Yup, I still have it.

Monday afternoon, we started with 16 kids.
Still had most of them when the manager stopped by about 4:45.

They do that, just drop in at sites. Fine with me, there's always something fun going on. There were 10 kids at the art table, paint all over the place. It wasn't a guided project, one of them had asked me if they could paint and it just sort of went crazy after that.

I tried to find the water color paints I thought I had, but wasn't successful, so I pulled out the bin full of tempera and the little french fry boats (you know the kind I mean, right?)

Yep, this is the one.

There were 16 of them in a nice row down the middle of the double cafeteria table. Eight at one end, eight at the other.

Everyone who wasn't painting was busy, too. Between the LEGO rug, the book cart and reading corner and all the dramatic play stuff, no one was bored. That often-tossed-around word, engagement was happening.

I have made tri-fold display boards for the cart tops. Brightly colored cardboard with bulletin board borders and pictures of the type of activity done at that location.

Everything looks very nice. Professional, laid out in a logical way and full of items the kids can use to make their afternoons fun.

I was sitting at the end of a table with my manager, talking about some mundane thing like paperwork when I held up a finger (hang on one second here) and turned to the carpet that was maybe 10 feet from us. I said, "Janelle, please come over here."

She did.

I said calmly, "Hey, let's give this the principal test, shall we? If the principal were standing next to you, is that something you would have said?"

She looked sheepish.
"No." she said.

"Okay then, let's keep our conversations appropriate. You're not only saying things that aren't appropriate for our program, you're saying them in front of much younger kids. Setting an example for them that isn't the best. I'd like the older kids to show the younger ones how we do things in our little group, and the things you were saying don't reflect that. Please work on doing a little better, okay?"

She agreed. Said, "Sorry."
I said, "Thank you. Now go play."

She went back to the conversation with the other kids.
My manager sat there with her mouth open.
She hadn't heard any of what was said, even though she was closer to the rug than I was.

So I told her that the conversation had been about 'giant turds and sore buttholes' and that I try to monitor most of the things that are being said while in program.

She seemed impressed.

I hope that *I* am setting a good example, too. I didn't have to threaten to take away stars or whatever and I didn't need to promise a ticket or some other meaningless item for good behavior. I addressed the issue with a calm voice and demeanor after catching it in the middle of all the other stuff that was going on and went right back to my conversation with the manager.

There were a few encounters with manager types last week. I'm too tired to catch you up tonight. But I'll get there eventually.

Here's hoping your butthole isn't sore. LOL