Recess

Well, after almost two months, those second graders are still cracking me up. I may have mentioned this before, but what I find particulary amusing with this bunch is how they are constantly changing up what they play at recess; they range from the normal to the extremely abnormal. There is generally a large group of boys playing soccer made up of about five regulars and about five to eight drifters. Yesterday two of the girliest girls in the class were playing to my utter astonishment.
Then you have the swingset crew. We have one tire swing, two regular swings, and too many kids. Three can fit on the tire swing and the position of "tire swing pusher" is surprisingly as coveted a spot as a rider. Since I am a bit taller and slightly stronger than most of the little tykes, most of the riders prefer me to push. I was doing this one day and one of the girls burst into tears because I was taking her job! On the regular swings, back and forth motions do not suffice. The kids do flips and twists and all sorts of tricks on them. I often fear for their lives. (That might be a slight exaggeration.)
Finally you have the creative kids. Soccer balls and swings are mere childs play. These kids are into sticks and stones.


They use the sticks to kill bees, make little teepees and do all sorts of odd things. I let them cart the little stones around; they used to carry the big ones all over the place but I put an end to that, I was worried that they might drop it on someones foot and break it and then I would be fired. I don't know what they do with them exactly either, although they have invented a new game called "Destroying Elmo." They take a little stick which they name Elmo for some reason (and I asked, they are referring to the little, red, furry Sesame Street character) they stick "him" in the ground, and then they take a rock and smash him until he is buried underground. This they do for the entire thirty minutes or so of recess.
So that's my class. They're an interesting bunch.