Go fly a kite

11/24/09 Two kites, given away

Each morning, on the playground, a kindergarten boy comes up to me and asks, "Can you take your thumb off? Please float! Will you get a quarter out of my ear?"

I'm not just a recess teacher, I'm the research teacher who does magic. To the delight of easy-to-fool five-year-olds everywhere I can do this and this and I'm working on this. It's just one of the many joys of teaching that has nothing to do with teaching.

I'm also a world class swing-pusher, able to get thirty kids chanting "We love to write!" within twenty seconds, and could go professional as a kick-ball pitcher.

A few years ago, my Aunt Karen gave Joanna and me two kites for Easter. Believe it or not, we don't spend a lot of time kite-flying, so I took them to school. I didn't have lunchtime recess duty last year, but I kept an eye out for good kite-flying days. I managed to get out there a few times and launch the kites, which is no easy feat on our school playground. However, trust me when I tell you that the reaction of elementary school kids when a kite takes off is well worth the wait. For a few minutes, I was the Pied Piper of Norway, Maine.

Today, I added those gently-used kites to the Outdoor Activity Basket that our Parent/Teacher Organization is raffling off. I'm sure whoever wins them shall fly them gloriously.

Now, I need to figure out how to shake up recess tomorrow...