That's ONE way to get 'em to remember me!

Yesterday, our class went on a field trip. We've been talking about the community - learning about different people in the community and how they help with things we need or want, how communities change, roles and responsibilities of different people in the community - so I booked a field trip to the bank.

As we walked there, we were on the lookout for community helpers all around us. "Oop! I see a community helper! Who is it?"

A TAXI DRIVER! A BUS DRIVER! A TAILOR! A BUTCHER! AN AMBULANCE! A GROCER! A BAKER!

"Hey! I see a way our community is changing! What do you see?"

They're building a new building over there! That house is for sale! They're fixing that road! That store used to be a different one!

They were SO excited, it was really cute! Positively RIPE with learning opportunities, let me tell you!

Once we got to the bank, there were all kinds of other cool things to see and learn. The kids got a tour, learned a little about money and how a bank works, got to see the vault and the crazy thick doors and bolts and alarm systems. They LOVED watching the automatic money counter, and we even got to sneak a peek at the back of the ATMs. Raj, the security guard must have known we were coming, too (or maybe he just has this stuff all the time?), cause he had a magic jumping mouse and some paper to make a magic bird! He totally had my kids entranced while they were waiting for the tour. SO cute!

As we were walking home, balloons and snacks in hand (they gave us goodie bags! So fabulous!), I was thinking about how totally tickled I was that the trip was so full of great learning and fun. Man, teachable moments every step of the way!

And then it happened.

We were all standing at the corner waiting for the lights to change so we could cross the street. The kids were all watching me for the signal to cross. And then I felt a great big ol' raindrop on my head.

Oh no! It's going to start raining and we're not back to school yet thought I.

Um, wait a minute, this rain is kind of heavy. I put my hand up to my temple where I felt the drop. And sticky. And then I looked up to see four pigeons sitting on the wire directly above me.

Oh, yes. I had just been crapped on.

In my hair, on my face, on my neck and all down the front of my new sweater landed this goopy gift.

"Oh, MAN!" I said to my class. "I just got POOPED ON!"

Well, I'm pretty sure there's absolutely nothing more fantastically HILARIOUS to a grade 2 or 3 boy (or girl for that matter) than POOP, espeically when it lands directly on your teacher's FACE. Poor E could hardly walk, he was laughing so hard. Thankfully my support worker had a kleenex on her, so I wiped off the goo from at least my face for the walk home, but there it was, still in my hair and all over my shirt.

Of course, I couldn't help but laugh either (they say it's good luck?!), and enjoy the poop jokes all the way back to school. We started a game of running underneath the trees lining the sidewalk. You know, just in case!

So how do you rescue a really "crappy" field trip? Have the kids add the event to their Writer's Topic Pocket, of course! The next time we do our writing book, they'll have a great topic to talk about! I might even work in a lesson on descriptive writing tomorrow and see how they do with poopy adjectives!

My only regret? That I didn't think to take a photo! *GRIN*

(Thank GOODNESS for my support worker, who got the kids lined up and supervised them in the lunch room for me while I went and stuck my head under the tap and half-laundered my sweater in the staff bathroom!)