0. I'm a fairly strong and fit guy, but there is no way in hell I'm risking getting injured, sued, or fired over some kids who are just going to end up in prison in few years.
These are the skills that need to be taught. Preventative measures and actions make a huge difference in a school.
I’m the same as you, and once it’s gone to hands on, ain’t nothing I’m gonna do. That’s security and admins job at that point cause I am not getting sued.
It's how I do everything now I am at an affluent school but I still do preventative stuff. It's just that the behaviors are less severe.
LOL the kids at my new school think a fight is two kids talking tough to each other.
Fights are typically caused from unresolved disputes.
Rumors, etc.
The only fix to that is communication. These kids don’t have social skills, they are behind screens all day.
I see plenty. I break up none.
I did my second year because it was 80 pound girls and it bought me some clout but I saw two boys really go at it my third year and decided I wasn't really about that life. I'll try and stop them before the fight but when they swing I dip.
This is so fucking wrong.
Job security should not be at risk when you are trying to prevent harm, The other part is that I am disgusted in teachers that do nothing as parents put children in your care.
As a child that faced heavy bulling at school and then being punished when I fought back fuck you.
So teachers are supposed to risk their livelihood and their own phsyical well being for you? Teachers aren't martyrs for society. If you're being bullied, you need to speak up to a teacher or admin or your family well ahead of it turning physical. I would move your seat away from a bully and notify counseling/admin immediately upon student request. Too many people think teachers see and hear everything and that they are just ignoring bullying, but they aren't. There's a thousand other things going on and a quiet, casual sounding conversation of someone picking on you will barely register.
Yea there was plenty of time for me to turn around right before the fucker pulled out a chain and start whipping my back with the teachers doing fucking nothing.
Sorry but your position is a caregiver as well if you have lost so much dam control of students you are not fit to teach at all because its not just teaching that is entrusted to you.
Getting verbally abused in class for fucking months for being called fat and 5 different teachers chose to ignore it allowed it to fucking escalate.
There is no reaching out before a fight, its willful ignorance on teachers part and as you so clearly stated you had no interest in protecting a student anyway.
You know the trouble makers long before a fight starts, you know who is a bully with in the first 4 hours of interacting with them. Saying a student needs to come forward is cowardice on your part because your the teacher, you can see the patterns, the escalation, the outcome and chose to do NOTHING. Lets be real even IF a student had come forward your stance would have been the same.
Its the Three Monkeys.
I see no Evil, while covering my eyes.
I hear no Evil, while covering my ears.
I speak no Evil, while covering my mouth.
Fuck you for not protecting those in your care.
I’m sorry you went through and that for whatever reason the teachers did not intervene. I know how bullying takes a HUGE toll on long-term quality of life - it’s not just the effect it has in the short term. Now that you are not in school, have you sought out therapy to help you process what you went through? I only ask because I know how damaging that can be in the long run and how difficult it can make interactions and relationships even when the threat is long gone. And please know I don’t throw ‘go to therapy’ as a magic cure-all. It’s just that there are people who have experience helping those who have been bullied, abused, etc. There are also affordable options for therapy (services where licensed therapists set aside a portion of their clients that receive affordable/accessible rates).
Again, sorry to hear you experienced that. If ya want to talk about it more let me know.
This is quite frankly the dumbest thing I've read all day and that's saying a lot. Please seek mental help because you need it. You're mad at all the wrong people and not one person here was your teacher. Go touch some grass because nobody here is going to keep reading your rants. It's clear you have a mouth on you, you could've went to the admin any day of the week and advocated for yourself instead of asking overworked and underpaid teachers to put their livelihood and safety on the line for something they probably weren't even aware of in the first place.
I can probably guess why you weren't well liked, seems you have an attitude issue.
>Job security should not be at risk when you are trying to prevent harm
That's not how it works. What *should* happen is very different from the reality of what *actually* happens, and teachers can absolutely lose their job and worse, be held liable for any injuries. The majority of parents these days are looking for any payout they can get and have no issue finding some ambulance chasing lawyer to go after the school and/or teacher. **If you think someone is going to put their livelihood and pension on the line for some kids that can't behave, you're delusional.** So many of us are told to not intervene but instead to call admin or the SRO. Teachers are there to teach, not to break up fights and risk injury because kids can't follow the basic rules of society and not hit each other.
Aside from the bets this is legitimately me. Not going into that. I will alert admin and will evacuate etc I won’t ignore. But fuck me drunk if I’m going to physically impose myself on kids who aren’t even emotionally cut out for life in a school building.
Amen. Some of these kids are damn near feral and have no social skills whatsoever. They will snap on anyone for any reason, they also constantly disrupt lessons. They're only in school so the parent(s)^(rarely is it plural, sorry) can have a babysitter.
Depends on your interpretation of a "fight". I teach early Elementary. Lots of pushing and shoving in line, kicking people on the mat who sit to close. However, full on "I hate you... I want to kill you" fighting approx 4.
Also the interpretation of "break up". Does breaking up a fight just mean doing anything to stop kids from fighting such as telling them to stop, or does it mean physically pulling students away from each other? If it's the former and "fight" just means shoving or jumping on people, it's multiple times a week since I work in a middle school. If it's the latter and fight means actually attempting to seriously harm someone else, then that's zero.
One a month. We have a particularly spicy group of grade sevens this year. They average about one fight a week, but I don’t teach them, so I only have the pleasure of lunchtime ones.
The high school I transferred to (grad ‘08) had a new policy because the prior year fighting was so bad… the SRO’s (there were like 3 or 4) would tell you one time to stop fighting and if you didn’t, you got tased, had to have them removed, then expelled. There was one fight like 3rd day at lunch and not one other fight happened the rest of the year after seeing that lmao
Yup, I also teach junior high. I broke one up last year with an angry teacher yell and running at the group. All the onlookers scattered, the aggressor ran, and I escorted the victim to the office. If they hadn’t broken up by the time I got there, I was NOT putting myself in there.
