Sticky Icky

It's 4:50 p.m. on a Monday. A Tuesday. Any day, really. My TreeHouse students, despite their youth, are visibly exhausted. 8 straight hours of learning have clearly taken its toll on these youngsters. At this point learning English is just about last on their list of priorities, somewhere behind playing computer games, taking a nap, and living the life of a normal kid. Yet here they are, heads beginning to bob and eyelids looking heavier and drooping more as each second passes. They've already endured the first 20 minutes, which included the oh-so-exciting spelling quiz and patterns review (and especially on lessons 5 and 6 of the current unit, when they've been practicing the same patterns for over a week, it can be difficult to keep them interested. They could practically recite that stuff in their sleep, which they just about do). They're still a painful half hour away from break time and freedom. Something needs to happen quick. Otherwise these students are going to be out for the count.

"Game?" I ask perfunctorily. I already know their answer.

"Ya. Game. Game." The slight rise in their intonation indicating an elevated interest.

And then I bust out the big guns....

"Hmmm...sticky ball game?"

"YES!! Sticky ball!!" As my ear drums just about explode.

And there it is. Call me David Blaine, because I just worked some magic. In a mere matter of seconds I transformed a group of certifiably bored kids into dangerously excited and talkative ones. Of course this sudden change in spirits didn't have as much to do with me as it did my with my little circular friend, Sir Sticky Ball.

In the words of the great Austin Ghiossi, kids go "ape shit" for this thing

Few objects allure as much and demand as much attention as that tiny ball of suckers does (ranks somewhere behind Frodo's Ring and the Sword of 1000 Truths). For a ridiculously cheap price of 10 NT (approximately 30 US cents), it is easily the wisest investment a NST teaching in Taipei can make. Whenever boredom or monotony begins to infect the young ones, the sticky ball provides the ultimate bailout. Especially at times where class participation is lacking, this asset can be huge in terms of getting kids to break out of their shells. It seems the mere opportunity to throw this thing at the whiteboard gives them enough motivation to practice their language skills in front of their peers. For them, at that moment the number one fear in life is not speaking publicly. It's missing the chance to throw the sticky ball. It's truly amazing the amount of joy these kids from such a simple pleasure. And what's best about the sticky ball is its versatility. You can literally use the thing with any game you play. There's almost as many possibilities as there are stickers. Phonics Tic Tac Toe, Snakes and Ladders, the "fishy" game, Bingo, Snowball Fight, and the list goes on and on.

Of course there's inevitably some collateral damage you incur when you use the sticky ball as often as I do. It's safe to say I've taken my fair share of shots from the sticky ball as a result of errant throws. At this point I'm basically the Craig Biggio of the classroom. And then of course sometimes you have to play referee and stop the kids from throwing the ball at each other when things start to get a little too East Coast-West Coast. Then there's kids who almost take down the whiteboard in vain efforts to retrieve a sticky ball throw that was aimed just a little too high. And I can't even count the number of stickers that have come flying off the sticky ball, like shrapnel from an exploding grenade, from kids throwing the thing way too damn hard. Sure, these things are cheap. But when you're buying 2-3 a week, ish adds up.

All in all though I'm extremely grateful for this simple toy. It keeps my kids excited, and it gives me the utmost pleasure in seeing them so happy. Especially when the SuperMoney economy is still in recession, the sticky ball has proven to be a great alternative in keeping motivation and interest high. After all, (Super)Money can't buy the kind of happiness the sticky ball provides.