Random Week

This week has been an emotional roller coaster. First of all, it has been state testing week. Second of all, it has been the week after spring break, so the kids are crazy. Third of all, well...I'm not sure. It's just been weird.

I opened my classroom door for some other reason two days ago only to discover two of the students on our team in a fist fight while at their lockers. The other students standing around watching had no inclination to get an adult, so I had not idea how long it had been going on. Not wanting to be on my own, I just yelled at the two boys to stop (because you have to tell them to stop--and they usually won't--for them to get into big trouble), hoping to be loud enough for the only two other adults on the hall to hear. They heard and came running, and the first thing the science teacher did was to take me by the arm and pull me out of the way instead of trying to break the boys up. I'm not afraid of boy fights, particularly if the boys are 5' nothing, 100 and nothing (which they both were--little for 7th graders).

Today, on the way back from lunch, two of our ADVANCED girls starting talking back and forth ("What you gonna do about it, huh?" Stepping up. "What you gonna do about it?" Shove...and...all heck breaks loose.) I actually didn't witness any of this because my class is always last to come back, and this week, during testing, we have the misfortune of returning to class while the sixth graders are trying to transition to exploratories. So, my line got broken up with the front half going on to witness the fight, and the back half held up by a hoard of children trying to cross the intersections. By the time I got up to it, M (my pregnant friend) was telling my class to get back in line, nothing to see here. I was confused because the principal and assistant principal were already on the scene, and I was particularly not shocked when I found out who it was that had been fighting--best friends, worst enemies, depending on the day. Broken shoes and ripped clothing, hair all over the floor (some of the kids took some as souvenirs--gag me).

I DO NOT get in the middle of girl fights, as a general rule. And neither did any of the teachers on the scene, but in this case mostly because there wasn't any opening because these girls were throwing punches. Something about trying to jump into a game of double-dutch jump-roping. The men came and broke it up. It was, by all adult accounts, the worst fight we've had all year. The girls sat down in the office with their hands iced afterward. Glad I missed it.

But, if that's any indication as to the state of things this week. Ugh.

We're headed to Mobile tomorrow after school. Elsie's presence has been requested as one of Eli's aunts will be in town and has never met Elsie. And, since she can't go by herself, we're going as a family. Should be fun.

I need sleep. Goodnight.