Ghosts prefer see-saws, anyway

Posted by S. , Thursday, November 4, 2010 3:31 PM

One of the things I've always loved about teaching is the unexpected. Often, straight-faced reactions on my part are masking an urge to sit down and laugh hysterically until I cry. Another part of teaching is that there are always those inevitable teachable moments, where you throw out whatever you had planned to do with the kids, and provide some wisdom or lesson: don't push, be polite, who were the Nazis, and so forth. Today's Grade 1's received a 20 minute such lecture... about ghosts on the playground. One of them noticed a swing that was, eerily enough, swinging  by itself, while the other swings around it remained motionless. Naturally, this led to a first grade pandemonium, crowding around the window, freaking out. Because, really, the only logical explanation (especially with Halloween not even a week ago), was that there was a ghost on that swing. When I say pandemonium, I mean that there was actually one boy crying that he no longer wanted to go to recess, and some very frightened children... and some very enthralled and intrigued ones.

And so, Sam gave a lecture on the probable causes of the swinging motion, as well as the low probability of there really being a ghost out there. I disuaded their fears, or else they forgot, as they all had zero problems in enjoying recesss fully. I love that they still believe, fully and wholeheartedly, at that age in ghosts, Santa, and all those other wonderful things. I love the constant hugs, as well :)

On an unrelated note....
I found my blog from 2004 (The one I waxed poetic in and attempted prose, and not the ramblings of my livejournal that actually lasted a good 4 years, dying out somewhere circa 2006). And no, I will not provide a link. I can't help but feel that I'm more mature, and less talented, 6 years into the future. I sincerly regret not documenting more banal, run of the mill nights, and more funny moments. Re-reading some long-forgotten adventures and mishaps was entertaining.  I've been having some separation anxiety having left all my scribblings and journalist portfolio unmarked in a random box in the basement at my father's.Had I thought, I would have retrieved it from the daddy-long leg spiders that are probably around it, during Thanxgiving Break.