And then we all had balls...
In every government-run work place that exists (probably), there is a THEY. A group of unknown, rarely seen (and maybe made up?) people in charge who make decisions, optimistically, as they sit in their isolated offices eating really good snacks. Just an aside: Nothing makes me happier than going into a place and being surprised by baskets of free, tasty snacks. Title companies and swanky car dealerships have been great in my experience. Sewell repair center in Dallas gives out cookies AND lemonade!
Anyway...THEY are not thinking much about how their decisions might play out in a place other than their 'perfect world' brain spaces...definitely not the places the decisions will actually play out...God bless them; They have the best of intentions.
Those decisions then trickle down and are implemented to the people working in the trenches. Those people are then forced to swallow yet another piece of their dwindling dignity and "jump on board" for the greater good of all. Be a team player for goodness sake! And above all, be open minded!
Actually just shut up and do what THEY say.
THEY bought exercise stability balls for each classroom at my school for teacher and "student fidgeters'" use. There are a lot of changes being made this school year, and people (me) tend to resist change; This is known. I guess the decision to buy exercise balls really showed me how old school my school philosophies are. THEY also gave each classroom a basket full of toys including, Play-Doh, for the students to fidget with while they work. Look, I'm all about innovative, fun, creative processes to facilitate student achievement for all, but this is alternative school. Let's give a room full of 12-year-old boys who like to play gang and brought BB guns (which look like real guns!) to their home schools, a basket full of balls, small projectile toys, and a stability ball. Hey! That kid bouncing up and down on a stability ball while he doesn't work, is no distraction during the learning process! I could see how sitting on a ball might help sleepy students stay awake, but they are evolving and have learned to ground themselves to their desks with their faces as they sleep. We're helping them become more skilled at sleeping so maybe they can graduate to those people who can stand up and sleep on the subway.
Someone at school didn't want the ball in their classroom (another fellow old schooler) so they put it in the hallway. After walking by the ball for a couple of weeks and doing that thing where I try to pretend like I've been thinking about taking it, but really made up my mind to take it the minute I saw it there, I finally decided to replace the chair at my desk with the ball.
I've only seen that done at 24-Hour Fitness and TV shows set in the Pacific northwest...but even the older guy working at the gym is like FTS, I'm using a chair.
Since replacing my desk chair, I have turned more coach-like in my school demeanor...calling students "son" and telling them things like,
"You can do anything for an hour."
"A little hard work never killed anyone."
"Game time decision"
"You need to give 110%"
Just give me a whistle, a pair of coach shorts, and a pack of gym memberships to sell. I'm on it.
My friend, Julio, impresses everyone at the gym by balancing on his knees AND lifting weights using a stability ball. I tried to learn to do the same ever since I saw him do it and was never successful.
It must have been the intellectual setting of a school because the muscles required for such a skill had an AHA! moment and suddenly, I could balance! (It's all about pressure on your shins). I showed my new trick off to my friends at school like a trained circus bear. Maybe stability balls were a good idea! (Don't ask how many of your tax paying dollars I used to practice).
I'm still not sold on whether it was necessary to give everyone stability balls and toys or whether it will improve student achievement. When I have at least 4-pack abs (or at least that raised island of muscle before it sections off) and can stabilize my core while reading a book during a hurricane, we'll talk.
Oh, and can work this contraption.
Anyway...THEY are not thinking much about how their decisions might play out in a place other than their 'perfect world' brain spaces...definitely not the places the decisions will actually play out...God bless them; They have the best of intentions.
Those decisions then trickle down and are implemented to the people working in the trenches. Those people are then forced to swallow yet another piece of their dwindling dignity and "jump on board" for the greater good of all. Be a team player for goodness sake! And above all, be open minded!
Actually just shut up and do what THEY say.
THEY bought exercise stability balls for each classroom at my school for teacher and "student fidgeters'" use. There are a lot of changes being made this school year, and people (me) tend to resist change; This is known. I guess the decision to buy exercise balls really showed me how old school my school philosophies are. THEY also gave each classroom a basket full of toys including, Play-Doh, for the students to fidget with while they work. Look, I'm all about innovative, fun, creative processes to facilitate student achievement for all, but this is alternative school. Let's give a room full of 12-year-old boys who like to play gang and brought BB guns (which look like real guns!) to their home schools, a basket full of balls, small projectile toys, and a stability ball. Hey! That kid bouncing up and down on a stability ball while he doesn't work, is no distraction during the learning process! I could see how sitting on a ball might help sleepy students stay awake, but they are evolving and have learned to ground themselves to their desks with their faces as they sleep. We're helping them become more skilled at sleeping so maybe they can graduate to those people who can stand up and sleep on the subway.
Someone at school didn't want the ball in their classroom (another fellow old schooler) so they put it in the hallway. After walking by the ball for a couple of weeks and doing that thing where I try to pretend like I've been thinking about taking it, but really made up my mind to take it the minute I saw it there, I finally decided to replace the chair at my desk with the ball.
I've only seen that done at 24-Hour Fitness and TV shows set in the Pacific northwest...but even the older guy working at the gym is like FTS, I'm using a chair.
 |
| this picture helps when explaining that my desk is in the hallway. it's a closed hallway connecting 4 classrooms. i haven't been banished to a hallway. |
Since replacing my desk chair, I have turned more coach-like in my school demeanor...calling students "son" and telling them things like,
"You can do anything for an hour."
"A little hard work never killed anyone."
"Game time decision"
"You need to give 110%"
Just give me a whistle, a pair of coach shorts, and a pack of gym memberships to sell. I'm on it.
My friend, Julio, impresses everyone at the gym by balancing on his knees AND lifting weights using a stability ball. I tried to learn to do the same ever since I saw him do it and was never successful.
It must have been the intellectual setting of a school because the muscles required for such a skill had an AHA! moment and suddenly, I could balance! (It's all about pressure on your shins). I showed my new trick off to my friends at school like a trained circus bear. Maybe stability balls were a good idea! (Don't ask how many of your tax paying dollars I used to practice).
 |
| showing v what i learned at school. he was super unimpressed. |
I'm still not sold on whether it was necessary to give everyone stability balls and toys or whether it will improve student achievement. When I have at least 4-pack abs (or at least that raised island of muscle before it sections off) and can stabilize my core while reading a book during a hurricane, we'll talk.
Oh, and can work this contraption.
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