The Bouncy Ball Game

A few years ago my husband and one of his friends invented a game.  The game involves bouncy balls, the ones about the size of a quarter, and driving.  To play the bouncy ball game, you drive an unoccupied street with at least several handfuls of bouncy balls.  Then you roll down the windows and start throwing.  The object of the game is to get the bouncy balls to do different things.  For example, you can toss the bouncy balls so they hit the hood and bounce over the car.  If you're driving a truck, extra points are awarded if you can get the ball to land and stay in the truck bed.  Another way to earn points is to throw the ball and catch it.  Catching a thrown bouncy ball is a rare and hallowed experience.  Of the thousands of bouncy balls that have been thrown over the years, I'd say only about 20 of them have ever been caught.  Go ahead and look at me like I'm nuts, but the bouncy ball game is a tremendous amount of fun.

Today I spoke to a group of teachers about upcoming writing workshops and the NCWP Summer Institute.  I passed out three different fliers on opportunities they have to better their writing instruction.  I talked about how attending the summer institute enhanced and changed my writing instruction this year.  I talked about how it improved my personal writing.  I raved about the generous stipend Summer Institute participants receive.  I talked about upcoming Saturday sessions and what a great opportunity they are to learn from colleagues across grade levels.  Then I asked if there were any questions.  There were.

Are these all in Chico?  Aren't there any sessions in Redding? Yes, these are all in Chico.  Myself and another colleague are available to present locally.  I'd love to talk with your principal and/or curriculum director about that.

You really want me to sacrifice three weeks of my summer? Well, technically it's only fourteen days and you're provided housing and reimbursed for groceries.  For me it was more of a gift than a sacrifice.  But if you're unable to make it to the Summer Institute, then the Saturday sessions might be a better fit for you.

You really want me to give up some of my Saturdays and drive to Chico to work? Well, yes.  You can also stop by Trader Joe's, Jon & Bon's and The Bear while you're there.  I promise it will be worthwhile and the working part will give you a chance to reflect on your teaching.  So, it will feel less like work and more like a really great Saturday.

Yikes.  It was like my inaugural try at the bouncy ball game.  When my husband first introduced the bouncy ball game to me, I made the rookie mistake of throwing an entire handful of balls all at once.  They were pinging off of the windshield, ponging off of trees, dribbling down the sidewalks, and not a single one of them landed in my hands.  I felt the same way today.  I tossed all of the information and I'm hoping at least one or two of the teachers will take me up on my offer to participate in at least one of these opportunities.  We'll see.

I've yet to catch a thrown bouncy ball, but in my living room there's a gross of bouncy balls waiting for me.  Game on.