r/Teachers • u/DearPrudence70 • 2d ago
SUCCESS! Self-care win at work…
A girl fight broke right out in front of me today in the hall (high school). I walked right past it and went around the corner into the ROTC room and told the male teachers, “There’s a fight.” They, being ex-military, went straight into action. I decided about 2-3 years ago that I was done putting myself at risk with fights. It’s not part of my contract, and I could get seriously injured. While I’m in good shape, I’m only 5’2” and also 56 years old. Felt proud of myself for not engaging. Back in the day, I was always willing to pull kids off each other.
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u/Ndrew64 2d ago
I retired at 59 after 38 years even though I thought I’d go 40 years. On the first day of classes, the most violent fight erupted right in front of me when the bell rang to end the school day. (Never had a fight in my classroom for my entire career). A very big girl jumped on a guy’s back and started beating the ever loving crap out of him. It was violent, and it all came right toward me. They knocked me into the whiteboard with the force of the fight. I thought they were going to land on me. The kids got one day of suspension. I was shocked to say the least. I even brought it to my principal’s attention, but he said that the kids didn’t mean to hurt me. So on that day, I decided enough was enough. I decided to retire at the end of the school year. Best. Decision. Ever. I loved teaching, but kids definitely changed.
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u/Unlikely-Grape-5762 2d ago
I remember in middle school a teacher broke up a fight by grabbing both kids by the collar and slamming them into the lockers then read them the riot act starting with “are you out of your fucking mind?” All three of those moves would have your ass fired today.
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u/Admirable-Ad7152 1d ago
And like, i'm against corporal punishment, but you can't "gently guide" two spazzed out teenagers to stop beaten the shit out of each other.
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u/Unlikely-Grape-5762 1d ago
I watched the Simpsons episode where Smithers takes a vacation. The climax is Homer and Smithers fighting in Burns’ office. I told my wife, that scene is trying to break up a MS fight in a nutshell.
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u/BlackQuartzSphinx_ 9-12 Social Studies | Rural Montana 2d ago
I've told my students before that if a fight starts, I'm not getting involved. I'm calling the sheriff and they can deal with him. I'm 5 foot nothing and built like a marshmallow, I'm not getting in the middle of anything.
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u/theborderlines 2d ago
I’m going to steal the “built like a marshmallow” part of that!! It’s perfect!
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u/roonerspize 2d ago
My FIL taught HS for 30+ years. He was always willing to pull apart boys who were fighting. He never wanted to pull apart the girls for fear of being injured.
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u/No_Atmosphere_6348 Science | USA 2d ago
Yeah boys fight to show off so they want to be forcibly separated. Girls don’t care how they look and will go through you.
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u/TheLesbot3000 2d ago
High school security guard here, can confirm girl fights are the ones that injure you. They are SO strong and will punch right through you.
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u/Old-Maintenance-6912 HS Social Studies | FL, USA 2d ago
I saw a girl swing on our 6', 200 lb assistant principal. It was wild to watch.
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u/Majestic-Macaron6019 Science | North Carolina 1d ago
One of the teachers at my school who's a big, burly dude (played defensive line in college and looks like it) got bitten by a girl when he was trying to break up a fight. Girl did get assault charges and the rest of the year at the alternative school for that.
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u/Individual_Detail_44 1d ago
I am not very big and I will step into a boy fight but never get close to girls. No way
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u/CtotheVizza 2d ago
I (4th grade teacher) always think of a story my dear departed dad used to tell about when he went to a new high school to teach at in the mid 60s. Two boys were pushing and shoving and yelling and my dad had had enough. He grabbed them by their collars and shoved them into what he thought was just a janitor’s room and shut the door. Unbeknownst to him he had tossed them into an engineering room with a huge fan spinning away (mid 60s safety not what it is today to say the least). He came really close to straight up murdering two kids on accident. Anyway no one did shit around my dad after that.
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u/ConsiderationKey2033 2d ago
I am 5 ft and close to 50 years old. I got between a fight and ended up with a facial laceration and 2 chipped teeth. I am still eating soft food.
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u/sector11374265 2d ago
I yell “no,” “that’s enough,” and “break it up“ from a safe distance and just prioritize keeping other children away from the splash zone. That’s all I’m contractually obligated to do.
My first year, I tried to restrain a child mid-fight. I ended up with a bloody nose and a broken pair of glasses. Once was quite enough.
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u/BoringOrange678 2d ago
Many years ago when I was a high school student couple of girls got into a major fight. One of the girls got her hoop earring pulled out she then proceeded knock the girl,who had pulled her earring out. Security guard was just coming up behind her when it happened. Same girl turned around and punched him straight in the nose and broke it.
She did get arrested.
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u/kafkasmotorbike 10+ Yrs Elem | Medically Retired & Focused on Wellness 2d ago
A win is a win! Proud of you.