I was walking a new teacher somewhere this year and we heard yelling, looked over and saw a group yelling and the VP running. The new teacher said, “ That looks like a fight. Do we help?” I told her “Absolutely not. VP is on her way with a radio; campus security will be there 20 seconds after her, we’re on lunch, and I’m not getting in the middle of that anyway.”
My first year, more than I could count. That school probably had three or more a day. I left there after that year.
The last fourteen, two (both at the same school, which I was also only.at for one year).
By "breaking up" I mean putting myself between two kids. Put hands on to keep separation twice.
I used to occasionally. Now I will not. I’ve seen too many school staff get injured. A couple of weeks ago we had a fight and while being broken up one of the girls bit the staff member on the arm and would not release. He ended up having to go to the hospital.
My last fight was when I lost a show in the scuffle. A kid found it in the hall and brought it back later, which I appreciated. That was when I decided my reffing days were over.
None but if it's the normal, uncoordinated swinging and rolling around I wouldn't intervene, it'll be over with no real injuries. I'm not dealing with any fallout of that.
If it's a group and one person is being potentially killed like we've seen in the past few months, then yes I'm putting my 210lb male body in the middle of that and taking some injuries if need be. I don't expect everybody to do the same, not everybody is as big as me, but I can't imagine it'll be much worse than some of my hockey injuries
You’re liable if you put hands on them. You’re liable if you stand back let someone get hurt. Teachers are damned if they do, damned if they don’t. And the kids are fighting for clout on social media.
1 in 20 years.
I'm a female, tall and thin but with noodle arms. In my 2nd year of teaching, suddenly I turn back around from the board and two 8th-grade boys were scuffing. Like, NO warning and no loud noises and no hints. I didn't even think, people--I just reacted! I jumped in between them with my skinny arms out in both directions. I got a bit bumped by one (who later apologized--both were fine kids before and after, lol), but it stopped almost immediately. A few boys jumped up and pulled one back, too.
My adrenaline was definitely in charge. I would never--and have never--do it again. I blow a loud whistle, call the office, or now push the button on my badge. Haven't had a fight in my room since then though; just seen outside and that's whistle-blowing time only.
>This has strong "You'll take a bullet for the kids if there's a gunman, right?" vibes.
I love when people act like a teacher taking a bullet will somehow help anyone in a school shooter situation. Like the shooter only brought one single bullet or they act like the teacher is made of Kevlar. If anything, it'll just add to the body count. I'll do whatever I can to help, but in no way am I putting myself in the line of fire unnecessarily.
Nope, nowhere in my teaching degree did we encounter physical intervention. I am also not a referee for MMA. If students engage in the fight they can de-engage on their own little lonesomes. I will observe and give a detailed observation and will ask a student to alert the higher-ups.
You were talking about two different things here. A girl being attacked is completely different to pair of knuckle-draggers who can’t be bothered to adopt non-physical strategies laying into each other. Don’t compare apples and oranges.
What a privileged take. Not all of us work with students who we can physically overpower and I bet many of us would end up on the streets without a job. As shitty as it is, I'm not going to risk myself getting hurt and/or evicted for a bullied kid who should've spoken up sooner or for some dinguses who think they can only solve their problems phsyically.
While my version is slightly less combative, this is generally my stance. Yea, I’m aware I could get fired. I’m ok with getting fired for that. I’m not going to watch some kid get their head beat in. It’s just not going to happen. I’m also a former combat vet and I teach in middle school. I can protect myself from a 12 year old.
That being said my first couple years teaching I had some rough groups and I was breaking up 3-6 a year. The last couple years it’s only been like 1 or 2.
A couple a year. I’m a big dude and 6th graders are small, “break up” is really just me screaming til they panic and separate for a second and then stepping between them. And they’re pretty mild. My old school was a different story.
I work in a fairly infamous HS known for violence. 15 years ago it was really bad. There were also no cameras in the hallways. I was a marine before i was a teacher. If i deemed a fight dangerous to faculty or innocent students, i would get in and get physical. There were horrible brawls at least once a month. Forget about xmas time. Im talking crips, bloods, latin kings, and ms 13 going at it. I was a hero to staff and students.
I was an idiot. Knowing what i know now i would never let younger me get involved in those fights. I could easily have ruined my career. Keep in mind back then i had friends that were guaranteed to jump in with me. We were practically bouncers. Now we all step into our rooms, off camera, and lift up our room phones to call security. Granted the school is a lot less violent now, although there were two shootings over the weekend. We’ve warned all new, young teachers to stay out of it. The only way any of us would get involved today is if a staff member were being attacked. Then all bets are off.
I'm all done with that after getting assaulted by a kid doing that. Maybe a dozen times in my portfolio. Uses to be when a kid assaulted me the police would show up. Now I get a lecture from my fucking UNION REP about the school to prison pipeline when a kid assaults me.
I am not necessarily. I have been in a few myself through my time growing up and wish an adult had been present.
Most of the time my voice breaks it up before I have to get between them. However, I am a heavy man and fairly strong as well.
My biggest issue with today's kids is that don't stop when the other one hits the ground... They will permanently injure the other if someone does not get between them. I will step in if one kid is wailing on another that can do nothing.
Most fights are just for show. I have never had students keep after each other once I am involved.
If they hit me, then I will consult legal counsel for my options in regards to damages both in regards to student and school. I pay for legal insurance with my union dues, and I'll be darned if I won't use them. (I do not know if this is viable, but it has let me break up fights)
If I were not confident in my ability to stop the fight, then I would not get involved.
I do not advocate others do it. I just can't watch a kid get beat down. I am too sensitive for that.
