Cat Fights

Every day brings new and unmentionable joys while teaching.  So far this year we’ve had a student expelled for alcohol at school, two students suspended for 8 days for a huge fight (they had been friends before that) and another two girls suspended for 8 days for an all-out brawl in the cafeteria (also friends).

Today I was asked by a student in another class if there was “drama going on in 1st period.”  When I asked why, I was told there would be.  Of course, I come back to class and have two girls *Jane* and *Kate* come up and ask if they could, please, have a discussion with *Amy* outside the classroom.  No.  But we just want to talk and we don’t want to call her out in front of the whole class.  No.  Maybe towards the end of class when there’s only 5 minutes left?  No.

Apparently *Amy* made some comments to *Jane’s* boyfriend that she had been talking excessively about other guys.  The boyfriend did not like this one bit.  Now *Jane* wants to know what *Amy’s* problem is.

Eventually I had to pull *Jane* out of class and have a discussion with her about why she couldn’t talk to *Amy* during class, why she shouldn’t corner her or gang up on her with a group of people and what the proper way to handle it (maturely) would be.  I don’t know what happened after they left, but I overheard *Jane* ask *Amy* if she could talk to her for a second in the hallway.  I guess I’ll know soon enough if I receive the “this person has been suspended” e-mail.