on February 9, 2012 by Laura in school, Comments (0)

Games Children Play: 2012

Pic of Sour Skittles Candy

Sour Skittles

In my last post, I discussed some of the games I played as a child. Let’s take a look at some of the games the students are playing now in middle school.

In all honesty, I don’t understand these games but I didn’t understand Swirly, Indian Burn, or Uncle very well either. Children have proclaimed these games. As an adult, I view them as bullying behavior but are they? Are these games, which seem so provocative to me, innocent rites of passage? Will the children now view these games with nostalgia in the future? Or will Skittles, Fresh Cut, and Sundae be the stuff of childhood nightmares and trauma?

Administrators and teachers try to stop the games in the hallways and on school grounds but we’re outnumbered. I think about just how outnumbered we are a lot. My smallest class is me vs. 6 students and two of the students are taller than me.

We’re out-teched, too. I’m told that a lot of the new games are invented and spread via Facebook. A number of states and districts have forbidden their school personnel from having any online contact with students, especially through Facebook and MySpace. These kinds of laws leave teachers defenseless against flash mobs of students.

What are we supposed to do?

“In-Crowd” Brands

on by Laura in PreAP, school, Comments (0)

Brands Popular with Middle Schoolers in 2011-2012 Tom’s Sperry’s Uggs Juicy Couture Coach MissMe Jeans I own none of these. In fact, I don’t know what Tom’s and Sperry’s sell. […]

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World Book Night

on February 7, 2012 by Laura in books, Comments (0)

Dear World Book Night book giver, Yes, you read that right: World Book Night book giver! Has a nice ring to it, yes? And you’re one of them, or will […]

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Marijuana

on January 25, 2012 by Laura in school, Comments (0)

“Miss, do they still do the drug dog around here?” I paused in my explanation of the Chinese New Year. “So far as I know they do.” “Miss, when does […]

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It’s a Boy!

on January 17, 2012 by Laura in school, Comments (1)

It’s a boy! “What am I supposed to do, Miss?” Jay asked. “This girl, she gave it to me this morning.” I’d heard rumors that we had a pregnant sixth […]

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