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Leveling the playing field--or, clearing it.
I’m not talking about a “whistleblower,” one who exposes secretive information, or an activity deemed illegal or unethical within an organization.
No siree!
I’m referring to my role of whistle blower during those days I ruled the roost inside the elementary school trenches in the capacity of teaching.
A whistle entailed one of the necessary tools of the trade for surviving recess duty—in addition to a full-length, down-filled coat and fur-lined boots.
Whistle blowing leveled the playing field, or cleared it of youngsters engaged in a tussle. Short blasts or long, kids knew the shrill.
The other day, while cleaning and organizing my desk drawers, I came across the two originals with lanyards. Earning their keep after my retirement in 2002, these simple, stainless steel woodwinds symbolize 29 years of whistle blowing on the job, namely refereeing kickball games.
Launching my teaching career in 1973, assigned to a fifth-grade classroom, I recall taking over the desk left behind by my predecessor who retired. I stocked the main drawer with necessities associated with the profession, some now considered old-fashioned or obsolete:
A daily planner comparable to the size of 'The Book of Life'. Grade book. A classroom register for balancing daily attendance every quarter and semester. I placed my whistle inside the ledge of that drawer, accompanying several correcting pens.
As Bob Dylan phrased it in the lyrics of his song, “Subterranean Homesick Blues”—“You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows”:
By the time I retired, the minutes allotted for recess were gradually reduced from thirty to fifteen. Not much of an occasion to build up a head of steam in a kickball game. Not much of an opportunity for me to wet my whistle for righting a situation and imparting life’s valuable lessons about fair play and compromise.
It just might take a whistleblower to extol the virtues of school recess.
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I'm sorry to hear that schools are eliminating gym classes and recess in order to cram in more studies of dubious worth. A big part of becoming an adult is through socialization. By denying kids opportunities to have direct contact with one another, speaking and touching, something is lost. It's a lonely existence like the "latchkey" children of working parents who have to lock themselves in until their parents come home hours later. Sad.
Ron
Great memories! We always longed for those days when children were really children at play, and education for children was to teach them love, respect, and understanding; much unlike what is being taught in the "today's" school. Sometimes I really feel sorry for the little innocent children in school today. Children only learn when adults teach them. It is up to the adults to steer our future generation in the right direction.
Sandie