~HeNeedsToMove~

Here goes nothing.

Every day, I ride by an awesome primary school. And when I say awesome, it really is great.

The principal is great, and the all teachers I've known are beyond awesome.

I don't pretend to know what it's like to teach a room full of sweet, mean, moody, mischievous, smart, challenged, sad, hyper, happy, troubled, irritating, precious little second graders.

Really. I don't.

So, I'm not passing judgement because these teachers put up with more than I ever have.
AND, if there is a perfectly good explanation, then, please. Disregard this post completely. I will give the professionals the benefit of the doubt.

That being said, I'm still a Mom and I've made the tiniest little observation that I feel deserves some attention.

I am a Mom to a boy.

Boys need to move.

For that matter, I have one girl that needs to move more than any body ought to need to move.

Just today, I was following her down the hall to my bedroom to fix her hair when she decided to go upside down and walk on her hands, sometimes forward and sometimes backwards ALL the way down the hall. (In case you didn't know, walking on your hands is way slower than your feet)

Because I know her, I just slowed down, rolled my eyes a little, then smiled, and let her "walk" on.

So, back to the school.

Every day, I pass this particular school's large, spacious playground with awesome swings, slides, and more room than a kid could want, all encompassed in a safe fence.

Without fail, I see one, two, three, or four little boys parked at the fence, sitting on the ground, "criss-cross apple sauce".
Sometimes they are feverishly finishing something on paper, and sometimes they are just sitting there, fiddling in the dirt, their legs moving non-stop, or some other bodily motion is happening…..all while "sitting" there.

I'm sure they've been bad.
They misbehaved.
Done something terrible.
Are driving the teacher or some other kid absolutely crazy.

But here's my beef.

The little buddy needs to move.

Don't take away the only 25 minutes he has ALL day
to be outside
to stretch his legs
to get the excess energy out
to move that little aggravating body.

I'm all for consequences. Trust me. I give them out more often than you care to know.
And there have been times, more often than you care to know, that I've realized I doled out an unfair, unproductive punishment.


Maybe they could walk the inside of the fence around the playground a couple times.
Maybe they could be assigned a job like, "bring me four wood chips and ten blades of grass".
(Is there ANY better punishment than MATH???!!!)
I realize this takes more work on the teachers' part but teachers aren't afraid of work.
Most of them give more than they have, love more than they are loved, and sacrifice more time than is required of them.
Maybe it's just a matter of thinking outside the box.

I haven't walked a mile in a teacher's shoes,
so if I drive by tomorrow and more boys are on the fence,
I promise to say a prayer for grace and strength for all the teachers, that they would  know how much they are needed, and what a difference they make for these kids.
…..and I might say a little prayer for that busy boy playing in the dirt on the fence row.
He still needs to move.

~stacey
p.s. feel free to discount this whole thing.......maybe I'm just a Mom with a soft spot for boys.