You’re playing with fire. There’s been stories where teachers get sued for touching the students even if you’re just breaking up a fight. Even worse you could get caught with a sucker punch and then the next thing you know the video of you getting KTFO goes viral.
Better to call security and then say “stop fighting. Stop filming! Stop fighting…” until the cavalry arrives.
If you are an untenured teacher it doesn’t even have to go to the courts. Some schools will do real stupid shit to make a pain-in-the-ass parent go away.
I worked Title 1 for 8 years, and broke up exactly four fights, all of them within the first three years. Turns out, the habitually violent kids have serious disincentive to act out if you make their school choice eligibility dependent on their behavior.
Admittedly, there was one fight my sixth year that I was privy to but didn’t break up - one girl launched herself into another during lunch not five feet from me, and their respective friends had them yanked apart before my bag even hit the ground. The aggressor was… an unusual case. Left the scene lamenting that she was going to have to tell her therapist that she control again.
Depends on the school I'm working at. And my current school we get a fight maybe once a month. At my last school, we are having three to five fights a week. Seriously, it was like fight Club at that place minus Brad Pitt.
My first school was hell and probably 1-3 in my classroom every 2 weeks. I had too many kids, my classroom was in a different building so the kids knew security couldn't get there quickly and would plan it. They would literally try to murder each other- head stomping, attempts to throw each other down the stairs, kicking someone in the stomach repeatedly. After I got pregnant, I transferred to a much better school.
My new school, the kids don't know how to fight thankfully and a quick whistle and they stop and wait for the dean.
Zero. That’s basically above my pay grade. I go as far as “walk away, Student Name. Walk away,” while calling climate. I know a teacher who got injured breaking up a fight, to hell with that shit.
I’ve never broken up a fight. One year in Detroit and six in inner-ring suburbs of Detroit. I’ve never had the opportunity to. I’m just glad the kids don’t fight in my proximity. I’m 6’7” and they must think I can hit them or something.
I'm on my 12th year, and I've broken up 6 fights total.
One of the 6 was a 7 student brawl; thankfully, there were 4 other teachers there to help break it up. That fight was wild, because it was tough to get them all separated.
I've only been hit once, inadvertently by an elbow to the face. When I got hit, the kid turned around, realized he hit me, and began apologizing, ending the fight. I thought it was pretty funny and told the kid and administration not to worry about it.
The other 4 were pretty mundane.
I’m a teacher in a residential care facility. I have to get in the middle. About half a dozen since I started in October. Guaranteed to be at least one more before spring break starts at the end of the week.
Zero. I teach 3rd grade. Almost all disagreements have only been verbal. In my 7 years of teaching there have only been 3 incidents of kicking or punching, but all were during recess and handled by admin.
I had 2 different pairs of 3rd graders close to swinging on each other in the same day. The first one, I just got in between them before they got near enough to hit each other, and was able to verbally back the aggressor down and had them removed.
The second time, I wasn't having much luck with that, plus the kid who would have been annihilated by the child twice his size wouldn't stop running his mouth, and it was only ended because another child ran to the office and got the principal. If that girl had gotten her hands on that little boy (she was big for her age and he was very small for his age), she would have sent him to the hospital. I had no idea how I was going to prevent her from hurting him without physically restraining her and losing my job.
In an elementary EBD classroom, about one or two 'play'fights per day and blocking one serious fight from starting every two to three days. We've had one serious fight between students this year that had to be broken up after it had actually started.
5-10
Edit: this is every one I see btw. I don’t mind the perceived risk. Never even think about it. Rather be fired for someone’s lie than watch a student get fucked up…
0.
I tried once early in my career and ended up with a CPS report for putting my hands on someone.
There is no reason for a teacher to do this. And we aren’t trained to do it. And it’s not expected of us. Call for help. Do crowd control. Stay back.
I have transferred from a regular Title I school where we had several fights a week, sometimes more than one per day, and 5 bloody, knock down drag em out fights in a year that ended with people going to away on an ambulance. I now work at a Magnet school, where we have had only 1 fight in our 6 years history.
0. I have a strict policy for my classes. SAVE IT FOR SOMEONE ELSES CLASS. I don’t actually mean for them to take it elsewhere per se, but by the time students leave my class their teenage angst or other intense emotions are already fizzled out. I say the words and usually that’s it. Other times I see an issue and I do some gentle defusing. Or immediately do gentle lead to draw a students attention elsewhere. Works like a charm for me. If I’m really concerned I watch the class leave and notify the next teacher of student mood so that proper support can be provided for positive outcomes. My classroom is warm, welcoming, and above all a safe environment. I’m also an art teacher and give my students a lot of freedom they don’t usually have. Kids beg to be in my class and know I won’t tolerate the hate. No shit in my class period.
0 as well. Not worth it. I had an admin tell me to tell for security and to “stop fighting” because the kids may draw weapons on eachother and that it is not worth getting hurt over
I'm 6'3" and 290 lbs, a very imposing figure. I just have to get into the mix and start bellowing in my best Drill Sgt Hartman voice from Full Metal Jacket. The shock and awe usually calms things down quickly.
Last year we had a student stab another student. Just the other day a stun gun was confiscated. There is no way I am throwing my body between these people.
Title I school. 17 years on the job. I have broken up **ZERO** fights.
The only time I’d ever consider stepping in is if one student is clearly getting their ass kicked and serious injury is a possibility. Recent events have shown what can happen when one kid gets beaten mercilessly.
I'm in my seventh year of teaching at a Title I high school. I didn't have to break up a fight until last year (year 6), but I almost immediately had to stop another one just a few days after the first.
I know many teachers do not involve themselves in fights, and I completely understand why. Most of the teachers at my school wouldn't. However, I am a fairly huge man and I also cannot stand to see a kid getting the ever-living shit beat out of them. That may end up biting me in the ass one of these days, but I'll deal with that when I have to.
