The last public school I taught Kindergarten in had a wonderful patio area right outside each classroom door. Each Kindergarten classroom had two entrances, one inside the building, and one that led outside to the courtyard area. I had a sand table on one side of the door and a water table on the other side. I remember one bright sunny March morning, I filled the water table up midway and added a bubbles solution to make it more interesting. There was a curled water hose nearby on an outside wall that I used to fill it up. When not in use, it had a hook that it curled around and was connected to the outside faucet.
All you preschool and kindergarten teachers know how popular both the sand table AND the water table are. I use a clothespin system to assign centers and these two centers fill up quickly! On this particular March morning, three little girls picked the clothespins for the water table and headed out to play with the water toys in the bubbles. I was inside working with children at the math center when all of a sudden I heard a lot of screaming. I ran outside to see the curly water hose writhing around like a snake spewing water everywhere. When one teacher walked outside to see what all of the commotion was about, she got sprayed right in her face. She had put her hands up to shield her face, but she got pretty wet anyway. I ran around to the side to try to grab it and you would have thought that hose was alive. It was moving up, down and all around. I managed to grab it AFTER it soaked my shirt.
I finally got to the faucet and turned the thing off. Evidently one of my little charges decided that the water table needed more bubbles and took it upon herself to turn it on. When she tried to turn it off, she turned it the wrong way and ended up turning it on full force. When I asked who the culprit way, two girls pointed at the same child. She in turn pointed at one of them and then, after a minute, said "I did it." I reminded them that our rule was that only teachers turned on the water hose. The teacher with the wet face glared at them from her door as I was talking to them. When she looked at me, she burst out laughing. I in turn started laughing at her, wet hair and all. There we were, two wet kindergarten teachers, laughing at each other when the assistant principal walked up. "What happened to you two?" she asked. "We were in the mood for a shower" I replied! For some reason, she didn't find it as funny as we did. Oh well! My students sure did!
Tomorrow I am going to post some great teacher made games that require little effort and the kids love them!!!!
It is an honor and a privilege to pray for you. I have been there and done that...same type situation. Know that GOD is greater! Keep smiling!!
Hugs and prayers,
andrea
I spend so many days just laughing with my kids. They are so funny! :) Love your stories!
You just need days like that!~ It was funny, I would have found it hysterical myself:) I love your stories.
I could see this happening as I read your post, so funny and I am sure the children loved it.
.......:-) Hugs
I think that is a lovely story - I would have been laughing too :) The kids love it when they see the teachers having fun.
This post made me laugh. I can tell you have so much fun with your students while they are learning. You are the kind of teacher that your students will remember always.
Very funny post!
My feeling is that if you have a sand AND a water table, it's like spending the day at the beach - it gets on your clothes and in your hair!
That little story brought back memories of my first grade adventures with a sand table and a toad frog that the teacher didn't find amusing. :-)
I can see it made it even more funny for you two wet teachers, that the substitute teacher did not see the humor of it. I hope the weather wasn't that cold, that you caught a cold. Have a nice weekend!
Too funny :) Well, if you can't laugh at yourselves...
Andrea,
Our prayers were answered! Blessings to you my precious Christian friend.
Kids do say the funniest things, don't they!
It was so funny Debbie. I looked like one of those before pictures in a before and after!
Bernie,
My class loved it, all except the little girls who got wet.
Jenny,
It was funny to see my colleague angry one minute and then burst into laughter when she looked at me, and then herself.
Anne,
I hope so. One told me the other day that I was coming to his graduation. I asked him if he was going to push my wheelchair for me. He just looked at me with this "Huh"? look on his face.
Theresa,
Don't you just hate that combination! I do! Not kindergartners though....those were ALWAYS favorites. Go figure.
Oh my Brenda....I will have to link to you tomorrow. You just helped me remember something that happened years ago.
Ellen,
It was a beautiful sunny day so we were fine....just a little soggy.
Good point Rene!