PE is so much work!

     As I mentioned in my last post, I decided it was time to step up her challenges at work.  So Friday was definitely a day of challenges for her.  My students have a contest going on to help with classroom management and it involves a group winning the contest at the end of each week.  So I asked the winners this week if they would like to eat lunch with me in the room and then "play" with Churry after they were done.  Of course, they wanted to.  They are thrilled at the idea they are helping train her and take great pride in this task.  I hope I will be able to share with each of them what Churry goes on to do with her future so they can always carry that memory of 1st grade with them along with a sense of pride about their role in that.  So after they were done eating I let each of them have a turn petting/greeting her.  This is something I have been working with Churry on as far as not licking and pawing at everybody she meets.  She did pretty well.  Then I put her in a down/stay and had each student one at a time stand up and go walk in a circle around her or over the top of her or try to distract her.  She did AWESOME!  I can't wait to try this again next week if the winning group chooses to help!

   Shortly after lunch it is time for PE.  Our PE time is split so 1/2 of my kids go with a different class while the other 1/2 of my class goes to Music.  So there are about 32 1st graders in the gym together.  Our fabulous PE teacher does a great job keeping them in organized "chaos", which can't be an easy task with that many 6 year olds each handling their own basketball.  This particular day they were shooting baskets around the gym.  Now if you haven't been in a 6 year olds PE class lately, the basketball goals are not typical looking goals.  They are lower to the ground and are situated on a stand so there are actually 4 hoops together and the kids are all around the stand.  There were several of these stands around the gym.  Needless to say, there were balls and kids running and rolling everywhere along with loud music blaring!  Lots of distraction!  We practiced walking with a very nice loose leash through the craziness, did some Down/Stays, etc.  She did prettty well.  Only a couple of times did she try to go after a ball, but corrected very quickly.  Next week, we are going to visit Music class...they are preparing for their 1st grade program, which involves using lots of instruments!

   Another first she had yesterday was visiting the hair salon while Tayler was getting her hair done for a formal. She acted as though she goes into one every day.  I sat down and she went right under my chair for a Down/Under and went to sleep.  It helped that it was the middle of the afternoon when she's usually snoozing away.  The strange smells, hair dryers, people, etc. didn't bother her a bit.  And it was really crowded in there! I was proud of her for being a good representative for KSDS!