Safety First?

If only.

I feel like I spend approximately half of every day cringing, trying not to cry, and going ballistic at the various totally unsafe things the kids are doing.

Two things in particular.

Personally, I know these rules were drilled into my head before I even GOT to kindergarten, so I can't help but wonder how every Korean child I have ever met is so completely and utterly clueless about them.

What basic safety rules, you ask?

1. Running with scissors. 

Correct scissor-holding form. 

What I will probably be dealing with in the near future.

Seriously. It's not that hard. Point down. NO RUNNING. 

But no, of course Dolphin Class can't handle that, they speed walk with the scissors open and ready to cut. I've started giving a minus point and going ballistic on them when they do it, but I may need to dedicate an entire lesson to scissor safety. 

I'm running out of ideas though; I already pantomimed stabbing yourself in the eye, and I kind of figured that would do the trick. 

Maybe they thought I was threatening them? Except that probably would've work though... Guh.

2. Sneezing/coughing EVERYWHERE

Some of you may poo-poo on this category's inclusion in basic safety, but as someone who gets sneezed on regularly and is in the throes of sinus-induced agony, let me assure you this is a matter of life and death. 

For example, last week, Tony sneezed in my face.

IN.

MY. 

FACE.

He lured me over with a nice "Teacha, helpa me please!" I bent down to look at his worksheet and... BOOM.

Disgusting. So. So. Disgusting. 

Anyways, we've gone over and over and over respiratory illness etiquette (see image below for proper sneezing form), but so far they can only do it in practice. 

Personally, I think they just get so overwhelmed when they feel a sneeze coming on that they just surrender to the germ-propelling bodily function and get it all over:

• Their hand
• Their desk
• Their pencil
• My pencil, if they forgot their own
• My face (See above)
• Other students

This is by no means an exhaustive list. 

And their safety infractions are nowhere near covered in this brief list, but I figured the ones that may or may not give me a heart attack every time they happen deserved a mention.