Wiping

I often use stories or analogies to make a point and/or entertain.  I use this analogy early in the year to make points about doing homework and double checking your work.

I am talking to my students:

When you were each a new born baby, your parents had to wipe your rear and change your diaper every time you went poop.  As you got older and were 2 years old, they still had to wipe your rear and change your diaper every time you went poop.

Then you got to the age where you started pooping in a little potty training toilet, but your parents still had to wiped your rear for you.

Then you got to the stage where you pooped on your own and even wiped your own rear, but when you came out of the bathroom, your parents asked you if you had 'finished your job?"  This means 2 things.

First, it means, did you double check to make sure that you finished doing all the wiping you needed to do?   My students are always repulsed by this analogy, but I haven't found a better one to make these two points.  When I see students struggling with not double checking their work, I ask them, "Did you finish wiping?  I mean, if you didn't, you should feel that unmistakable icky squishy feeling."  Now my students are totally grossed out and smiling.

Second, it means, did you do what you knew how to do and were suppose to do?  Did you do your job and did you do it well?  I'll ask the student, who doesn't have their homework, in front of everyone(I will only do this publicly to a student I know will handle this well),  "When you came out of the bathroom this morning, did your parents ask you if you wiped?"  They will respond incredulously, "NO!"  I explain, of course not, because this is a responsibility you took over years ago and to talk about it now, feels really weird.  I'll go over the steps to potty training.  Then I'll say:  "When you don't do your homework, it feels like I'm a parent of a little kid that has forgotten to wipe."

Every body laughs, even the student I've put on the spot.  I've made my point.

The next time someone doesn't do their homework or fails to double check their work, I'll have the students say, "YOU FORGOT TO WIPE!", to their classmate.  Everyone will laugh, but everyone gets it and I have few problems with my students getting their homework done or understanding the importance of double checking.  Some times, I even have the student I put on the spot come in to class and announce to everyone, that THEY WIPED LAST NIGHT!  We all laugh.

Be responsible.  Do your job.  Be responsible.  Double check your work.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Day 26