Snow Day...Just In Time!

Well, it happened. I had to break up my first fight.

Let it be known that I went to a teeny-tiny high school where the closest thing to I fight I ever encountered was hearing some senior say, “We’ll meet up this weekend- then we’ll fight.” These fights never happened, and, thus, I’ve made it to 24 without ever actually seeing physical violence.

That being said, of course my first encounter would be in my classroom with two of my students. And, of course, these students were two big boys. Boys much bigger than me. Much bigger. Because, I could have expected no less.

I have to be frank: it was scary, overwhelming, and just too much. You know that story about a mom being able to throw off a car when it’s on her infant? Well, that’s pretty much how I felt. My voice got louder and stronger than I ever imagined. I was took up more space between these two boys than I imagined possible. And when a desk was picked up by a boy more than ready to chuck it across the room, all it took was one word to have it put back down.

Honestly, I was proud that I handled it as calmly and rationally as I did. I broke it up before a punch was thrown. It felt like I had the boys separated, in the office, with the report written before I even was able to blink.  I must admit, however, that when I finally walked back to my classroom, my hands were shaking.

So, it’s happened now. I’ve  broken up a fight. I now know that I have it in me and that my students will, in fact, respect my authority in an abnormal situation. And I feel good about this realization.

Now, with all that said, can I tell you how glad I am to have two snow days in a row? As much as I love my kids, after drama like that, I needed a breather!