Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Another Kid Down

If my goal in Japan was to cause pain to as many children as possible, then I would be succeeding. After my latest incident, I wouldn't doubt if I was flagged for deportation. 

During my 3rd/4th grade class, we were doing a kind of running game. My classroom is a slick hardwood floor and they were wearing socks. One of the 4th graders attempts a turn and falls down. I've seen more kids fall down than I can count, so I wasn't alarmed...until the teacher went over to his side and stayed there while I continued my game. I believe I have written enough about how if a kid gets hurt, the teachers and students practically ignore him or her to let them such it up on their own. With the teacher by his side, I could sense that this was serious. He could sit up, but he couldn't move his leg. He wasn't crying, but he would wince at the slightest poke of his knee.

This happened at the beginning of class, so I had to continue teaching a distracted bunch of already rambunctious kids. Through the course of my class, the school nurse came in, then another teacher, and then the vice principal. When class had finally finished, an ambulance showed up. Paramedics came in with the whole stretcher set up and took him away.

I'm sure I would have felt worse had I been the one to fall on him and caused this to happen. But I still feel down-right horrible.  Later that afternoon, we got a call from the hospital saying he had sprained his knee. I think my class should come with a warning label.

2 comments:

Dave said...

you also should be allowed to wear shorts to work because obviously you are the equivalent to a P.E. teacher.

Cliff said...

That's a good point. There have been quite a few times where I wish I was wearing shorts, but I don't think even the PE teachers where shorts here.