Day 5: "I didn't know..."

It's the fifth day of school.  Long enough for students to have a basic idea of what the safety rules are on the playground. 

Most of the children who are in second grade this year have been at this school since kindergarten.  Even if that isn't the case, they were here last year in first grade.  Even if THAT isn't the case, and they are new this year, there are still basic safety rules that we have been reviewing since Monday.

My school has two playgrounds, the "little" playground, used by kindergarten and first grade, and the "big" playground, used by first grade through fifth grade.  (First grade uses both playgrounds; the little one for one recess and the big one for the other recess to get them transitioned for second grade.)

On the first day of school, first recess (15 minutes) and the beginning of second recess (30 minutes), was spent going over the playground safety rules.  The same rules that have been in effect for years.  The same rules that every grade level uses. We covered how to use the equipment, how many people are allowed on a particular piece of equipment at a time, what the safety rules for each piece of equipment are, where the tag areas are, where to find the recess balls for four-square and basketball, and where to walk if time off recess is owed. 

One of the rules we enforce has to do with safety around the gymnast rings.  The jungle gym has a section where the children can use gymnast-type rings to swing across a small area.  Under no circumstances are children allowed to run or walk under the rings.  We don't want anyone getting knocked down, or worse, getting kicked in the head.  Every time someone walks under, we blow the whistle and send them to walk; a violation is an automatic five minutes of walking.

Today I had afternoon recess duty (long recess, 30 minutes).  I kid you not, in the last 15 minutes, I sent nine or so kids to walk because they were running or walking under the rings.  Some of them knew they did it and started toward the walking area when they saw me looking at them after I blew the whistle.  I had one or two who weren't paying attention, but I had them walk anyway as a reminder to pay attention in that area because it could be the difference between having an accident and avoiding one.  And then I actually had one tell me she "didn't know."  Really?  After we spent half an hour on the rules on the first day of school?  After we have been sending children to walk left and right for the last four days and reminding children every time we line up to go inside?  After I've already blown the whistle countless times and sent others on their way?

I wish I could explain the behavior, but I just don't know...