I'm Confused

No, really...I am. Yesterday I was doing some "research" online (well, not real research...hence, the quotes)... actually, I was just looking for some ideas for Theme Days to bring to a meeting next week for my summer camp job. For the past 10 years that I've worked there, we've recycled many of the same Theme Day ideas and I was just looking for something new. Well, I came across a 2002 article from the Austin Chronicle and I was a little baffled by the ideas thrown out there for Theme Days for SCHOOLS.

Here's a snippet:

Raver Day - Sideways cap, large pants (UFOs a plus); Boys: button-down white shirt; Girls: anything that shows your midriff. And lots and lots of "kandy."

So, apparently, "Kandy" is not just a city in Sri Lanka...Kandy can also be the trippy glowy friendship bracelets that ravers exchange at raves. Hmmm...who knew? Maybe you did and I'm just out of the loop. See Wikipedia, since we're not talking official research or anything. I love this line from the Wikipedia article, though:

"Candy ravers may or may not use recreational drugs."

Sorry for the digression...back to why I'm confused. Ok, I'm confused about why you'd 1-encourage girls to come to school with bare midriffs, and 2-suggest the "kandy." Maybe it's just the teacher in me, but isn't this going a little too far? Why have the kids, essentially, "celebrate" the acid culture? I'm assuming the Austin Chronicle article is talking about high school kids here, not college kids...which would be a very different story...one I'd probably not be concerned with.

Here's another one...I love this idea too (does my sarcasm come across?):

Pimps & Hoes Day - Girls: short skirts, too much make-up; Boys: flamboyant suits, big hats with feathers, and canes.

Again....a school, in a sense, is sponsoring this, as if it's a commendable lifestyle? It's one thing if a kid dresses up as this for Halloween or something---on their own, at home, with parents' permission...But a school would basically be saying "C'mon everyone, let's be Pimps and Hoes!!"

Aren't schools supposed to be setting an example? I'm not naive to think that high school kids don't know what pimps and hoes are or that they aren't dressing overly provocative on their own, but why encourage the lifestyle by putting it out there for a school-sponsored event.....what purpose does it serve? Just my 2 cents.

Feel free to weigh in on any of this........by the way, I didn't find anything but the usual camp theme day ideas, ya know--Hawaiian Day, Costume Day, Crazy Hat Day, etc.--so I'll keep searching. If you've got any ideas for me, let me know!

You Gotta Love Little Kids

Today I subbed a half day (PM) for a Kindergarten class. I have been in this classroom before, which was nice because I already knew all the kids. I was interested to see if they would remember me though, since I haven't seen them since January...you never can tell with little ones; it could go either way...they might remember, they might not. When I got there at 11:30 a.m., they had already eaten lunch and were out at recess. So, at 11:45 I went outside to the playground to pick them up. As soon as I walked up to their line, the first boy in the line screamed out my name with this big smile on his face. Wide-eyed, I said, "Oh, you remember me, huh?" He nodded his head 'yes' as the other kids quickly caught on and called out to me too. We then walked inside so I could read-aloud my favorite children's book "Green Eggs & Ham" by Dr. Suess (in celebration of Read Across America/Dr. Suess' March 2nd birthday). I tried not to laugh hysterically as the kids kept telling me so matter-of-factly that the main character in the story was "angry" and "upset" at Sam-I-Am because he kept pushing his green eggs and ham.

Perhaps the funniest thing, though, is how the kids feel no qualms about telling me how their teacher does things...or they tell me how to do something, as if I don't already know. I know this all too well though because my 2nd graders used to do the same thing to the subs that would come in for me. They just don't seem to understand that teachers don't have to do things exactly the same way all the time. However, I realize this is just because they find comfort in their routine...so, I just usually reassure them that everything is okay and then we move on.

I used to think that I didn't want to teach Kindergarten because it is so physically and mentally draining (I've never tied so many shoes and zipped up so many coats in my life!)...but I don't feel that way anymore. I realize how much they are like little sponges and how exciting it would be to play a part in that everyday.