It's been two weeks since I've been at the school, due to Spring Break. Thus, I was surprised when I saw the TK kindergartners. Almost all the kids seemed larger than last time I saw them. They probably were larger - kids grow fast - but there was one girl who seemed smaller. I don't know why. It's always Alice in Wonderland with the littles.
The kindergartners were full of energy - the most I've ever seen. They were running everywhere. I tried to insert myself in their play in order to cool the temperature and avoid accidents. One kid cried that another kid had bent his thumb back. Another kid was crying because he stepped on his own finger - which happens, I guess. The littlest girl began bullying the littlest boy, and seemed surprised when he got upset. The kids got excited when they located a beetle in a bin of corn feed. Numerous times they engaged me in fantastical conversations that I had trouble following.
The kids began to play a Zombie game. They started to eat their victims. I flinched when the kids ate my fingers, which they found amusing, so they proceeded to consume me entirely. I'm sure it looked strange to the other teaching assistants.
After TK recess it was time to find the older kids at Club M. Apparently Club M is now located in several of the portable classrooms rather than focused in the school cafeteria, which looked as if was now dedicated for theater rehearsal. I was a bit at loose ends, but I ended up supervising play in the Gaga Pit, a kind of small octagonal space used for kickball activities. My supervision didn't go particularly well. The overheated yelling and screaming eventually attracted the attention of one of the other assistants, who decided to shut down the game.
(I'm pretty tolerant of yelling kids, but not everyone feels the same way.)
At loose ends again, I found several kids engaged in a dubious activity; riding plastic boards with casters attached (resembling large skateboards) down a cement wheelchair ramp leading from one of the portable classrooms. The ramp ended just short of a metal picnic table and it was easy to see how someone could sail into it and get hurt.
Now, I suppose I should have just shut down this activity, but I chose to stand in front of the picnic table as a barrier of last resort. The kids played and had fun. Despite their yelling and screaming there was no interference from the other teaching assistants.
Through repeated trial and error I could tell this activity was safer than it appeared. Provided the kids didn't stand up on the boards, or start at speed, they couldn't get enough momentum to reach the metal picnic table and hurt themselves. I banned racing so as not to encourage collisions and tried to keep the pathway clear.
It all worked out. No one got even the slightest bit hurt and everyone had fun. Towards the end of play a girl approached (no doubt a Deputized Girl of long-standing) and said, "Mr. Marc, I don't know if you know, but this is Against the Rules!" I thanked the girl and told her I wasn't surprised - it certainly looked dubious - but by that time it didn't matter.
One of these days I need to learn the rules. I don't know if it's because I'm from a distant generation or if I'm just indulgent, but provided the situation is safe, I seem to tolerate greater play and noise from the kids than others do.
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