Blog: Mark's Notebook

The Dodgeball Incident

Another moment that stands out from my teaching days didn’t involve the kids directly, but it still cracks me up to this day.

Not so much for the other guy...

I was in the middle of phys. ed class, and the students were enjoying a game of Badger Ball. It was a fun version of dodgeball where students hid behind those big blue foam mats that grace school gyms everywhere.

As the game was being played, another teacher, who happened to be on his prep, popped into the gym to see...

Most elementary teachers know that a bottle of white glue has two settings:

Nothing.

And...

Way too much.

I learned this lesson firsthand during an art class with 34 Grade 4/5 students packed into a rather small classroom.

Over the years, I had developed a pretty good system for keeping our classroom supplies organized. Each week, I assigned a few students to be part of the Art Crew. Their job was simple: make sure everything was where it belonged.

Lids on markers.

Scissors put away.

Glue sticks...

Sometimes, things happen in the classroom that you just let go. You shake your head, move on, and don't spend another minute thinking about them.

But then there are the other ones.

The things that happen that, for whatever reason, stick with you.

There was one day in my classroom when something happened that I probably should have forgotten about years ago.

But I haven't.

In fact, I still think about it to this day.

It all started with a water bottle.

It was a normal day in the classroom. I was...

One of the things I loved most about teaching was that kids were always listening... just not always to the part you expected.

A few days earlier, we'd been talking about bike safety. We discussed why it's important to wear a helmet and how it can help protect your head if you fall.

Lesson taught. Mission accomplished.

Or so I thought.

A few days later, I was outside on yard duty (every teacher's favourite part of the day) when a student noticed our custodian walking around on the school roof.

...

One of the best parts of being a teacher was that you never knew what question was coming next. Kids will say or ask the darndest things.

Before one of our school hiking trips to the Walker Living Campus, at the Woodend Conservation Area, we were getting psyched up to head out onto the trails when a student raised a hand.

"Mr. Gunning... do we have to wear boots? Can't we just wear shoes?"

Now, if you've ever walked a muddy trail after a good rain, you already know the answer.

"Boots," I replied....

Today feels a bit like the first day of school, minus the lost lunchboxes and awkward gym shorts. I’m excited (and only mildly nervous) to officially welcome you to my brand-new website! It’s been rebuilt from the ground up to be cleaner, easier to use, and much friendlier on phones—because let’s face it, most of us are scrolling while waiting for something else to finish.
But this launch isn’t just about a new look.
This website marks the start of a new chapter for me as an author. Along with...