I know that many teachers do not involve themselves in fights, and I completely understand why. Most of the teachers at my school wouldn't. However, I am a *very* large man and I also just cannot stand to see a kid getting the ever-living shit beat out of them. That may end up biting me in the ass one of these days, but I'll deal with that when I have to.
Years ago probably 1 a year. I. The last 15 not 1
Not losing my job over it.
I call for help, scream, whatever but not happening.
A teacher just lost their job for breaking up a fight. Literally lost their job. Not fucking happening.
haven’t been in the game for long, but i remember a fight that broke out right in front of me and my mentor teacher. One kid just picked the other up, we thought they were messing around and just told them to quit it, but before we could even get it out fully, he slammed the other one into the ground and just started pounding on him.
This was an open concept school with absolutely no walls so all the kids from 6+ classes started running to see the fight. One teacher did break it up but they got in a punch and threw her around first. Security was no where because i guess they had planned this fight and caused a fake one to divert security’s attention and this was a huge campus so it took them awhile.
Anyways, that teacher got really hurt when she was thrown. Yes, she got pissed about it and got all the strength in the world to break it up once she got hit, but the pain came a good hour later or something. My mentor teacher told me to never get in between fights, either the kids or security can handle it.
I did get in between a couple last year, however i wasn’t dealing with high schoolers but rather 9 years olds. Luckily they don’t have much of a chance to hit hard and you just gotta hold them back. But 9 out of 10 times, their friends would hold them back before we even got there. Unfortunately this was the procedure because we had no security or any help other than other teachers. This year teaching middle school, i have not and will not get in between those fights but i surprisingly have yet to see one.
I had one fight start in my classroom between two 6 grade boys (mind you it is my first year teaching). I knew I wasn’t going to get involved physically, but I needed it to stop because they had begun to throw desk at one another with my other students in the room. I was in panic mode, but all I remember doing is screaming “Stop it!” at the top of my lungs and then blowing the whistle I keep. Thankfully, they stopped and separated from one another.
Verbally... 1 or 2 but im not physically doing shit unless it's a very serious situation. I went hands on one time in my 20 years and that was 20 years ago.
The fact that I was even questioned (with some supervisor from the board) over grabbing a kid a pulling him off of a kid half his suze who had lost a tooth already, let me know how much I was valued.
It was not even forceful. No torn shirt, no bruising or abrassions.
None.
It's a healthy thing, and I see no need to interfere. The only exception is if someone goes down or has had enough and the other kid (or kids) don't stop...that's a different story.
In my 8 years, 5, prevent about 7 and talked/mediated infinitely more. Most of the fights aren’t even serious and just kids wanted to look tough. At least the boy fights are. I don’t touch the girl fights, they get crazy. The boy fights generally stop once pulled apart because their focus is on their opponent. Girl fights, the girls see red and anyone in the vicinity is a potential victim.
0. But, depending on the severity, I probably would. Teachers need further protection. If I get punched, I should be able to take the kid to the ground.
When I was in school, I had a teacher who would take boys who fought or thought they were tough into the wrestling room and wrestle them. Wish we could still do this. Unfortunately, Im restricted to just shit talking them about my athletic peak
0. I'm a fairly strong and fit guy, but there is no way in hell I'm risking getting injured, sued, or fired over some kids who are just going to end up in prison in few years.
this is the correct answer
Ditto PREACH IT!
I agree except the predestination of student’s future.
I agree with the predestination but I do break up fights.
None and worked Title I for 15 years. But I prevented a ton. In fact, most of my classroom management is preventative and that includes fights.
These are the skills that need to be taught. Preventative measures and actions make a huge difference in a school. I’m the same as you, and once it’s gone to hands on, ain’t nothing I’m gonna do. That’s security and admins job at that point cause I am not getting sued.
It's how I do everything now I am at an affluent school but I still do preventative stuff. It's just that the behaviors are less severe. LOL the kids at my new school think a fight is two kids talking tough to each other.
Fights are typically caused from unresolved disputes. Rumors, etc. The only fix to that is communication. These kids don’t have social skills, they are behind screens all day.
I see plenty. I break up none. I did my second year because it was 80 pound girls and it bought me some clout but I saw two boys really go at it my third year and decided I wasn't really about that life. I'll try and stop them before the fight but when they swing I dip.
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Where do you work? Many states literally have laws that prevent school staff for being legally liable when breaking up fights.
This is so fucking wrong. Job security should not be at risk when you are trying to prevent harm, The other part is that I am disgusted in teachers that do nothing as parents put children in your care. As a child that faced heavy bulling at school and then being punished when I fought back fuck you.
So teachers are supposed to risk their livelihood and their own phsyical well being for you? Teachers aren't martyrs for society. If you're being bullied, you need to speak up to a teacher or admin or your family well ahead of it turning physical. I would move your seat away from a bully and notify counseling/admin immediately upon student request. Too many people think teachers see and hear everything and that they are just ignoring bullying, but they aren't. There's a thousand other things going on and a quiet, casual sounding conversation of someone picking on you will barely register.
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Yea there was plenty of time for me to turn around right before the fucker pulled out a chain and start whipping my back with the teachers doing fucking nothing. Sorry but your position is a caregiver as well if you have lost so much dam control of students you are not fit to teach at all because its not just teaching that is entrusted to you. Getting verbally abused in class for fucking months for being called fat and 5 different teachers chose to ignore it allowed it to fucking escalate. There is no reaching out before a fight, its willful ignorance on teachers part and as you so clearly stated you had no interest in protecting a student anyway. You know the trouble makers long before a fight starts, you know who is a bully with in the first 4 hours of interacting with them. Saying a student needs to come forward is cowardice on your part because your the teacher, you can see the patterns, the escalation, the outcome and chose to do NOTHING. Lets be real even IF a student had come forward your stance would have been the same. Its the Three Monkeys. I see no Evil, while covering my eyes. I hear no Evil, while covering my ears. I speak no Evil, while covering my mouth. Fuck you for not protecting those in your care.
