So, it is a second period routine to play soccer at the start of my class. The entire class (21 students!) engages in a game of passing/one-touch/keeping the ball up in the corner of the classroom. Initially, I didn’t know how much I liked this chaos (the only suitable corner for this game is the one which includes the doorway), however I soon realized that they CAN sit through class after ten minutes of soccer but CANNOT sit through a single moment with no soccer at all. Anyways, I have learned to pick my battles and now, I play the game too if I am not prepping!
Sometimes (or more than sometimes) the game gets a little out of hand. The boys get competitive. The girls want more equal distribution of the ball. The game gets boring and the rules are revamped. Today – they revamped the rules to: “let’s play keep the ball up using our HEADS!”. Hmmmm……..a close-call later (thank GOODNESS the light fixture didn’t break) I decided I had to intervene. And this is how I picked my battle:
“Time-OUT!”
I took the ball away and put it to my ear (you may think I’m kidding, but if you know me very well, you know it’s 100% true). “What’s wrong?” I asked the ball. I nodded, as if listening to the soccer ball speak.
“I have some very bad news class. Our soccer ball has just told me that he has a really big fear of heights. He is sorry to ruin your new game, but he really wishes you would keep him on the ground.”
The students laughed.
“I am being serious. It is not nice to traumatize the poor thing!”
The students nodded in agreement and the ground-only game resumed.
At the end of class, I overheard my students talking. On their way out of class, one of them tossed the soccer ball to the ceiling. Without any hesitation at all, another one shouted, “DUDE! The ball is scared of heights. Keep it on the ground.” I smiled. It was an “I love teaching” day.
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1 comment:
This reminds me of 'Wilson' in Castaway. You are brilliant. Brilliant I say. xo
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