A B.C. elementary school teacher found himself in hot water after bringing dry ice into his classroom of Grade 6 students, in a situation that could’ve ended a lot worse than it did.
David William Popoff is a teacher in the Southeast Kootenay school district.
According to the BC Commissioner for Teacher Regulation, the school district made a report about Popoff on Feb. 26, 2026.
On Oct. 21, 2024, Popoff brought dry ice into the school without permission. He demonstrated the use of dry ice with his students and did so without any protective equipment. He handled it with his bare hands and even put some in his mouth.
On Oct. 22, 2024, Popoff’s Grade 6 students and a class of kindergarten students were together when Popoff demonstrated the use of dry ice. Neither Popoff nor his students were wearing gloves, safety glasses, or protective clothing.
Popoff even told his students they could handle the dry ice with their bare hands.
According to information found online about dry ice, handling it with bare hands can lead to immediate and severe frostbite and tissue damage.
Popoff divided his students into small groups, which included both Grade 6 and kindergarten students. Each group had cups or containers filled with dry ice, and each group was not closely monitored.
The report states that at least once, Popoff left the classroom. When he did, there was at least one education assistant present.
A student at one point put dry ice in a water bottle and closed the lid, which led to the bottle exploding upwards into a ceiling tile. The bottle left a hole in the ceiling tile, leaving shards around the room.
After the explosion, some students and an education assistant became wet, and one student had to change their clothes. Some students were scared, and at least one began crying.
When the district interviewed Popoff, he downplayed the gravity of the concerns and blamed a student for the explosive incident that caused the top of the bottle to pop off.
The report says that Popoff stated, “he would not do anything differently if he were to teach the same lesson again, but acknowledged that he might feel differently if someone had been hurt.”
The B.C. elementary teacher was suspended for 10 days by the district and now faces a two-day suspension of his certificate on June 17 and June 18, 2026.