Monday, June 21, 2010

Once A Teacher...

Saturday at the pool was crazy.  There was a family reunion at the park, and most of those families were tent camping in 100 degree temperatures.  Needless to say, the kids spent the day in the pool, trying to stay cool.  In fact, I had to run them out so I could clean the pool at 9:00 in the morning.

The pool doesn't have many rules:  Stay off the rope.  No running or horse play. 

As soon as I finished cleaning, there was a group of about 10 tweens dashing in the gate.  Before they went in the water, I reminded them of two main concerns.  Leave the hose that is filling the pool alone and stay off the rope.  (The rope is anchored into the walls of the pool.  If they yank on it or mess with it too much, it pulls out of the wall and requires extensive repairs.)

Do you know how many times I repeated those directions during the course of a five hour shift?  Finally, I had four kids, who were using the rope for tightrope training, get out of the water and sit on the side for about five minutes.  Before I let them back into the pool, they had to read the rules on the sign to me.  They obviously couldn't hear, I thought I'd see if they could read!  (They were less than thrilled.) 

I also made some teenage girls throw their trash in a trash can.  (Shoving it into cracks in the cement didn't count as throwing it away.) 

*sigh*  And that's how you can tell.  Once a teacher, always a teacher.

5 comments:

Heidi said...

You're so funny. I can really picture you on this day, saying these things and I can picture your face too. Heehee.

So, I've missed a lot. Are you working at a pool instead of the bookstore this summer?

Gayle said...

I don't know how you teachers keep your cool sometimes! How frustrating that must have been.

Relyn Lawson said...

Ha. I am laughing here. So laughing.

Also thinking that you are a remarkably patient teacher.

Mary said...

I soooo know what you mean! LOL!

Katie (Can't Get There) said...

The fact that they listened obviously means you are a good one, too! Good for you for not ignoring them (cough:someparents:cough)