Today was finally warm enough to get the kids outside for recess and most of the ice and snow had been removed from the playground.  Except for one fairly large patch of ice right on the corner of where the kids come down the sidewalk and round the corner to run their lap before they begin playing.  So, in order to keep them safe, I took turns with another teacher to make sure the kids didn’t go running and slipping across the patch of ice.  I uttered numerous vocalizations of “Watch the ice!” as each child or small group of children came around the corner and drifted straight for it as though the ice was a magnet.

Several children continued their path, despite the warning and sure enough they promptly fell on their behinds.  The caring teacher in me would always check on them  and then the mom would pop out and say, “well, that’s what happens when you don’t listen to me”.  Maybe not the kindest thing to say, but true.

After they all actually made it onto the playground, I left my post and walked around to keep an eye on everyone.  As I looked back, just as I imagined, the ice was calling again.  One of my colleagues, a much more caring colleague, asked if we should go over and say something, to which I replied, nope, they’ve been warned, whatever happens now is a natural consequence.  This is NOT a helicopter or lawn mower teacher here!

That’s the thing about kids playing – they are eventually going to get hurt.  It’s part of the activity.  I had one little guy aggressively going for a football when he landed on his hand and hip.  He immediately burst into tears.  When I asked him if he wanted to go in to see the nurse, he sniffed loudly and bravely said, “no, I think I can play” and he ran right back to his friends.  Play is important and they know they don’t have much time to do it.  He made it work.

Later, I had some 4th grade boys going for a football, and despite the fact that it’s supposed to be touch football, it looked more like tackling to me.  As I walked over to reprimand them, they stood up and told me they weren’t tackling, they were just trying to strip the ball away from one of the boys.  I told them it looked like a big dog pile and that it wasn’t safe.  And then a strange thing happened.  One of the boys came up and hugged me.  Then another.  And another.  Until they were all standing around and laughing.  Oh sure, I get it.  Try to disarm me.  And they did.  Just when they make you crazy, they make you love them.

That’s teaching though.  You come home exhausted because you’ve spent the entire day not only teaching, but looking out for them, trying to keep them safe, taking care of them when they do get hurt.  This isn’t just a job, it has to be a calling because they’re going to suck you into caring.  Especially when they need to watch out for the ice.