Fight Valentines Day

Every now and then, there are fights in high schools. (a huge understatement)

Today there was one right outside my classroom door.

A latino boy who got popped in the nose. Blood was everywhere. Other teachers said that the kids who assaulted him were huge. Other kids said that one kid was down and another kid was just wailing on him, kicking him in the stomach, then walked off.

I didn't see any of it.

What I saw was a kid in the hall who I pulled into my classroom. I loaded him up with tissue to abate his nose (this is all after I called security), had him sit down. Waited for security. The principal came and ushered him off.

I took a Clorox wipe and used my shoe to take blood off the floor, then kicked the wipe in the corner. Bloodborne pathogens training. Still the custodian was irritated that I used "the wrong thing" to clean up the blood.

Security hung in the halls. The nose popped had a blue spiral notebook left in my class. A gang color. I furtively read his entries. They were short, like a person being sort of required to do something that did not come naturally. His last entry, for Valentines Day, was about marrying his girlfriend, who I know he has dated this school year.

Many thoughts. Fighting is an inevitable part of school, especially for boys. They will be suspended, without exception. Gang problems in our community.

Since I started teaching I have changed alot. I remember the first time a kid told me to F*** off. I was really surprised! I did a ride along with my brother the policeman once, I hate going into places where bad things are happening. I hate rubberneckers at traffic accidents. I don't want to be at the scene of the crime. I am not a first responder by nature. But sometimes life puts us here.

I have improved. It doesn't make me nervous, like it used to. I am still not "good" at it.

So what about you? Have you ever been put on the spot to help someone? Ever had to break up a fight? Ever responded to an emergency? Ever had to be in that tense situation and make those fast decisions and hope you weren't going to get mowed down in the process?

In our household, we have a sick toddler who has hurled all over hersheets and our washing machine, of course, as you know, is dead waiting for pick up and drop off of the newbie which will not happen till Monday. She has messedup both of her sheets, and all her blankets. Oh well.