Has this ever happened at your job?

My classroom is kind of on the outskirts of the school. It's outside on a big balcony, away from administrators and with plenty of nooks and crannies around the stairwell for kids to use as hiding places. I spend a good portion of my day shooing kids away from the area since the teacher to my right is pregnant and tired and the teacher to my left is terrified. I go to sleep at night mumbling "Go to class. Just go to class..."

I love my room. For my first four years of teaching I couldn't see the sky all day and now I'm in an outside room. I'm also away from the politics of the hallways. But as a result of its isolated location I end up being smack in the middle of a lot of fights. And our kids love to fight.

Today there was a fight right downstairs. I saw it coming but hesitated. There were about four teachers in the vicinity who could have stopped it and did nothing because we're just too afraid of getting hit. Usually I stand around and wait for security too, but this time I ran for the battle.

I don't know if it's the boxing or a general sense of outrage brought on by my recent theft, but I was unafraid.

As I ran down the stairs toward the two boys embroiled in a physical dispute on the concrete, I thought to myself, what the hell do I plan to do once I get there? I made a mental note to have Trainer show me some fight breaking moves.

Fortunately they disbanded right as I arrived. With any luck that will earn me the reputation of fight breaker. Many of my students already know about my violent hobby.

One boy had a cut on his cheek. Apparently there was a knife involved. Oh joy.

I yelled at kids to go to class in my instinctive "go to class" voice as an administrator showed up and carted our two soldiers off to Opportunity Tranfer, where some other school's teachers can cower in fear at their street brawls.

This is my job, people. Social worker, surrogate parent, referee.