Shelter In Play

I am a middle school teacher. One day, there is a tornado risk, and we lock down in our storm shelters – the PE locker rooms. Some students get anxious, particularly students who moved from places that don’t get tornadoes. I give them the most information I can in a reasonable tone – knowledge is power – and they seem reassured, or at least too busy thinking over the info to be panicked. 

To further reduce the tension, I take out my secret weapon – a small, palm-sized yellow school bus stress toy made of foam. I hurl it into the back of a student’s head. The kid laughs and launches it in kind. Soon enough, we have a seated, hushed hybrid game of catch/dodgeball going, and the storm is forgotten by the students as I keep an eye on the radar.

As he prepares to throw the bus, a student pauses, thoughtfully inspects the bus, and informs the students around him:

Student: “You know, there might be a bus flying outside just like this.”

He then hurled it across the room, and the game continued.

My poor bus landing in the toilet notwithstanding, all was well, and we eventually resumed classes.