Monday yard duty is never my idea of a good time, but I had reasonable hopes for today. After all, the fifth graders headed off in a bus this morning for a week of science camp. That meant 50 some fewer bodies, a drop in the average age and, some would say, a reduction of criminal intelligence (but I would never say that and if I ever catch those "some" I will bench them).

The thinned crowd was probably the main reason I was able to pick up the movement of three boys moving stealthily along the perimeter of the yard. They were third graders, but I didn't know their names. They were keeping their eyes down, not smiling They were up to something. I waited for them to pass nearby and then I approached them.

"Hi boys. What are you doing?"

"Nothing," they said, bowing their heads and moving quickly past me. They moved into the corner of the yard, behind the play structure, near the cage. They seemed to be planning a prison break.

When they made their next move, heading south towards the water fountain, I cut them off. "Have a seat boys," I said, gesturing to the bench. "I want to talk to you for a minute." I sat down on the bench with them. "You guys are wondering around. You're not playing four square or basketball or races. You look really unhappy. What's going on?"

"Looking for ants," mumbled one.

"I found a beatle," said another.

"And a grasshopper," said the third.

For a brief moment their faces flickered with excitement, but then quickly settled back into what I now realized were dour faces of scientific inquiry. These were three professors, strolling the grounds, discussing the latest breakthroughs in entymology!

"Quite right, quite right, ol' chap. That is a fine specimen of dissosteira carolina and I'm very surprised to find one in this region..."

Either that, or they were planning some sort of recess heist. In either case, the "looking for ants" thing was brilliant. Carry on, boys! Carry on!

Posted by Evan Nichols on 5/5/08; 9:15:54 PM from the The Teacher's Pockets dept.