"It's Not Even Bleeding" (And A Personal Note)

We have bandages in our first aid kits, but I keep a classroom box handy for those bumps and bruises that "need" one even if there isn't any blood. Last week Nevy felt a bandage would help her pinched finger, so I went into my bandaid routine, where I pretend I don't know what I'm doing, all as part of our curriculum to teach young children to question authority. It's still new material to most of the kids in our Pre-3 class and I could tell Nevy was a little offended and befuddled by my apparent ignorance of this most basic task.

Charlotte, however, a veteran of our summer program, had seen it all before, is in on the joke, and took over, "Teacher Tom, you have to open it first." She then took the bandage from me and began wrestling with the wrapper. Soon a couple more kids arrived on the scene to help her. It passed from hand-to-hand and back again as no less than five different kids had some part in getting the wrapper, then the backing off of the bandage.

By the time the bandage was ready for action, Nevy had undergone a change of heart, "I don't need it," she showed me her finger, "It's not even bleeding."

We were in a silent circled around the bandage in Charlotte's fingers for a couple beats, then Luella pointed at my chest and said, "Teacher Tom's shirt has a owie!"

For the rest of the day, as I moved around classroom, children remarked on the bandage, wondering what was wrong, asking if the bandaid was for the shirt or for me.

When I wore it out in the world for the rest of the day, forgetting it until I was getting ready for bed at night, not one adult mentioned it.

(Personal note: The moving van arrives at my house today to help us remove ourselves from the house we've lived in these past 13 years. Yay! However, it's going to take at least 3 days to complete the move, and possibly longer before I have reliable home internet access, not to mention all the distraction. There may be a few silent days from this space this week. I might be able to get a post up each day, but I just don't know.)