The THAWP

I have some vivid memories of spending time with my cousins when we were all young. In a few of those memories, when my boy cousins would need a little "redirection" there was a heart-filled, solid, THWAP to the base of the back of their heads- given by their dad of course. Even though I found the THWAP a tad humorous, especially since it wasn't happening to me, I also semi-feared it. As I grew up, I found myself (once in a great while) using a very mild version of the THAWP when babysitting. It was never a hurtful THAWP, just a silly, "You know better, you doof!" kind of THAWP.

Well, this week, after one of my WONDERFUL students did something he wasn't supposed to, but there's no way I could be upset at him, I gave him a loving THWAP. I thought it was a totally fine, silly thing to do. We (the class) were all in good spirits that day. As I was walking back to the front of the room, I noticed that this student wasn't smiling... That's when the fear stepped in. Not the fear of getting THWAPPED myself, but the fear of kids saying that I HIT a student in my class.

I immediately tried to fix the situation, and with a smile I my face said, "That didn't hurt, did it?" He said, "A little." SHOOT! Full out apology, already imagining the phone call from his dad asking why I hit his son. My last comment was something along the lines of, "I feel really bad about that, I meant it as fun." He responded by saying very firmly, "Well, maybe this will make you feel better," as he walked directly over to me. I knelt down a little and prepared myself for a THWAP to the back of my head, fully expecting that's what he was going to do. Instead he gave me a HUGE HUG! "There!" he said, "Does that make you feel better?"

OMW. I love my students this year. I also dislike how I read into the small stuff too much. He was fine, the class was fine. I'm fine. But no more THWAPPING this year!