It's been a while, probably because I've just been trying to get through the past few months without completely falling apart and wanting to quit. This is just not my cup of tea, but at least it is a paycheck.
For the most part the students have been doing well, but I've had a few that just make me stop and scratch my head; and when I see the parents, that is when I realize where they are getting it from.
For example:
Purple is a kindergartner and for the past few months has been doing okay. She comes in, follows directions and the only problem I had had with her was when she decided the game(s) were over and just stopped playing. Then last week she came in and her father came in with her. I'm totally fine with parents coming in and participating or just watching (at least it shows some involvement). So Purple came in and automatically sat down on her father's lap. I went over and asked her to sit between the lines like always and her father smiled and lifted her over to where she was supposed to sit. When I had them start their warm-up I welcomed the father in and said that he was welcome to participate or he could just sit and watch but I asked him not to interrupt what I was doing. He smiled again and said that he was just going to watch and that his wife would be joining them later.
Things kept going well as we started our first game, Simon Says. I just wanted to work on their basic skills and on their listening skills. The game started and I tricked them, Purple was part of the 5 that got tricked. When I said that they had to sit down because they were out for that round, Purple looked over then screamed "I Hate You!" to me and ran over towards the stairs where her mother had just come in, threw herself into her mother's lap and started balling (and it was the fake tears). So I didn't move and just told her that she needed to continue to play with us or she would be put in time out. She looked up, shook her head, and continue to fake cry. So I had to go over there, and I took her by the shoulders and turned her so she was facing me and told her she had 2 choices and I would give her until the count of 5: she could go back to her dot, sit down and continue to play or she could go over to the time out chair, face the wall and wait until I asked her to come back into the game; and I started counting. By the count of 4 she jumped up and ran back to her dot and sat down. The round continued and then we started a new round, and Purple did better but again got tricked when I said stop without the "Simon Says". She proceeded to pick up her dot and threw it at the person that was closest to her like a frisbee (luckily the dots are a rubber and they don't really hurt) and started screaming "I hate this game! You are unfair! I hate you!" and tried to run back over to her mother, however I got in her way and took her by the arm and led her to the time out chair and told her to sit there until I came back. It took a few times before she would stay there but she finally did.
I decided to start another game and we did a "hula hoop relay" where they stand in a circle holding hands and there are two hula hoops that are chasing each other and the students need to keep the two hula hoops away from each other by passing it between them without letting go of their hands. We did one round and then I went back over to Purple and asked if she was ready to follow directions, play nicely, and join the game. She gave one dramatic sigh and then went back in. At this point, I asked the mother to please leave the gym because Purple's attitude wasn't always like this and I wanted to see if it was because of her presence; so after a few minutes her mother did and Purple attitude changed dramatically. It went back to the way it usually was.
So we switched to our final game of "Man in the Middle", basically it is an avoidance tag game. She was playing well and was one of the survivors after the first round which meant that she was a tagger for the next round. Purple was all smiles the first few runs until a boy ran into her. Both of them got up, he apologized and life went on. Suddenly Purple stops what she's doing, drops to the floor and starts rolling around saying "He pinched me! He punched me! She kicked me!" then got up and started running towards her mother saying "See! They're all out to get me because I'm better than them!" I had had enough and put Purple back in time out, asked the mother to leave but then kindergarten teacher came to pick them up and I started to relay the news to her.
The kindergarten teacher asked me if I would stay in the gym for a minute while she ran them over to where they needed to go and then she would be right back. As I was cleaning up the equipment, Purple's mom came over and said "Can I give you a word of advice on handing children?" I think I gave her a crusty look because I just blurted out "Do you happen to have a degree in education?" And she replied with a no and then started talking again but I interrupted her with "Being a parent of 1 isn't the same as managing 31 of the same age. Please keep your 'suggestions' to yourself." and tried to continue to put my equipment away. At that point, the kindergarten teacher had arrived back. She is a short little lady but feisty. She gave it to Purple's mom and I mean gave it. From what I could hear, Purple had been acting differently the whole day and it was because the mother was around. When it was just the father, she was the same Purple that she always was. Purple's mother said "Well, we'll just see what the Principal has to say," and the kindi teacher replied "I was just going to suggest that. After you?" and waited until Purple's mother had walked out before giving me a hug and saying she'll take care of everything.
Odd huh?
Anyway, I've been getting advice from former PE teachers and while some of it has been great, much of it isn't working anymore because of the way the classroom teachers are supporting me or not supporting me. I have a few teachers who have been supportive in what I have to do with the students and a few that if I send them back 1 minute too early they throw a huge fit and come down to the gym and practically yell at me. I can't help it if the clocks in the school are all off by a few minutes.
But the other example is from a parent. I was switching classes and this ugly looking guy came down the stairs, walked up to me and asked if I was the PE Instructor and while I should have said no, I said yes and then he proceeded to tell me that if "You ever discipline my son again I will make your life a living nightmare. We don't do discipline at home to so you have no right to do it in the gym. His classroom teacher learned that quickly, you should too" and then walked out of the gym. I have no idea who his son is or if that parent was unstable, but I haven't changed anything from my discipline plan.
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