Lessons

You know, it's funny how we spend our time. When I have the will to write in this particular blog, it's usually during the day at a time when I only have but a few moments to spare and then they usually get spent on Facebook checking to see who is the latest to change their profile picture or some such nonsense. Then when I have plenty of time, like after watching the kids in aftercare, I usually just want to go home. So now I'm willing myself to post.

Lately (most every day at some point actually) I have moments where I feel like I'm learning more from the kids than they are from me; which may be of course terrible, or it may sneakily be what this whole SM thing is about after all. At any rate, here are some recent events that have given me pause.

The other day at Kindergarten PE, we were playing tag. They tired of this after a few minutes, so in an effort to freshen it up a bit, I sprung upon an idea. One of the kids is faster than the others, and likes to be the center of attention. So I considered all the possible (or so I thought) negative outcomes and acted on an idea that I thought would cater to both points. I told them that next we would play reverse tag! Meaning of course, that every one BUT this one person would be it; they all would try to tag him. Squeals of skepticism and glee erupted, and the game was afoot. He kept them at bay for a while, but soon the inevitable caught up with him. However, instead of merely TAGGING him, all the kids (who are all friends and feel no ill-will towards one another) dog-piled on him and pushed him into the dirt with great zeal. It took me a second to respond, and when I finally got them all cleared off of him, he had a somewhat dazed and perplexed look on his face as though he, too was caught off guard at the ferocity of the attack. Lesson learned: There is a reason tag has not evolved one bit over who knows how long; it's pretty safe to say that it works just fine the way it is, and requires no tampering.

Yesterday (or the day before, this week has kinda run all together), I was not feeling well at all. So when it came time for 1-4's PE class, I told them that they had a brief exercise time and then would have (what I thought was) every child's dream, free time for the period. Imagine it! Free to play any game they liked, free to run and jump, and I (or so I thought) free to sit dejectedly on the bench feeling sorry for myself. Well, the first 30 seconds of free time went swimmingly well. A cheer went up, they went running onto the court, and I sat down. Then before my head could even reach my hands, disaster struck. All of a sudden, that sinister fiend that is boredom reared its ugly head.

"Miiiiister, I don't know what to play".
"Miister, I'm bored".
"Mister can we play dodgeball?".

Well of course you can play whatever you like my children, it is FREE TIME. However, that did not satisfy them. So I encouraged one or two of the leader types to go about and try to drum up support for their game of choice. The half-heartedly wandered about trying to make the sell, and wouldn't have succeeded at selling a coat to an Eskimo with their sullen faces and weary tone. It was pitiful. Never in my life would I have predicted that a group of 1-4 graders would tire so quickly and enthusiastically of FREE TIME. I mean, what kid doesn't like recess?!

Along the same lines, the other day I was subbing for one of the sick staff and in the morning I had to take them (5 and 6 year olds) outside for about an hour and a half while some needs were attended to in the room. It was barely halfway through before they started asking when we were going back inside.

Now this means either of two things to me: either they are dependent on TV and have no will of their own to be active outside in a ball court or on a playground with slides and swings and future generations will have no idea what it means to get fresh air and exercise OR we are doing such a great job of teaching them that they can't bear the thought of being out of the classroom or without instruction for too long. I always suspect that the truth is stirring around somewhere near the middle.

Until next time!