Be glad that there are no photos in the post. Today, I will talk about teaching. Well, not so much teaching as talk about my actual students. So, as a teacher, you always have to be prepared for everything. I know this, and I know that kids are so random and do such unexpected things, but still, they catch me off guard sometimes.
Now, I understand that when kids are kids, they can be curious about the world and their friends. I get that. And I know that kids are interested in their own bodies. But why must they be so interested in their bodies when they are at school? And not just in their own, but in each others. I've had a student once pull his pants down and moon another student in my class before, and I heard that apparently a few of the boys were showing their parts to each other, but the nudity is starting to increase, and I haven't been exactly sure what to do about it. So, I can now enlighten you all on a fun little experience from last week.
One day during the week, it was dust storming a bit outside, so the students had to stay in the cafeteria during break time. My break duty was outside watching the stairs, and making sure that no students went to the playground. When I came into the cafeteria to pick up my students, one of the teachers had approached me and had 6 of my students seated on the side. As the teacher approaches me, she tells me that my students were doing something they weren't supposed to be doing. I said, "well that's no surprise. What did they do?". So, she proceeds to tell me how she found 6 of my students under a table with a tablecloth covering it, taking their clothes off and exposing themselves to each other! And to make it even better, it was a mixed group of both boys and girls. Well, I didn't know how to react to this, other than to feel shocked as to why these students just had to expose themselves to each other. I thought back to my own childhood and never remember exposing myself to other kids, especially at school in a lunch room. Until I figured out what to do, I continued on with the day.
During my next free period, I went to the social counselor to ask her what I should do. Her response was, "Jamie! What is wrong with your class?!" Because my class is notoriously naughty and not so well behaved. But, she said she would send one of the religion teachers to talk to the class.
The next day, the high school religion teacher came down to talk to my kids in Arabic. He told the kids about how their special parts were only for them to see and no one else, and how is they showed them, that Allah would see and be upset, and the Evil would laugh. And oh boy, you should have heard the kids squealing and giggling when the religion teacher would talk about exposure. The talk finally ended in the students all joining hands at each of their tables and reciting the Quran.
Needless to say, this was all quite the interesting experience. I doubt that all student will stop exposing themselves, but I hope that at least it either won't happen in my class room, and that maybe it won't be so many kids doing it at once. It's not exactly fun to think about having to explain it to the parents.
Now, I understand that when kids are kids, they can be curious about the world and their friends. I get that. And I know that kids are interested in their own bodies. But why must they be so interested in their bodies when they are at school? And not just in their own, but in each others. I've had a student once pull his pants down and moon another student in my class before, and I heard that apparently a few of the boys were showing their parts to each other, but the nudity is starting to increase, and I haven't been exactly sure what to do about it. So, I can now enlighten you all on a fun little experience from last week.
One day during the week, it was dust storming a bit outside, so the students had to stay in the cafeteria during break time. My break duty was outside watching the stairs, and making sure that no students went to the playground. When I came into the cafeteria to pick up my students, one of the teachers had approached me and had 6 of my students seated on the side. As the teacher approaches me, she tells me that my students were doing something they weren't supposed to be doing. I said, "well that's no surprise. What did they do?". So, she proceeds to tell me how she found 6 of my students under a table with a tablecloth covering it, taking their clothes off and exposing themselves to each other! And to make it even better, it was a mixed group of both boys and girls. Well, I didn't know how to react to this, other than to feel shocked as to why these students just had to expose themselves to each other. I thought back to my own childhood and never remember exposing myself to other kids, especially at school in a lunch room. Until I figured out what to do, I continued on with the day.
During my next free period, I went to the social counselor to ask her what I should do. Her response was, "Jamie! What is wrong with your class?!" Because my class is notoriously naughty and not so well behaved. But, she said she would send one of the religion teachers to talk to the class.
The next day, the high school religion teacher came down to talk to my kids in Arabic. He told the kids about how their special parts were only for them to see and no one else, and how is they showed them, that Allah would see and be upset, and the Evil would laugh. And oh boy, you should have heard the kids squealing and giggling when the religion teacher would talk about exposure. The talk finally ended in the students all joining hands at each of their tables and reciting the Quran.
Needless to say, this was all quite the interesting experience. I doubt that all student will stop exposing themselves, but I hope that at least it either won't happen in my class room, and that maybe it won't be so many kids doing it at once. It's not exactly fun to think about having to explain it to the parents.
