Challenge #03161-H252: Teaching Gently

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Level 1 Havenworlders, and levels one through three Deathworlders, were being trained in how to work in childcare facilities that would have human children there. How to help them burn off the excess energy Human children tended to have, and to keep the Human children, and all other children, as well as themselves, safe. -- Anon Guest

Education in the Galactic Alliance gets... interesting. Class sizes rarely exceed ten. Indeed, eight is when the facility starts looking at ways to divide the group. Age is not relevant. Social skills and capabilities are.

Accepting responsibilities is a large part of the curriculum. It is well and good to know one's rights, but one must also accept the responsibilities that go with them.

Chief among these in early education is the Gentleness Test. Not all children learn how to be careful. Some are just naturally rough. Teaching a child how to not harm things and then people is truly important. Which is why some very smart people invented toys to teach it rather than letting damage and injury ensue.

The teachers get to play with them too. After all, how best to learn how things are used than by using them?

Alliance teachers, especially in the early education units, learn in playrooms. This one has just been introduced to the latest in children's educational playware.

Some looked like office stress toys, and bulged in places when squeezed. Some were toy representations of Havenworlders that showed bruises when handled too roughly. Some looked like... cat toys.

Trainee Educator Vran picked one up, making it crinkle in hir fingers. "Why mylar cat toys?"

"These are for a game we're calling 'Not A Sound'," said Educator Fu. She brought up a chart of goals and how to play. "To teach the students how to pick up frailer beings without causing accidental harm."

"Some kids would stim with these," objected Trainee Educator Hal as ze was crinkling one. "I mean... I'm stimming with these."

"This is why we beta test them here, among people who are aware of why they are doing things," said Educator Fu. "There are other models for those inclined to stim with the simpler pieces." She rummaged around in the big box and found what appeared to be a colourful marble.

When the wrong level of pressure was applied, it went, "Aaaaauuuwww..."

"Okay, that's disturbing."

"You think moo tins are disturbing[1]."

"Well, they are..."

Educator Fu did what all teachers do to regain control of the room. Clapping her hands, she sang, "Stop, look, and lis-ten."

The more things change, the more remains the same.

[1] A very simple toy consisting of a piece of cork inside a tin with holes to emit air and sound. When tipped up, it makes an animal noise, most commonly that of a cow's moo.

[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / Vladimirvk]

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