The school year has begun. Everything shiny and bright. New clothes, backpacks, supplies...You get the picture. But, there is one thing that I would like to see changed. Parents, you are going to need to help out on this one.
TEACH YOUR CHILD HOW TO USE TISSUES MORE THAN ONE TIME!
Oy, it is so painful watching your sweet children using a fresh tissue for each blow, wipe, or whatever it is that they do for endless minutes at the tissue box by the trash can. Maybe that should be the topic for a doctoral dissertation:
The Impact of Single Use of Tissues on Student Learning
I wish I could video this daily dance of students. Picture this, slowly sauntering toward the supply table, also known as "The Oasis of Nasal Discharge", all the while looking around the room to see if anyone is paying attention. Looking at the wall while grabbing the tissue and then making sure to turn around to look back at the class. Next, ever so delicately, the tainted tissue is dropped into the trashcan (yes, teachers automatically have these near tissue boxes!). Before the tissue even hits the end of its journey said student grabs yet another tissue. Normally this repeats at least 3 more time. Finally, way too many pumps of hand sanitizer are made making it necessary to wait longer for hands to dry. When the student heads back to their seat they walk almost as if they are floating. Slowly swaying and dare I say wasting time to avoid returning to their assigned seat.
I beg you, if you are planning on having a child, have a child, or are basically human...Please teach children to reuse tissue! I am a fan of folding in half and then 1/4. It is mind boggling how many boxes of tissue are used in each classroom weekly. I propose a "Pay to Spray" structure. Students who use more than 3 tissues per period need to bring an extra box to the classroom. I call these kids "Heavy Hitters". Haven't quite figured out the rule if they are in 7 or more classes a day. All feedback is welcome!
