Saturday, January 23, 2010

International “Tape-Off” Challenge: Woodland Park Vs. Alderwood House


I was planning to use my post today to detail the 100 percent guaranteed Teacher Tom 3-Easy-Step Program for gently and joyfully getting children to eat their vegetables, take their naps, stop whining, play nicely, use indoor voices, keep their fingers out of light sockets, and grow into teenagers who will willingly mow your lawn and wash your car. But something far more important came up.

There comes a time in every teacher’s life, I suppose, when everything he has worked for, everything he believes, everything he has tried to create for himself and the children he lovingly teaches is tested, and he finds the very ramparts of his soul besieged. To be honest, I haven’t felt this way since Bill Broom suggested that he was rubber and I was glue, causing, in his devilish formulation, my words to bounce off him and stick to me. Of course, I want to howl into the abyss at my fate, but just the way I pulled myself together to answer Bill Broom with a decisive, “Uh uh, you’re glue!” I will rally to face this new trial.

It seems that Miss Pamela, writing over at Leaves & Branches, Trunk & Roots has challenged Woodland Park to a “tape-off!”.

I mean, she’s seen the tape machine:



And she knows our capabilities:



Yet still she issues this international challenge. I’ll admit, she has reason for confidence. That tape bench/train they’ve created up there at Alderwood House is pretty impressive and has me a bit intimidated:



Even so, I'm placing my tape order with Discount School Supply today, hoping that our depleted cache of rainbow tape holds out until it arrives. (Be forewarned Miss Pamela, I’m ordering the ¾” tape instead of the more expensive 1” so I can afford to buy MORE!)

Like I said, I can be competitive about important stuff.

It is so on!


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15 comments:

Mocha Dad said...

That Tape Machine is pretty cool. You should mass market it.

Floor Pie said...

I've got a ringer for you if the new tape arrives in time for sibling day...

Anonymous said...

In the near future please post your "100 percent guaranteed Teacher Tom 3-Easy-Step Program."

I want two joyfully happy children!!

Deborah Stewart said...

Hahahaha! I gotta jump in on this too somehow. Let me know when the tape-off begins!

Michelle said...

I soooo look forward to following this challenge... I have full confidence in those Woodland Park Master Tape Artists'!!!!! Good Luck!!!

Launa Hall said...

LOL! Love it! Lots of pics, please!

Unknown said...

Love that Tape Machine! Can't wait to see how this goes.

jenny said...

Maybe you could get sponsorship from a tape company :)

Chip said...

Poor Pamela. Still, you must applaud her optimism.

Eternal Lizdom said...

If only you had connections to someone in the tape industry...

Oh wait- I work for 3M!

:)

I don't work in tape but I can keep my eyes peeled in our online company store for great deals on tape- just tell me what it is you buy. Our preschool swears the Scotch masking tape is the only stuff that sticks to the walls.

If I was a betting woman, I'd bet 50 hugs on Teacher Tom!

kristin said...

oh, i'm watching.

Scott said...

You know how much I love tape! I can't wait to see what happens.

bre said...

That is so awesome! I love the pics. The children will have a great time! :)

pamela Wallberg said...

Ok. Here's the challenge. In the true nature of international competition, the tape off will be in effect until the end of the 2010 Olympics and Para Olympic games.

Photo's must be submitted on each competitors blog on the closing day of the Para Olympic games. We will obviously need an impartial judge. . .

(insert polite-canadian but otherwise thrown-down-smack-type talk here...)

Thom And Becca said...

Teacher Tom... I just found this blog now, and I'm so SAD. I started working at Alderwood house about a year ago, and I've been reading your blog about the same amount of time. I can't believe I missed this! We'll have to have another challenge soon. Love your blog! Inspires a lot of deep thought, debate, and paradigm shifts for me and my colleagues.