I'm so blessed by my family--my siblings. I love them, love spending time with them and value their advice. There ain't any other group of people that can get me to laugh more than them.
This morning I received an e-mail from my brother Kevin. I adore Kevin. I love it that our paths crossed many years ago when we lived in Chicago together. I missed all of his high school years as I was in Miami, so it was great to be teaching just minutes away from his college. I went to his basketball games and invited him over for lunches. I may have even made him cookies on occasion. I was with him when he signed his first teaching contract: at Chicago Christian! We taught together for three years and were even able to team teach a class. What a gift! His e-mail is AWESOME! I asked if I could re-print it and he said "yes". But first, a few pictures of Kevin, just to introduce you.
Here is the e-mail:For the 2nd time in my teaching career I have sent a student to the emergency room...
The first was in my rookie year at CCHS when a game of egg toss turned into a girl getting splattered in the face and having to be rushed to the er because she was allergic and her face was swelling like a pumpkin.
Today:
I took my 10th graders out to the nature trail behind the high school for an activity about robert frost. You know the poem "The Road Not Taken" things were going so very well. I brought them to a beautiful spot where two roads diverge in a yellow wood. I had them look into deep into the paths and decide quietly which path they would choose to take. We chatted and 9 said the right while 16 choose the left. We chatted about why...reasons like "that one was sunnier" "That one had more grass" "that one leads to a creek, i think" It was going so well. So i choose the path to the right and we walked together for 50 feet or so until we got to the next crossroad.
It was then that I asked a student which way would you like us to go? She chose the left and we were off again. When we came to the next fork in the path peer pressure began in the group (excellent). I asked a young girl which way and the group started pushing her "go left..it's faster" "no right, we could stay out here all class period" She chose the left and off we went again. By the next intersection a great question arose. "Mr. Koeman, where are we trying to get to?" I did not answer. he he he
After 4 crossings we were out in a field behind the middle school and came to another intersection. This time one way was the path and the other was through the woods. I asked a sweet girl in my class which way she would like us to go. She gave a beautiful answer. "Mr. Koeman, let's be trailblazers and go off the path! After all, it is only 50 feet or so back to the path; I can see it" I being a risk taker (thanks dad) agreed and off we went through the woods.
It was so neat. Some were running. Some were walking. Some were climbing. But they had broken the line for the first time and were scattered through the woods. Then it happened.
As I got to the path, I heard the screams. Girls screams. Loud screams. As I turned around I saw.................the bees!
HUNDREDS of bees. One of the girls stepped on a dead log and into an enormous bee hive. Kids were running at me and I was swatting bees away with a passion. I yelled out to my now panicky class, "RUN" they took off while i attended the poor girl who stepped in the hive. She has at least 15 bees on her ankle. I do not like bees.
Once we were semi- clean we ran. I only was bitten twice (thankfully). As we emerged onto the turf field, some kids were still swatting a lone bee or two. Then we could not help but laugh. All of us, on the field laughing and counting how many times we each got stung. The record was 7 by a very tall boy (go figure)
We came back into the room and tried to debrief the situation. I tried doing the teacher thing by connecting the off the path moment with dangerous places in life and how they are fun but often have hidden traps (clever, I know). Finally, with about 10 minutes left in the class period, as they were writing about the experience one boy comes up to me and says, "Mr. Koeman, I think I need to go to the office." I looked at him. I almost cried. He had been stung in the neck and it was beginning to swell badly. So was his arm. So was his hip. So was his shoulder.
We got to the office and called his mother. She came. She got him. They went to the Emergency Room. He got steroids. He now carries an epi-pin. I called him 15 minutes ago and he is fine.
Well there it is. Starting my 10th year and still have not learned a thing about teaching.
Love you all --by the way...it is parent night tonight. My 6th hour sophomore parents will be coming to my room around 8 pm. I think I might take them for a walk...
The first was in my rookie year at CCHS when a game of egg toss turned into a girl getting splattered in the face and having to be rushed to the er because she was allergic and her face was swelling like a pumpkin.
Today:
I took my 10th graders out to the nature trail behind the high school for an activity about robert frost. You know the poem "The Road Not Taken" things were going so very well. I brought them to a beautiful spot where two roads diverge in a yellow wood. I had them look into deep into the paths and decide quietly which path they would choose to take. We chatted and 9 said the right while 16 choose the left. We chatted about why...reasons like "that one was sunnier" "That one had more grass" "that one leads to a creek, i think" It was going so well. So i choose the path to the right and we walked together for 50 feet or so until we got to the next crossroad.
It was then that I asked a student which way would you like us to go? She chose the left and we were off again. When we came to the next fork in the path peer pressure began in the group (excellent). I asked a young girl which way and the group started pushing her "go left..it's faster" "no right, we could stay out here all class period" She chose the left and off we went again. By the next intersection a great question arose. "Mr. Koeman, where are we trying to get to?" I did not answer. he he he
After 4 crossings we were out in a field behind the middle school and came to another intersection. This time one way was the path and the other was through the woods. I asked a sweet girl in my class which way she would like us to go. She gave a beautiful answer. "Mr. Koeman, let's be trailblazers and go off the path! After all, it is only 50 feet or so back to the path; I can see it" I being a risk taker (thanks dad) agreed and off we went through the woods.
It was so neat. Some were running. Some were walking. Some were climbing. But they had broken the line for the first time and were scattered through the woods. Then it happened.
As I got to the path, I heard the screams. Girls screams. Loud screams. As I turned around I saw.................the bees!
HUNDREDS of bees. One of the girls stepped on a dead log and into an enormous bee hive. Kids were running at me and I was swatting bees away with a passion. I yelled out to my now panicky class, "RUN" they took off while i attended the poor girl who stepped in the hive. She has at least 15 bees on her ankle. I do not like bees.
Once we were semi- clean we ran. I only was bitten twice (thankfully). As we emerged onto the turf field, some kids were still swatting a lone bee or two. Then we could not help but laugh. All of us, on the field laughing and counting how many times we each got stung. The record was 7 by a very tall boy (go figure)
We came back into the room and tried to debrief the situation. I tried doing the teacher thing by connecting the off the path moment with dangerous places in life and how they are fun but often have hidden traps (clever, I know). Finally, with about 10 minutes left in the class period, as they were writing about the experience one boy comes up to me and says, "Mr. Koeman, I think I need to go to the office." I looked at him. I almost cried. He had been stung in the neck and it was beginning to swell badly. So was his arm. So was his hip. So was his shoulder.
We got to the office and called his mother. She came. She got him. They went to the Emergency Room. He got steroids. He now carries an epi-pin. I called him 15 minutes ago and he is fine.
Well there it is. Starting my 10th year and still have not learned a thing about teaching.
Love you all --by the way...it is parent night tonight. My 6th hour sophomore parents will be coming to my room around 8 pm. I think I might take them for a walk...
I hope that my kids have the chance to be in Mr. Koeman's class. I hope they take a walk and I kinda even hope they get stung by bees. They'll be better for it.
1 comment:
crying...i totally get it. "Mr. Koemans" usually come only once in a lifetime~and better are the people who have been blessed to grow up with him!!! love him~love your family. to pieces.
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