Sprinkles

Last year it had been really yucky weather-wise during the time surrounding Hurricane Katrina. My first-graders and I were talking about how fortunate we were to just have the outside of that big storm because we only got "sprinkles" of rain from the storm. They were expressing their worry about whether or not we could ever have a really bad storm like that in Indiana, so we proceeded to discuss how hurricanes form over the ocean and we have nothing to worry about. Just sprinkles.

Still, some of my students are natural worriers like me and were not convinced.

I did my best with my minimal meteorological knowledge to assure them that we would NEVER have a hurricane. Only sprinkles.


I was pretty proud of myself; good for me that I was able to put their constantly-churning minds at ease with my sprinkles explanation.


Then came outside recess.


The playground is a tough place. There are times where anything goes just because the kids are letting out their boundless energy that they've desperately tried to restrain all day. I was thinking this lovely hurricane discussion was over; what happened at recess proved me wrong...again. Ah, the education I receive from being an educator....


My kids came running in the recess doors to find me waiting for them at our door as usual. They were so worked up I was a little concerned.

"Mrs. Overman! Mrs. Overman! Help! A hurricane is coming! It's sprinkling like you said!"

This is all I can figure: they did a good job attaching "sprinkles" in their memory...DEFINITELY didn't do so hot remembering why sprinkles are a good thing.

Back to the drawing board.