Sometimes on group hikes we needed to walk a distance from where cars were parked down a road to the trail head. On one of these outings we had a near disaster.
Its is no small matter to have seasoned, group savvy, sensible leaders at the head of a pack of kids. Back in the day... school administration required teachers to go with parents to be in charge of the group activity, siting the education and certification required to become a teacher.
We can certify an edify but that doesn't add up to QUALIFY.
This hike to and from our cars was about 3/4 mile on a road that had a sort of hair pin turn at one point. I had walked the road when scouting out the trip ahead of time. We had about 15 or so kids and three teachers and me. One teacher, who wasn't always great at listening, put herself at the head of the group line. I explained to her the situation- and noted the safe spot where we would stop for crossing the group across road, before this dangerous spot.
Yeah, yeah, yeah- got it.
We were walking single file, each adult had about 4 kids in between. I was the second adult, about four kids back. The teacher in front failed to stop at the appointed place and kept going with kids following. We stopped the line of kids behind us and I was running up to get her to stop when she turned to the kids saying - oh this isn't safe. She had reached the hair pin turn part of the road. We need to cross she says, as she is walking into the road with 4 kids following. I shouted to wait, stop. But she said its not safe here... looking at me, while I am seeing a car come around the turn.
Deer In The Head Lights moment when everyone froze. Luckily this car was going slow and stopped with the teacher right in front of the car.
The moral of the story is not about teachers, it is about people. It is about having qualified persons in charge according to the individual skills relative to the event, activity, goals of the group, and not the labels or titles alone. This teacher in this story was likely good at many other tasks, but this was a big lesson for her.
We walk on the left side of the road in order to see any traffic coming toward us. AND, to look ahead for the places where the shoulder ends, the road turns sharply, or an obstruction, an animal may be ahead, making that side more dangerous etc.. In these instances we have to cross the road and then pay attention to what may be coming up behind us.
And sometimes we have to know when NOT to follow the leader.
Kids are taught to rely on, to believe and follow the adults. But as parents and/or guardians of child and childhood we also have a responsibility to protect kids from the Unqualified Leaders.
Responsibility teaches responsibility. Response ability is how this is accomplished.
