"Teachers, a pipe has broken on 700 South, just down the street from us. In order for them to fix the problem they will need to shut the water off to our school in about an hour. The water will be off for the rest of the day."
I was hoping the rest of the announcement would go something like "...and so we will be closing school early today. The buses will be here to pick the students up at 12:30...". No such luck. My principal happens to be a stickler for the edumacation of the chillins.
What did follow was news of portapotties being delivered to the school within the hour and the promise of water bottles for each student and hand santizer for the classrooms.
Hurray for the resourceful principal. The water problem is solved!
Here's what ensued in my classroom for the last 4 hours of the day:
Because the principal had announced that there were water bottles for each student, my kids knew they had water bottles coming. Now when first graders are given their very own water bottle for keeps because of a special fun situation the inevitable happens. That's right. They all drink their entire bottle within the first 15 minutes. Aaaaand what inevitably happens 20 minutes later? That's right. They ALL have to go to the bathroom. And where are the bathrooms? Oh, right, they're outside. And because they're outside they have to go with a buddy. And they have to bundle up because it's 10 degrees out there.
I think every student had to go to the bathroom at LEAST 4 times before the end of the day. Never before have portapotties been such an attraction. Everybody's got to go try the cool new green outside bathrooms that smell! And everybody's got to experience freezing your buns off, Right?!
I, for one, was determined not to be in any situation that would require using portapotties that were situated on the school playground. I have several reaons for this. (Obviously.) For one, it's cold. Two, it's a portapottie. Three, my bathroom breaks are when the kids go outside for recess...to the playground. I could just hear the knocking on each side of the portapottie now. "Teacher's in there! Teacher's using the portapottie! Mrs. Evans, are you in there!" No thanks. And the last and final reason, would YOU use a portapottie that had recently been used by 200 children multiple times in the past 4 hours?
7 comments:
Thank you for the laugh!
How funny. I hate portapotties....my most recent memories of them deal with before I compete in running or the triathlon. Yuck! I hate the feeling when you squat over the seat and your knees hit the door and the urinal is staring right at you...YUCK! YUCK! YUCK!
I am picturing the kids pushing on the portapotties...EARTHQUAKE...while in the portapottie...and then when the momentum is right...the kids have pushed the portapottie over. With one teacher down, they go for the rest, and eventually take over the school.
Ahhh...the life of a 1st grade teacher, so hilarious!
Anytime you can make someone laugh out loud who has been awake for so long that they've passed the silly-funny stage and advanced right on into semi-comatose stage, you've done a good thing. For this you shall be rewarded.
D'Nell, I was thinking EXACTLY what you said. Teachers in portapotties surrounded by kids sounds like mutiny.
Thanks for the laugh and the mental picture of 20 1st graders shoving the sides of Teacher's portapottie! Hee hee hee!!!
Wow, is that ever best intentions gone awry.
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