One of the students flew past me on his butt following his boat, he looked like he was riding a jack-hammer, his arms and legs flailing and kicking all the way down. He picked himself up at the bottom, rubbed his butt looking up. He looked at me and chuckled and went about retrieving his boat from the river. Better watch my step I thought to myself as the next student blew past me flailing. Four of the six students so far fell, slid or dropped their boats hiking in or at the put in. What a great way to start the day I thought to myself with a smile. I know it’s the sadistic streak in me, the teachers all here love their jobs just as I do. That being said most of us like to take a bit of pleasure in someone else’s pain from time to time and I think it’s healthy in a twisted kind of way. All the lessons here I feel, are best taught by themselves. Each day at the end of the river run I ask the same thing. “OK kiddies, what did you learn today”. The reason I ask that question it so the people realize they have to take responsibility for that learning. But accidents are great in a way I think. They in them selves carry the weight of action and consequence without the politics of the punishing administrator. Thus the small glean of delight one takes as an educator in days like these.
That way when the digger happens, lesson and punishment get all rolled up into one tight little entertainment package for me. It’s what makes these river schools like NRA so great to me. In standard school there is no control by the educators any more. Its all been taken away. When I was a student I used to fear the stick, the strap, the teacher. The worst of the worst, “go to the principals office”. But these times are different. Parents don’t take responsibility any more none of those great tools are used any more. Students take the cue from ma and pa and don’t take responsibility either. There is no action and consequence any more only this sense of entitlement. But not here not in this place, who’s fault is it that you fell down the rocks again. “OH THAT PERSON IS YOU” I hope to send my little monsters to this school someday and lets be honest. Someone else is going to snicker at my little beast when he/or she, takes a digger on a jungle trail someday too.
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