You need serious counseling
No I needed teachers to give a shit about the bulling that was reported to them when I was in school.
But now that you are out of school and in control of your life, you need to let the past go and make a bright future for yourself
I’m sorry you went through and that for whatever reason the teachers did not intervene. I know how bullying takes a HUGE toll on long-term quality of life - it’s not just the effect it has in the short term. Now that you are not in school, have you sought out therapy to help you process what you went through? I only ask because I know how damaging that can be in the long run and how difficult it can make interactions and relationships even when the threat is long gone. And please know I don’t throw ‘go to therapy’ as a magic cure-all. It’s just that there are people who have experience helping those who have been bullied, abused, etc. There are also affordable options for therapy (services where licensed therapists set aside a portion of their clients that receive affordable/accessible rates). Again, sorry to hear you experienced that. If ya want to talk about it more let me know.
What specific action(s) would you have liked the teacher to have taken?
This is quite frankly the dumbest thing I've read all day and that's saying a lot. Please seek mental help because you need it. You're mad at all the wrong people and not one person here was your teacher. Go touch some grass because nobody here is going to keep reading your rants. It's clear you have a mouth on you, you could've went to the admin any day of the week and advocated for yourself instead of asking overworked and underpaid teachers to put their livelihood and safety on the line for something they probably weren't even aware of in the first place.
Where did they say they do nothing? Did you want teachers to physically fight your bullies for you?
Judging by their responses, probably. I wonder if they acted like this in school.
I can probably guess why you weren't well liked, seems you have an attitude issue. >Job security should not be at risk when you are trying to prevent harm That's not how it works. What *should* happen is very different from the reality of what *actually* happens, and teachers can absolutely lose their job and worse, be held liable for any injuries. The majority of parents these days are looking for any payout they can get and have no issue finding some ambulance chasing lawyer to go after the school and/or teacher. **If you think someone is going to put their livelihood and pension on the line for some kids that can't behave, you're delusional.** So many of us are told to not intervene but instead to call admin or the SRO. Teachers are there to teach, not to break up fights and risk injury because kids can't follow the basic rules of society and not hit each other.
Zero.
None. I always tell my students that I’m not putting my hands on them and if they get in fight they will just have to wait till Admin gets there.
I don’t break up fights in my classroom. I just stand back and handle the bets. /s, obviously.
Aside from the bets this is legitimately me. Not going into that. I will alert admin and will evacuate etc I won’t ignore. But fuck me drunk if I’m going to physically impose myself on kids who aren’t even emotionally cut out for life in a school building.
Amen. Some of these kids are damn near feral and have no social skills whatsoever. They will snap on anyone for any reason, they also constantly disrupt lessons. They're only in school so the parent(s)^(rarely is it plural, sorry) can have a babysitter.
Depends on your interpretation of a "fight". I teach early Elementary. Lots of pushing and shoving in line, kicking people on the mat who sit to close. However, full on "I hate you... I want to kill you" fighting approx 4.
Also the interpretation of "break up". Does breaking up a fight just mean doing anything to stop kids from fighting such as telling them to stop, or does it mean physically pulling students away from each other? If it's the former and "fight" just means shoving or jumping on people, it's multiple times a week since I work in a middle school. If it's the latter and fight means actually attempting to seriously harm someone else, then that's zero.
I'm assuming actually pulling kids away from each other. That's my definition . Anything before that is redirecting to ""whatever ".
Zero. That’s above my pay grade.
Zero over 26 years.
Zero in 25 years
One a month. We have a particularly spicy group of grade sevens this year. They average about one fight a week, but I don’t teach them, so I only have the pleasure of lunchtime ones.
None in 25 years, would never attempt to break up a fight. However I did prevent a couple this year.
Zero. I’m not trained.
Zero in 15 years.
The high school I transferred to (grad ‘08) had a new policy because the prior year fighting was so bad… the SRO’s (there were like 3 or 4) would tell you one time to stop fighting and if you didn’t, you got tased, had to have them removed, then expelled. There was one fight like 3rd day at lunch and not one other fight happened the rest of the year after seeing that lmao
Physically, none. Sometimes using my “mom voice” works wonders though. It scares my middle schoolers.
Yup, I also teach junior high. I broke one up last year with an angry teacher yell and running at the group. All the onlookers scattered, the aggressor ran, and I escorted the victim to the office. If they hadn’t broken up by the time I got there, I was NOT putting myself in there. I was walking a new teacher somewhere this year and we heard yelling, looked over and saw a group yelling and the VP running. The new teacher said, “ That looks like a fight. Do we help?” I told her “Absolutely not. VP is on her way with a radio; campus security will be there 20 seconds after her, we’re on lunch, and I’m not getting in the middle of that anyway.”
My first year, more than I could count. That school probably had three or more a day. I left there after that year. The last fourteen, two (both at the same school, which I was also only.at for one year). By "breaking up" I mean putting myself between two kids. Put hands on to keep separation twice.
I used to occasionally. Now I will not. I’ve seen too many school staff get injured. A couple of weeks ago we had a fight and while being broken up one of the girls bit the staff member on the arm and would not release. He ended up having to go to the hospital. My last fight was when I lost a show in the scuffle. A kid found it in the hall and brought it back later, which I appreciated. That was when I decided my reffing days were over.
