Coulda, woulda, shoulda...
There was a fight at school today.
Of course, it's a high school, so what do you expect?
But...several minutes after 8th period ended, I was in the process of moving all my stuff from one room to another (there's a "secret," faculty-only section between the two rooms that makes this particular move a helluva lot easier), when I heard a commotion in the hall. 9 times outta 10, I go out to see what the big deal is. And it's always just some idiot yelling for no reason. Today...today I had other things on my mind, and I heard raised voices...something in the back of my head even said, "That kinda sounds like a fight." But I didn't go out and check.
A few minutes later, one of the other teachers and a security guard are escorting one of my 8th period students into the room...COVERED in blood. His face is a little banged up (he had a small cut over his eyebrow), and his mouth was bloody...but his shirt has blood all over it. The other kid's blood? I grab some paper towels so he could clean himself up a little, while the other teacher asks him if he has any glass on him. Glass? Why yes...apparently this kid (or the other kid) smashed through the security glass on a classroom door.
The kid - normally a very quiet, polite young man...not the best student, but at least he's respectful - won't stop pacing. He keeps insisting that he's ok...but it kinda looks like he's going to bolt out of the room any second. I stay until one of the deans shows up. The dean calls for the nurse and the principal, and tries to calm the kid down. I offer gloves and band-aids to the dean so he can help the kid clean up until the nurse arrives.
I just....I feel so bad. I SHOULD have gone out in the hall...I SHOULD have done something. Part of my job is to keep my students safe. And I failed this kid today.
On the other hand...if they were smashing through windows, I'm not sure I really could have done anything. I'm 5' 6 1/2", 135 pounds. I got nothing on these guys...they could knock me out without trying. I've broken up (or tried to break up) fights before...and while my brain processes the information logically (i.e. "I hope these guys will think twice about hitting a girl...and a teacher."), I react instinctively - I attempt to stop the fight. I wonder if it's a good thing that I wasn't aware of the happenings in the hall...because I would have tried to stop it. And, from the looks of things, I probably would've gotten hurt. Minimally, I would have had their blood all over me; in this day and age, that is NOT a good thing.
But...who am I to make excuses? Could I have at least prevented one kid from putting another through the window?
*sigh*
I'm so disappointed in myself.
Of course, it's a high school, so what do you expect?
But...several minutes after 8th period ended, I was in the process of moving all my stuff from one room to another (there's a "secret," faculty-only section between the two rooms that makes this particular move a helluva lot easier), when I heard a commotion in the hall. 9 times outta 10, I go out to see what the big deal is. And it's always just some idiot yelling for no reason. Today...today I had other things on my mind, and I heard raised voices...something in the back of my head even said, "That kinda sounds like a fight." But I didn't go out and check.
A few minutes later, one of the other teachers and a security guard are escorting one of my 8th period students into the room...COVERED in blood. His face is a little banged up (he had a small cut over his eyebrow), and his mouth was bloody...but his shirt has blood all over it. The other kid's blood? I grab some paper towels so he could clean himself up a little, while the other teacher asks him if he has any glass on him. Glass? Why yes...apparently this kid (or the other kid) smashed through the security glass on a classroom door.
The kid - normally a very quiet, polite young man...not the best student, but at least he's respectful - won't stop pacing. He keeps insisting that he's ok...but it kinda looks like he's going to bolt out of the room any second. I stay until one of the deans shows up. The dean calls for the nurse and the principal, and tries to calm the kid down. I offer gloves and band-aids to the dean so he can help the kid clean up until the nurse arrives.
I just....I feel so bad. I SHOULD have gone out in the hall...I SHOULD have done something. Part of my job is to keep my students safe. And I failed this kid today.
On the other hand...if they were smashing through windows, I'm not sure I really could have done anything. I'm 5' 6 1/2", 135 pounds. I got nothing on these guys...they could knock me out without trying. I've broken up (or tried to break up) fights before...and while my brain processes the information logically (i.e. "I hope these guys will think twice about hitting a girl...and a teacher."), I react instinctively - I attempt to stop the fight. I wonder if it's a good thing that I wasn't aware of the happenings in the hall...because I would have tried to stop it. And, from the looks of things, I probably would've gotten hurt. Minimally, I would have had their blood all over me; in this day and age, that is NOT a good thing.
But...who am I to make excuses? Could I have at least prevented one kid from putting another through the window?
*sigh*
I'm so disappointed in myself.