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u/toddpenguin 2d ago
I'm 58 on year 36...had to stop several years ago. The joints just can't handle it!
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u/gallavantingscholar 2d ago edited 1d ago
they don’t pay us enough to be enforcers. i say this at 5’7” and 190 lbs with boxing training
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u/whopeedonthefloor 2d ago
Rule #1: don’t touch the kids. You followed the rule and protected your peace. Good for you.
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u/sinsaraly 2d ago
Good for you! Honestly my body goes through so much stress breaking up a fight. Even with zero actual injury, my body gets flooded with adrenaline and I go into fight or flight overdrive. A couple hours later my body is exhausted and emotionally drained.
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u/SnooWaffles413 Elementary Teacher | USA 2d ago
Good for you. You couldn't pay me to break up a fight. I'd be carrying around a whistle and screaming for help or asking a trusted student to run and get someone. We had a teacher in high school who was ex military and very... odd, that broke up all of the fights. Thankful he did, but also didn't like the power trip he was on about it.
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u/Aware-Promise-1519 2d ago
Good looking out for your own welfare.I learned my lesson too many years ago.Big fight in the stairwell between two eighth grade girls and the class was going crazy.I literally tried to pull one of the girls by her bra strap and that did absolutely nothing.I almost got punched in the face Going forward, I decided to never try and break up any fights in school again.I always called school safety and they would handle it like they should.
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u/Difficult_Mud_9450 1d ago
When I first started teaching in my current building 28 years ago, I watched our male principal get cold-cocked by steping into the middle of a girl fight. Never do that; girls are vicious fighters who take no prisoners.
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u/GeneralOrgana1 1d ago
Yep. I've actually stopped boy fights. (I'm a 5'4" woman, but I have a loud voice, and it's kind of amazing how often that's all you need to stop a fight between a pair of football players.) There is not a chance I'm getting anywhere near a girl fight.
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u/KTeacherWhat 2d ago
In fairness, it isn't the ROTC guys' job either. Observe and report.
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u/DearPrudence70 2d ago
I know. But another teacher would have (gladly) jumped in well before I would have even gotten to a phone. Seemed like the right choice.
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u/Admirable-Ad7152 1d ago
When I was in high school, a teacher got their cornea scratched off their damn eyeball stopping a fight. And no workman's anything because teachers were explicitly told not to intervene, that's securities job.
They ain't gonna pay out or take care of you, no reason to put yourself in any harms way when it's just a fight.
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u/Textiles_on_Main_St 2d ago
Dont you have security? I don’t think teachers can even put their hands on students without training where I am.
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u/DearPrudence70 2d ago
We have one cop for a giant building. He wouldn’t have gotten there in time, before a teacher stepped in.
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u/Textiles_on_Main_St 2d ago
That is nuts and if you have a union, I'd maybe mention it. We complain if there're safety risks for staff like that.
EDIT: I'm truly sorry for you.
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u/BestElephant4331 1d ago
I stand ten feet away and advise them that the police are in route. Out District Court Judge does not play when it comes to school fights. He tells the perpetrators up front they are wasting tax payer money and the time police could be out doing more important things.
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u/pinkrobotlala HS English | NY 16h ago
Good for you! I immediately head to the stairway near my room to redirect kids away from the fight if it's during a passing period. I'm helping but keeping my distance.
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u/Shot-Advertising-748 1d ago
My days of stepping on between fighting kids ended the time I got slugged. I don’t get paid enough for that.
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u/Miltonthemoose 2d ago
37 here. I love breaking up fights (middle school) because I feel like a real man pushing those kids around
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u/Visible-Kale2855 2d ago
I just stand there and look at them. Guarantee one of them will bow up and ask what I'm looking at , I tell them that I want to ID the one that started it. Haven't had one kick off yet.
If its already on I push them toward the stairs haven't found one yet that doesn't mind falling down stairs self preservation kicks in quick.Toilet plunger easily recognized grosses them out. Even a brand new one.
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u/Miltonthemoose 2d ago
I encourage the arguing kids to go at it. They back off so fast. Quips and sarcasm is a great defuser. "Oh look, here we go with the battle of 90 lbs!" or "valentines day is coming up, yall ready?"
Other kids clown on them
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u/Hark_a_Ninja 2d ago
🎵Do you feel better now, as [they fall] to the ground?🎵
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u/Imperial_TIE_Pilot 2d ago
What an odd thing to say
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u/haonsregge 1d ago
lmao I would NEVER get in the way of a fight. not my problem and not my business
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u/Single_System_9951 2d ago
Why does the fighter's gender matter...Or the other teachers for that matter?
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u/Difficult_Mud_9450 1d ago
Because as a 5'2" woman, I'm definitely not stepping in between 2 6'+ football players...
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u/3DSunbeam 2d ago
A friend of mine was a principal at a high school near me, and she tried to break up a fight one day and got her back broken and was forced to retire. Good for you for walking by and getting other help.