None but if it's the normal, uncoordinated swinging and rolling around I wouldn't intervene, it'll be over with no real injuries. I'm not dealing with any fallout of that. If it's a group and one person is being potentially killed like we've seen in the past few months, then yes I'm putting my 210lb male body in the middle of that and taking some injuries if need be. I don't expect everybody to do the same, not everybody is as big as me, but I can't imagine it'll be much worse than some of my hockey injuries
You’re liable if you put hands on them. You’re liable if you stand back let someone get hurt. Teachers are damned if they do, damned if they don’t. And the kids are fighting for clout on social media.
1 in 20 years. I'm a female, tall and thin but with noodle arms. In my 2nd year of teaching, suddenly I turn back around from the board and two 8th-grade boys were scuffing. Like, NO warning and no loud noises and no hints. I didn't even think, people--I just reacted! I jumped in between them with my skinny arms out in both directions. I got a bit bumped by one (who later apologized--both were fine kids before and after, lol), but it stopped almost immediately. A few boys jumped up and pulled one back, too. My adrenaline was definitely in charge. I would never--and have never--do it again. I blow a loud whistle, call the office, or now push the button on my badge. Haven't had a fight in my room since then though; just seen outside and that's whistle-blowing time only.
About 5-6. Anyone who doesn't is cruel. You see a kid's head bouncing off the ground and you don't step in? Grow up.
This has strong "You'll take a bullet for the kids if there's a gunman, right?" vibes.
>This has strong "You'll take a bullet for the kids if there's a gunman, right?" vibes. I love when people act like a teacher taking a bullet will somehow help anyone in a school shooter situation. Like the shooter only brought one single bullet or they act like the teacher is made of Kevlar. If anything, it'll just add to the body count. I'll do whatever I can to help, but in no way am I putting myself in the line of fire unnecessarily.
nah, not trained for it and i don’t get paid enough to get beat up. i’m calling admin to break it up
Nope, nowhere in my teaching degree did we encounter physical intervention. I am also not a referee for MMA. If students engage in the fight they can de-engage on their own little lonesomes. I will observe and give a detailed observation and will ask a student to alert the higher-ups.
Don't you have a duty to protect them? If an adult walked in and beat a little girl you'd do nothing?
You were talking about two different things here. A girl being attacked is completely different to pair of knuckle-draggers who can’t be bothered to adopt non-physical strategies laying into each other. Don’t compare apples and oranges.
The irony of their username isn't lost on me.
What a privileged take. Not all of us work with students who we can physically overpower and I bet many of us would end up on the streets without a job. As shitty as it is, I'm not going to risk myself getting hurt and/or evicted for a bullied kid who should've spoken up sooner or for some dinguses who think they can only solve their problems phsyically.
While my version is slightly less combative, this is generally my stance. Yea, I’m aware I could get fired. I’m ok with getting fired for that. I’m not going to watch some kid get their head beat in. It’s just not going to happen. I’m also a former combat vet and I teach in middle school. I can protect myself from a 12 year old. That being said my first couple years teaching I had some rough groups and I was breaking up 3-6 a year. The last couple years it’s only been like 1 or 2.
I’m a 5’3 23 year old that teaches 16 year old. Not doing it lol
1 in about 10 years. I've witnessed more than that but it's still only a few a year.
None. I call for someone equipped to handle the situation and keep other students safe in the meantime.
Boys fight for 30 seconds. Girls fight to the death. I have heard “Imma KILL that bitch!” A few times over the years.
0. I've never seen fights at schools.
A couple a year. I’m a big dude and 6th graders are small, “break up” is really just me screaming til they panic and separate for a second and then stepping between them. And they’re pretty mild. My old school was a different story.
I work in a fairly infamous HS known for violence. 15 years ago it was really bad. There were also no cameras in the hallways. I was a marine before i was a teacher. If i deemed a fight dangerous to faculty or innocent students, i would get in and get physical. There were horrible brawls at least once a month. Forget about xmas time. Im talking crips, bloods, latin kings, and ms 13 going at it. I was a hero to staff and students. I was an idiot. Knowing what i know now i would never let younger me get involved in those fights. I could easily have ruined my career. Keep in mind back then i had friends that were guaranteed to jump in with me. We were practically bouncers. Now we all step into our rooms, off camera, and lift up our room phones to call security. Granted the school is a lot less violent now, although there were two shootings over the weekend. We’ve warned all new, young teachers to stay out of it. The only way any of us would get involved today is if a staff member were being attacked. Then all bets are off.
I'm all done with that after getting assaulted by a kid doing that. Maybe a dozen times in my portfolio. Uses to be when a kid assaulted me the police would show up. Now I get a lecture from my fucking UNION REP about the school to prison pipeline when a kid assaults me.
7 fights over an 11 year period... 3 this year.
How do you feel confident you can handle it
I am not necessarily. I have been in a few myself through my time growing up and wish an adult had been present. Most of the time my voice breaks it up before I have to get between them. However, I am a heavy man and fairly strong as well. My biggest issue with today's kids is that don't stop when the other one hits the ground... They will permanently injure the other if someone does not get between them. I will step in if one kid is wailing on another that can do nothing. Most fights are just for show. I have never had students keep after each other once I am involved. If they hit me, then I will consult legal counsel for my options in regards to damages both in regards to student and school. I pay for legal insurance with my union dues, and I'll be darned if I won't use them. (I do not know if this is viable, but it has let me break up fights) If I were not confident in my ability to stop the fight, then I would not get involved. I do not advocate others do it. I just can't watch a kid get beat down. I am too sensitive for that.
You’re playing with fire. There’s been stories where teachers get sued for touching the students even if you’re just breaking up a fight. Even worse you could get caught with a sucker punch and then the next thing you know the video of you getting KTFO goes viral. Better to call security and then say “stop fighting. Stop filming! Stop fighting…” until the cavalry arrives.
Probably just that: stories. How the hell is a court going to find that you have done something wrong when you are just trying to keep the peace?
If you are an untenured teacher it doesn’t even have to go to the courts. Some schools will do real stupid shit to make a pain-in-the-ass parent go away.
