroom while the experiments are in progress.

On the other hand, biology experiments often require preparation well in advance, so that is a difficult point. Even for the same experiment, the "recipe" differs depending on the teacher, so we have to prepare different tools for each.

Also, in biology, we often use chemicals for experiments. Due to their nature, some chemicals are difficult to prepare in advance and many must be prepared right before use. Therefore, we need to predict which chemicals will be used based on the teacher's experiment content ahead of time.

Since chemical formulations also vary by teacher, there is a dedicated sheet with the details, which is an indispensable tool when preparing for experiments. Currently, there are five teachers in the biology department, and since each has a different way of doing experiments, I try to be careful not to make mistakes in those preparations.

In physics as well, the teachers provide sheets listing the necessary tools, but there are also things needed in addition to those, so I make sure to check with the teachers on those points every time.

Also, there is a manual left by the person who previously served as an assistant, which is extremely helpful. When setting up experimental equipment, if it's something I'm doing for the first time, I might not know the wiring positions, so I refer to the manual in those cases. I feel a certain kind of tradition in things like this as well.

Experiments are divided into six groups, and at that time, we try to prepare a tray on each table that contains all the tools and equipment to be used. It's smoother to start the experiment that way.

Also, regarding tools used constantly in experiments, they are kept in the drawers of each table. We also try to put the most frequently used tools in the top drawer according to the experiment.

In physics, there are many tools used for experiments; all together, they amount to about one room's worth. With that many, if we have to search from scratch when we suddenly need a specific tool, it takes time, so I try to always keep track of "what is where." Just this year, the younger teachers organized the tools and we were able to dispose of unnecessary ones, so for now, I feel relieved regarding management.

Also, I try to group tools used in the same experiment together. This is because it allows us to bring them all at once when conducting the experiment.

In biology, we also have to be careful about things like procuring the organisms used in experiments. For example, in frog dissections, we currently use a species called the African clawed frog, and we need to keep them alive in a greenhouse until the experiment. They aren't a species that dies immediately if you don't feed them, but of course, raising them takes effort, and due to the space in the greenhouse, we can't procure enough for 18 classes all at once. Therefore, it becomes very important to judge the timing and quantity of procurement.

Also, in terms of management, paramecia are also difficult. We culture them over the course of a year. To do that, we first boil straw in a pot and put it into a glass container along with the broth. Then, we add the paramecium starter water. The paramecia breed in the container, but as time passes the water decreases, so we perform the task of transferring them to a new container and adding straw and broth. This work needs to be done on a two-month cycle, so we do it a total of six times a year. Paramecia are used in third-year experiments, but we are always culturing them so they can be used at any time.

I feel a sense of reward when I am able to properly complete the preparations requested by the teachers. Especially with new experiments, there are many things I have to prepare for the first time. In those moments, I feel a great sense of accomplishment when the experiment proceeds without a hitch.

In terms of struggles, it's definitely when I don't know technical terms or the names of experimental tools because I hadn't studied physics before. Especially at first, I was preparing for experiments based on materials left by the previous assistant, and there were times when I couldn't find a tool and spent nearly an hour searching for it in the Preparatory Office.

In my case, I feel the most reward when I can grasp my own way of doing things within the preparation process. Of course, at first, I am taught various things by veterans, but when I can grasp my own preparation methods and rhythm, and get the feeling that "I can prepare more speedily if I do it this way," I feel a sense of reward.

What I struggle with is the management of living things, like the frog story from earlier. Depending on the year, raising frogs might not go well or plants might not grow properly, so I am always racking my brain over how to respond in those situations.

I definitely feel a sense of accomplishment when an experiment proceeds without delay. It's like something wells up inside me when I'm cleaning up after an experiment.

In terms of struggles, after an experiment is over, we check to see if the experimental tools have been returned properly, and that is difficult. Thin cover glasses in particular stick together when wet, making it hard to know the exact number. I always struggle when counting them.

In the biology department, we have a habit of checking chemicals once a month, and checking all chemicals in the spring and summer. At those times, we rearrange dangerous chemicals to places out of students' reach, and install fall-prevention goods so they don't fall from shelves in the event of an earthquake.

In physics as well, we try to check experimental tools frequently. For example, we often use batteries in experiments, so we are careful to check if there is any leakage in the stored batteries.