Injured While teaching

1. 60

   Georgiakevinposted 14 years ago

   Yesterday I got injured while stopping a fight between two female students. I got hurt a bit lost two teeth and have aches and bruises. Nothing that can't be repaired but I am angry.
   
   I am angry though I feel guilty for being angry. I have been told that the cause of these two fighting was a family feud that has been going on for over twenty years. I am angry because human beings can let one incident grow in to hatred that can last over twenty years. The look of pure hatred I saw in the girl's eyes whom I separated from the other combatant, not at me but at her adversary was the coldest look I have ever seen. I am angry because people can allow themselves to focus so much on offenses done to them by others that they can be so filled with anger and hatred that there is no room for kindness and love. I am angry because many families no longer teach restraint making it OK to bring their petty grievances to school. I am angry because  teachers are expected to waste  far too much of their time dealing with non-school problems in school.
   
   When the females started fighting I yelled "stop" not because the yell works to stop fights but because that's protocol. The female that I separated was hitting the other girl's chin so hard you could hear the thuds. I asked myself where are the heroes around us? There were none. Though I am no hero I had to fill in for one.
   
   There were five other teachers in that cafeteria where the fight took place but no one stepped forward to stop the fight. Without thinking about it I got in the middle of it and stopped the fight. I am angry because only one teacher thanked me or asked me if I was OK. I am angry because even educators have become so focused on self preservation that we are willing to let others suffer. I was told afterwards, that most teachers don't feel it's worth the risk to put themselves on the line to stop a fight. I thought that though I don't look forward to being hurt. I will not hesitate to stop others from hurting. That is the trust I am given by parents when they allowed me the privilege of being part of their child's education team. I know this for certain in the future when the need arises I will do it again even if it's next week.
   
   After a little while my broken teeth, bumps bruises and anger will go away. I wonder when my disapointment and discouragement will.

   replyreport
   1. 61

      beautyroseposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      too bad. maybe somebody stronger than you could have stop me. Sorry to hear about your injury.

      replyreport
      1. 60

         Georgiakevinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Maybe they could have but I was the only one to try.

         replyreport
   2. 60

      dutchman1951posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I see that the Parents of both were ignorant and allowed thier predujices to flow into their children. Burdening their children with their adult infections. That is sad indeed.
      
      Both sets of parents should be brought to justice for that also.

      replyreport
2. 56

   wrenfrost56posted 14 years ago

   Well done you for stepping in! Thank goodness some people still give a damn. But your right it's a major problem in society today. Restraint and responsability is dwindling rapidly. When will your anger subside? I don't know maybe never, not fully! I hope you feel better soon.

   replyreport
   1. 60

      Georgiakevinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you so much for your kind words. I fear for public education but I do know this I will go down fighting for it!

      replyreport
3. 73

   livewithrichardposted 14 years ago

   I wish there were more teachers like you Kevin.  Sometimes you have to look beyond the benefits to you and do what is right.  Somewhere along the line we forgot that as a nation.

   replyreport
   1. 60

      Georgiakevinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I agree with you. There is no greater time in for people to stand up for what's right the world over. I hope we all have courage to stand tall!

      replyreport
4. 88

   SimeyCposted 14 years ago

   Good job! Many teachers also don't step in because there have been many cases where the teacher has inadvertently hit one of the fighters and then been sued - it's part of the American problem that has to be sorted out - there's too much protection for the 'wrong' people.

   replyreport
   1. 60

      Georgiakevinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Very true sadly!

      replyreport
5. 61

   Lady_Eposted 14 years ago

   So Sorry to hear this. It's good you stepped in and who knows how badly they could have injured themselves, if you didn't.
   
   There are issues that need to be addressed in Education. I was in a similar position about a year ago. Two students (teenage girls) really beating each other and without thinking, I went between them to stop them. One was in tears.
   
   Well, another teacher warned me not to ever do that again. She also said if I were male and during the fight my hands happened to touch one of the students, they could say I sexually harrassed them. It sounded ridiculous to me, I mean should I have just stood their while they were punching their lights out and just said "stop fighting students!".
   
   I personally think you did your College/School a favour by stepping in, cos if anyone of them had got hurt, the parents would take the matter forward and that could be one strike against the school.
   