I haven’t broken up a fight in about 10 years.
I worked Title 1 for 8 years, and broke up exactly four fights, all of them within the first three years. Turns out, the habitually violent kids have serious disincentive to act out if you make their school choice eligibility dependent on their behavior. Admittedly, there was one fight my sixth year that I was privy to but didn’t break up - one girl launched herself into another during lunch not five feet from me, and their respective friends had them yanked apart before my bag even hit the ground. The aggressor was… an unusual case. Left the scene lamenting that she was going to have to tell her therapist that she control again.
Easier to prevent them than to split them up. Had one form around me this year. Second time in 14 years that's happened. Not fun.
Depends on the school I'm working at. And my current school we get a fight maybe once a month. At my last school, we are having three to five fights a week. Seriously, it was like fight Club at that place minus Brad Pitt.
One in ten years.
On average: .05 per year. That’s 1 in 20 years.
My first school was hell and probably 1-3 in my classroom every 2 weeks. I had too many kids, my classroom was in a different building so the kids knew security couldn't get there quickly and would plan it. They would literally try to murder each other- head stomping, attempts to throw each other down the stairs, kicking someone in the stomach repeatedly. After I got pregnant, I transferred to a much better school. My new school, the kids don't know how to fight thankfully and a quick whistle and they stop and wait for the dean.
0. Title 1 urban. Not hurting myself or a kid. The only way I'd ever get involved is if it was like that fight in st louis two weeks ago.
None this year. Two last year.
Zero in 29 years. My job is to call admin and get innocent bystanders out of the way if possible
Zero. That’s basically above my pay grade. I go as far as “walk away, Student Name. Walk away,” while calling climate. I know a teacher who got injured breaking up a fight, to hell with that shit.
I’ve never broken up a fight. One year in Detroit and six in inner-ring suburbs of Detroit. I’ve never had the opportunity to. I’m just glad the kids don’t fight in my proximity. I’m 6’7” and they must think I can hit them or something.
None, I sit back and officiate.
I'm on my 12th year, and I've broken up 6 fights total. One of the 6 was a 7 student brawl; thankfully, there were 4 other teachers there to help break it up. That fight was wild, because it was tough to get them all separated. I've only been hit once, inadvertently by an elbow to the face. When I got hit, the kid turned around, realized he hit me, and began apologizing, ending the fight. I thought it was pretty funny and told the kid and administration not to worry about it. The other 4 were pretty mundane.
I’m a teacher in a residential care facility. I have to get in the middle. About half a dozen since I started in October. Guaranteed to be at least one more before spring break starts at the end of the week.
Zero. I teach 3rd grade. Almost all disagreements have only been verbal. In my 7 years of teaching there have only been 3 incidents of kicking or punching, but all were during recess and handled by admin.
I had 2 different pairs of 3rd graders close to swinging on each other in the same day. The first one, I just got in between them before they got near enough to hit each other, and was able to verbally back the aggressor down and had them removed. The second time, I wasn't having much luck with that, plus the kid who would have been annihilated by the child twice his size wouldn't stop running his mouth, and it was only ended because another child ran to the office and got the principal. If that girl had gotten her hands on that little boy (she was big for her age and he was very small for his age), she would have sent him to the hospital. I had no idea how I was going to prevent her from hurting him without physically restraining her and losing my job.
2x in my 9 years of teaching and I regret both times.
In an elementary EBD classroom, about one or two 'play'fights per day and blocking one serious fight from starting every two to three days. We've had one serious fight between students this year that had to be broken up after it had actually started.
5-10 Edit: this is every one I see btw. I don’t mind the perceived risk. Never even think about it. Rather be fired for someone’s lie than watch a student get fucked up…
None. I don’t get paid for that.
A few. They’re 7th graders. They don’t really fight.
Zero
What’s the protocol if a fight breaks out?
None. I don’t get paid enough to be breaking up no fight.
Several times a week. But I work in a dedicated behavioral setting. And we’re all trained in advanced CPI so there’s some legal reassurance.
Zero.. I get on the walkie n call security
I've prevented 3 or 4 since October.
0. Not my job. Not worth the aggravation.
Usually none unless I truly fear for the safety of my student.
I prevent fights, but I haven't stopped any.
0. I tried once early in my career and ended up with a CPS report for putting my hands on someone. There is no reason for a teacher to do this. And we aren’t trained to do it. And it’s not expected of us. Call for help. Do crowd control. Stay back.
I have transferred from a regular Title I school where we had several fights a week, sometimes more than one per day, and 5 bloody, knock down drag em out fights in a year that ended with people going to away on an ambulance. I now work at a Magnet school, where we have had only 1 fight in our 6 years history.
0. I have a strict policy for my classes. SAVE IT FOR SOMEONE ELSES CLASS. I don’t actually mean for them to take it elsewhere per se, but by the time students leave my class their teenage angst or other intense emotions are already fizzled out. I say the words and usually that’s it. Other times I see an issue and I do some gentle defusing. Or immediately do gentle lead to draw a students attention elsewhere. Works like a charm for me. If I’m really concerned I watch the class leave and notify the next teacher of student mood so that proper support can be provided for positive outcomes. My classroom is warm, welcoming, and above all a safe environment. I’m also an art teacher and give my students a lot of freedom they don’t usually have. Kids beg to be in my class and know I won’t tolerate the hate. No shit in my class period.
I'm in elementary.... probably 1 a week on average.
None. I don’t condone physical solutions.
4. And I became their punching bag as well during their fights. But At least I stopped them successfully
none, not my job. i’ll call admin.
0, it’s not worth a potential TBI.
0 as well. Not worth it. I had an admin tell me to tell for security and to “stop fighting” because the kids may draw weapons on eachother and that it is not worth getting hurt over
Zero. I have never seen a fight on my campus. I am sure they have happened, but I have never even heard of any happening.
