Organized Chaos

I love my job because with children you can have the greatest plans of all time, you could write the lesson plans that would make professors weep with joy, and if the children are not in the mood to participate there is no force on earth strong enough to convince them otherwise. I love the unpredictability, the need t constantly be thinking and rethinking, the fact that it is a job that is absolutely alive and in the moment, and most of all the tiny little lives that are at the center of it. The screaming and crying, the diapers, the occasional returned food item that had been partially ingested, the contest to see who can throw themselves to the floor with the most drama (I usually win...I mean, um, the kids seem to love this game) are all just side distractions. Now I may need to be reminded of this the next time I have one child returning lunch while another is beating a friend over the head with any of an assortment of options and a third is trying to sneak out the door. :) So far summer school has been organized chaos. We have managed to keep track of every child, to actually teach (as in do individual work and some small group work), and to get through the daily curriculum. However, we have not been having all of the kids show up. Should all 17 ever appear at once, we are officially in deep trouble. As it is getting to and from any location is a lot like herding wild mustangs that want nothing more than to escape and run free. Stubborn, determined, and willing to use whatever tricks might work to escape. :) But they have also surprised us with their abilities to engage in great play all together, to follow directions (some more than others - my little tazmanian Devil is so testing everything), and to have fun. This is the perfect fun and distraction that I have needed. Now if only it was not 100 degrees outside (and 90 degrees inside). Ugh!!! I think it is time to do a water activity today!!

Anticipation

In just a few minutes I will be leaving to begin my first day teaching summer school. At our staff meeting a week ago it was made clear to us what our objective was for the first day - keep every child alive and accounted for until we send them home again. Why do I get the strange feeling that the first day of summer school is somehow more chaotic and stressful and frenzied than the first day of school? We were told to expect nothing less than total chaos. I teach preschool - we are experts in total chaos. We drag chaos along with us like a ratty but much loved blanket. We can do chaos. We were also told that there would be one fire drill this summer...apparently she did not read any of the information on my eighteen precious little ones because, well, we have trouble resisting that shiny red box on the wall with the neat red handle that says "Pull Down". I foresee more than one fire drill and I foresee it being courtesy of my class. You know, just to keep everyone on their toes. :) Because we are all about safety like that. Just like I am all about leaving our little smellies wrapped up in bags out in the hall because when in a room without a window there is not going to be anywhere to run or hide from the diapers even after we change them. Think anyone would mind? ;) And I am most definitely gently placing a name tag on the back of each child as they arrive because we are terribly outnumbered and I need to know which child is climbing Mount Junk in the back of the room and which one is running half naked down the hall. For some reason they respond better when you use the correct name - go figure! If nothing else, today is going to be a day I will never forget!

Basic Math

Summer School begins next month, and last week I had the opportunity to meet the principal for the summer school program where I will be teaching. Because I lack anything at all resembling a backbone, I was talked into agreeing to her throwing the entire preschool program into one room, one windowless room with a steel door and a pile of crap at one end belonging to the regular teacher who has the unfortunate experience of being held hostage in that classroom all school year long. Now I may not have been a math major, but I know that by adding up the following numbers we reach a disturbing conclusion:

Total number of preschool children: 17 and rising
Total number of adults: 5 (2 teachers, 2 assistants, 1 high school student)
Total number of children using wheelchairs: 4
Total number of children who are medically fragile: 3 for sure
Total number of children who are known to run/escape: 5 for sure
Size of classroom: 10' X 20' absolute maximum (I am so bad at visual spatial tasks)
Total number of nonverbal children: 6 and rising
Distance to Cafeteria: 50+ yards down a hallway with a fire alarm
Distance to playground: well over 200 yards along a paved trail and as of now it is forbidden

Grand Total: We are so screwed!!

Is it really worth the extra money? The summer school principal seems to think this is a great idea to throw us all in one room together and me, Little Miss Keep Everyone Happy, had no backbone to tell her that such a plan would work as well as the Hindenberg. I can't wait to talk to the other preschool teacher on Thursday - Lord, I pray she has a backbone and a good strong voice!! Just call me chicken little!