   Really hope you get better soon.

   replyreport
   1. 60

      Georgiakevinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for your kind words and yes we always are worrying about litigation. This was at a High school that shares a cafeteria with a middle school.

      replyreport
6. 59

   Davinagirl3posted 14 years ago

   I think you are mistaken... You sound like a hero to me.

   replyreport
   1. 60

      Georgiakevinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for the kind words. I am not a hero but it's nice that you think so.

      replyreport
      1. 59

         Davinagirl3posted 14 years agoin reply to this

         There are many heroes.  You are a hero because you are propelled to teach our children and try to keep them safe.  You are a hero because you care about the childrens' futures, personal and educational.  You are too humble to realize it, but, sir, you are a hero.

         replyreport
   2. 60

      Georgiakevinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Very kind of you but I will have to take your word for it if I am.

      replyreport
7. 0

   Crazdwriterposted 14 years ago

   I am very sorry that you had to be the only brave one to stop the fight. But like Davinagirl3 said you do sound like a hero. Well done and I hope that you heal up quickly.
   
   And I hope those two families SEE this and really THINK about it. Maybe this incident will make them see that their ways are destroying not only themselves but those around them as well.

   replyreport
   1. 60

      Georgiakevinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I would like to tell you that I was brave but unfortunately I cannot. I did not think about what I did before I did it at least not what might happen only that the fight had to be stopped,I was the only one that moved. I like you hope that the two families that were involved in the fight might see this  but then they would have to stop  bickering long enough to get on an awesome site like this......still can always hope!

      replyreport
      1. 0

         Crazdwriterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Maybe you should have grabbed a huge @$$ ruler and went at them with the ruler like the good ol' days. Rulers across the knuckles. LMAO

         replyreport
         1. 60

            Georgiakevinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            That would have been nice but then the fear of litigation would have been very real........and I would have been no better than they are.

            replyreport
            1. 0

               Crazdwriterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               
               
               
               Yes that is true. *sigh* how are you feeling today? hope you are healing up well.

               replyreport
               1. 60

                  Georgiakevinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Getting better, thanks for asking....ready for round two tomorrow I guess!

                  replyreport
8. 67

   nicompposted 14 years ago

   I think that if you'd just watched without attempting to intervene, you would feel worse than you do now. Regardless of how the incident turned out, someone was positively impacted by your actions. Someone in that school knows you care.

   replyreport
   1. 60

      Georgiakevinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Very true and very kind of you for saying so.

      replyreport
9. 60

   tksenseiposted 14 years ago

   These must have been some rugged gals from the sound of your injuries!

   replyreport
   1. 60

      Georgiakevinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      There is at that!

      replyreport
10. 63

    Mishaposted 14 years ago

    May be it was better just to let them fight?

    replyreport
    1. 60

       Georgiakevinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       That is what many teachers have told me. I strongly believe that my job as a teacher is to keep all students safe even if it's self inflicted or peer inflicted so it would be impossible for me to let that happen. Thanks for the comment my friend. You are a good man.

       replyreport
       1. 63

          Mishaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Aww, thanks Kevin.
          
          I definitely see your point when we are talking toddlers or elementary school students, yet if those students are already capable of punching out their teacher teeth barehanded, I personally wouldn't hold this teacher responsible for physically stopping their fight. It might be argued that you might have lost them psychologically, but there is definitely not enough data to make any conclusion on this.

          replyreport
11. 61

    Valerie Fposted 14 years ago

    If there is any litigation involved, you and/or the school should be suing the parents for raising up these little delinquents. That you intervened doesn't really have much to do with it. Anyone could have been caught in the middle of this. It could have been another student, and that would have been worse for everyone involved.

    replyreport
    1. 60

       Georgiakevinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I agree with you!

       replyreport
12. 60

    tksenseiposted 14 years ago

    http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,542481,00.html
    
    
    
    Because of teachers like you...

    replyreport
13. 60

    sheristeeleposted 14 years ago

    20 year old family feud?  Sounds to me like these family members need counselling pretty badly if they cannot at least get along long enough to attend school or work.  There must be some horrible jealousy and vengeful tendencies here.  It is really too bad that people cannot teach their children differently.  It is sad that it takes others to step in and defend their own from themselves.

    replyreport
14. 42

    Philipoposted 14 years ago

    I pray that God will use you to save mankind.  The issue of sexual harrassment does not exist in Nigeria. Things happen differently here.  What constitutes an offence in your country is however seen as a normal thing here.

    replyreport
15. 42

    Philipoposted 14 years ago

    I pray that God will use you to save mankind.  The issue of sexual harrassment does not exist in Nigeria. Things happen differently here.  What constitutes an offence in your country is however seen as a normal thing here.

    replyreport