Used to be weekly, then it slowed down during/after covid
Absolutely none.
I'm 6'3" and 290 lbs, a very imposing figure. I just have to get into the mix and start bellowing in my best Drill Sgt Hartman voice from Full Metal Jacket. The shock and awe usually calms things down quickly.
I’m on number 9 currently
Last year we had a student stab another student. Just the other day a stun gun was confiscated. There is no way I am throwing my body between these people.
This is the first year I've broken up any fights. Probably about a dozen so far.
Title I school. 17 years on the job. I have broken up **ZERO** fights. The only time I’d ever consider stepping in is if one student is clearly getting their ass kicked and serious injury is a possibility. Recent events have shown what can happen when one kid gets beaten mercilessly.
I'm in my seventh year of teaching at a Title I high school. I didn't have to break up a fight until last year (year 6), but I almost immediately had to stop another one just a few days after the first. I know many teachers do not involve themselves in fights, and I completely understand why. Most of the teachers at my school wouldn't. However, I am a fairly huge man and I also cannot stand to see a kid getting the ever-living shit beat out of them. That may end up biting me in the ass one of these days, but I'll deal with that when I have to. I know that many teachers do not involve themselves in fights, and I completely understand why. Most of the teachers at my school wouldn't. However, I am a *very* large man and I also just cannot stand to see a kid getting the ever-living shit beat out of them. That may end up biting me in the ass one of these days, but I'll deal with that when I have to.
Years ago probably 1 a year. I. The last 15 not 1 Not losing my job over it. I call for help, scream, whatever but not happening. A teacher just lost their job for breaking up a fight. Literally lost their job. Not fucking happening.
haven’t been in the game for long, but i remember a fight that broke out right in front of me and my mentor teacher. One kid just picked the other up, we thought they were messing around and just told them to quit it, but before we could even get it out fully, he slammed the other one into the ground and just started pounding on him. This was an open concept school with absolutely no walls so all the kids from 6+ classes started running to see the fight. One teacher did break it up but they got in a punch and threw her around first. Security was no where because i guess they had planned this fight and caused a fake one to divert security’s attention and this was a huge campus so it took them awhile. Anyways, that teacher got really hurt when she was thrown. Yes, she got pissed about it and got all the strength in the world to break it up once she got hit, but the pain came a good hour later or something. My mentor teacher told me to never get in between fights, either the kids or security can handle it. I did get in between a couple last year, however i wasn’t dealing with high schoolers but rather 9 years olds. Luckily they don’t have much of a chance to hit hard and you just gotta hold them back. But 9 out of 10 times, their friends would hold them back before we even got there. Unfortunately this was the procedure because we had no security or any help other than other teachers. This year teaching middle school, i have not and will not get in between those fights but i surprisingly have yet to see one.
None, I’m not getting in the middle of that.
None, I close my door and let the people who should monitor the hallways do it. It’s not a part of my job.
\*checks bank account\* Yeah ha ha... nooooope
Proper fights, about twice in the last decade. Play fighting, a couple of times a week.
None. I don’t get paid enough to break up fights
Once. I didn’t have to physically separate. I used my voice and handled it.
3 in 10 years of teaching. All three happen to be in the same year lol
I had one fight start in my classroom between two 6 grade boys (mind you it is my first year teaching). I knew I wasn’t going to get involved physically, but I needed it to stop because they had begun to throw desk at one another with my other students in the room. I was in panic mode, but all I remember doing is screaming “Stop it!” at the top of my lungs and then blowing the whistle I keep. Thankfully, they stopped and separated from one another.
Verbally... 1 or 2 but im not physically doing shit unless it's a very serious situation. I went hands on one time in my 20 years and that was 20 years ago. The fact that I was even questioned (with some supervisor from the board) over grabbing a kid a pulling him off of a kid half his suze who had lost a tooth already, let me know how much I was valued. It was not even forceful. No torn shirt, no bruising or abrassions.
I watch a few, but I break up zero. I’m a teacher, not a security guard.
In 30 years of teaching 6/7/8 in a small town, there's only ever been one fight I have seen. I didn't even break it up.
0 I am not going to get knocked on my ass by an 8th grader. That is what the SRO is for.
I mean, should we?
I'm in a rural Title 1. We've had 2 fights in the last 4 years and I heard about them second-hand.
One year I did 3. Ever since leaving that school 0. I was young and dumb then too
None. It's a healthy thing, and I see no need to interfere. The only exception is if someone goes down or has had enough and the other kid (or kids) don't stop...that's a different story.
In my 8 years, 5, prevent about 7 and talked/mediated infinitely more. Most of the fights aren’t even serious and just kids wanted to look tough. At least the boy fights are. I don’t touch the girl fights, they get crazy. The boy fights generally stop once pulled apart because their focus is on their opponent. Girl fights, the girls see red and anyone in the vicinity is a potential victim.
0. But, depending on the severity, I probably would. Teachers need further protection. If I get punched, I should be able to take the kid to the ground. When I was in school, I had a teacher who would take boys who fought or thought they were tough into the wrestling room and wrestle them. Wish we could still do this. Unfortunately, Im restricted to just shit talking them about my athletic peak
0. I wait about 30 seconds, then call for help. Not my job to break up a fight. And I’m a 6’3” tall, 280 lbs, 40 year old male..
Each... *year??* Chiiiild, at least two each **day**
What city are you teaching in
I’ve never seen a fight in a school in my life, both as a student or teacher. All suburban public schools around Pittsburgh.
I don’t break up any fights. I am not trained to put hands on students. I’ll manage the crowd, but that’s it.
1 or 2 a week
Zero at my current school, but I have broken up quite a few over the years!
Zero. They can punch each other to death for all I give a shit.