Jason, Friday the 13th.....

Jason was a full head taller than all of his first grade classmates. It was fairly obvious, observing his dress, his family didn’t have a lot of money. I ain’t real sure why I said that because it didn’t/doesn’t matter to me, just trying to give you an eyeball of the kid.

Redheaded with freckles. <- Now if you get judgmental on that one I’LL be pissed because I’M READHEADED WITH FRECKLES!

I taught Elementary PE back in the dinosaur days. Twas before the days children were overanalyzed and Ritalin was the answer for everything. “We don’t know, but give him that and he won’t disrupt anymore.”

Many days Jason forgot to take his meds, and he was a holy terror. He’d pick and pull a kid’s shirt/belt/pants/shoestrings just to try to get a rise. The smart kids learned to ignore him - the weak ones were brought to tears.

I was pretty proud to finally have my degree, to follow in the footsteps of many of my life role models and become a teacher/coach. All that money, all that studying (Ok, an ordinate amount of partying too) I’d finally made it. “Mr. ‘substitute-last-name-here‘, we’d like to offer you the position of Elementary PE teacher.” YES, YES, YES. “I have to do WHAT? RECESS DUTY?”

Yes, recess duty. Turned out to be fun. The classroom with it’s stringent rules can stymie folks. There’s learning to be had at recess too. Social interaction, being a teammate, how to be a friend, and how to make a friend.

Then there was Jason. Not a great combination. A kid that got his name called 42 times daily for many degrees of “no-no” types of behavior --- and me, the wet behind the ears “howinthehell do I manage all these kids at once” guy.

Jason had me figured out. I couldn’t ignore his behaviors like his smart classmates for I was responsible for everyone’s behavior and everyone’s safety. I will never forget the time I had allowed Jason to push me to the brink of “whatinthehell was I thinking, I shoulda gone into Horticulture.” The 7th time I’d called his name that day at recess, he refused my demand to
“C-MERE!” Why you little turd….. I’m gonna get you… and I started to chase (NO, you didn’t? Yes, sadly I did) the little bastard.

Jason made it inside the school’s door before I could catch him… He’d managed to grab the long bar across the middle of the door, and there I was on the outside looking in having a tugging match with a first-grader (NO, you really weren’t were you? Yes, sadly I was.) He’d gotten the best of me - and he had done that to me and tons of others fairly routinely.

About my third month in my position, I was finally getting it down. If they didn’t come into my “classroom” (the gym) quietly and in a line, find their little X on the floor to mark their designated seat…… then they’d go back outside the gym and do it allover again - thus taking away precious “run like crazy, have a blast” minutes of PE class.

As I awaited Jason’s class to enter - I’d made up my mind I wasn’t going to penalize this specific entire class for Jason’s antics --- they had suffered through that too many times. Here they come. Nice…. Quiet… in line… now all safely seated on “their spot.” Jason’s spot was right in front of me, Mr-Substitute-Last-Name-Here.

AND, I’d finally learned Jason pretty much just wanted attention. Yes, I read into that his home life wasn’t good - but that too was pretty judgmental, and I hate being that. So, short of burning the damn school down - I WASN’T GOING TO GIVE JASON THE PLEASURE OF ADMONISHMENT. Quiet it was. Seated Indian-style on their little X's they were.

As I stepped up to tell of that day's game plan, all-of-a-sudden I hear this hideous shrieking “AAAARRRRRRRRERRRRRRRR, ARRRRROOWWWWWW.”…. I ignored it. Yes, it was Jason. And again, AAAAARRRREEEEEERRRRAARRRRRROOOOOAAAARRRRR.” and again, and again. I prided myself in continuing to speak to what our class plans were that day.

“ARRRRRREEEEEEEAAAARRRRR, AAAARRRRRROOOOAAARRRRR.” "HA! What, you think I’m stupid? I’ve gotya this time Jason" I thought to myself as I totally ignored Jason/his shrieking.

Finally little Beth, a full head shorter than the kids that were a full head shorter than Jason, raised her hand. Jason’s hideous shrieking was still going on in the foreground.

“Yes Beth?”……. “Ah, Mr-Substitute-Last-Name-Here, you’re stepping on Jason’s finger.” Shit. She was right, I was and I felt like crap. “Jason, I am so-so sorry.” Tears ran down his eyes - he knew I hadn’t done it with intent, and I think he actually kinda enjoyed the fact someone was concerned for him as I doted over his now swollen pinky.

Until the day comes I pee my pants uncontrollably and forget my name, I shall not forget this day.