(no subject)
Today there was a major fight in science class. It's probably been building up to this point for a few days now, but I hadn't picked up on it.
One boy, probably three times my size, held another boy down on a table while a third boy flicked the first in the neck with an elastic band. Boy Two breaks the hold while Boy Three (by far the smallest, probably about 90 pounds at most) has his back turned. Boy Two starts punching Boy Three. Boy One leaves the room while the substitute teacher and I are distracted by the punching, going to the cafeteria and telling the rest of the middle school students what's happening so they can come watch.
By the end of it, Boy Three was bleeding fairly heavily from the nose and had gotten his blood all over the teacher's shirt while she was restraining him. Security had to be called. Three kids have a five day suspension, which is the automatic amount for any fight.
One kid helped me, the teacher, and the security guard pull the fighting boys off each other. He's only been in one fight all year. He gets his work done, and he asks for help when he's confused. He tries. He's polite. He understands appropriate behavior for classrooms and hallways and basketball practice and tutoring sessions. He's smart and creative and funny. And I worry that he will get hurt, or won't learn enough to get into an academically challenging high school that will prepare him for college, because he has to break up fights in his classroom.
That kid is why I go to work every day. Kids like him, and the kids that were fighting, and the kids that were just trying to do their work while a fight broke out in their class and someone bled on their homework.
One boy, probably three times my size, held another boy down on a table while a third boy flicked the first in the neck with an elastic band. Boy Two breaks the hold while Boy Three (by far the smallest, probably about 90 pounds at most) has his back turned. Boy Two starts punching Boy Three. Boy One leaves the room while the substitute teacher and I are distracted by the punching, going to the cafeteria and telling the rest of the middle school students what's happening so they can come watch.
By the end of it, Boy Three was bleeding fairly heavily from the nose and had gotten his blood all over the teacher's shirt while she was restraining him. Security had to be called. Three kids have a five day suspension, which is the automatic amount for any fight.
One kid helped me, the teacher, and the security guard pull the fighting boys off each other. He's only been in one fight all year. He gets his work done, and he asks for help when he's confused. He tries. He's polite. He understands appropriate behavior for classrooms and hallways and basketball practice and tutoring sessions. He's smart and creative and funny. And I worry that he will get hurt, or won't learn enough to get into an academically challenging high school that will prepare him for college, because he has to break up fights in his classroom.
That kid is why I go to work every day. Kids like him, and the kids that were fighting, and the kids that were just trying to do their work while a fight broke out in their class and someone bled on their homework.