Teaching on the South Side: Even the Good Students Fight

Today, while I was helping a student at her desk, I heard “Say that again and I’ll kick your ass!” shouted to my right. I turned to look, and saw one student, we’ll call him Jake, standing in front of another student, we’ll call him Dorian, who was seated at his desk.

Before I could say anything, Jake had hit Dorian hard across the face with a sloppy left hook.

Dorian, of course, jumped out of his desk and tackled Jake. Had I not interfered with their impetus by trying to break up the fight, they would have topped my computer from my desk.

I called for security even as Jake continued to wail on any part of Dorian that was available. Of course, when your opponent has his face and shoulders pressed into your midsection and has his arms tight around your torso, it’s hard to land an effective blow. Still, Jake was trying. His screams of “I’ll fuckin’ kill you” were almost as loud as my calls for security.

Oh, and I should mention that Jake was the recipient of the Leadership Award at our celebratory assembly yesterday, and he is one of the few students actually interested in the Odyssey.

Now he’s going to be suspended for three days. He’ll miss O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Dorian got in-school suspension for one day. He’s also a decent student. At least he sometimes does his work.

Security came and broke up the fight. My principal just happened to be out in the hall when this happened, too.

I have never wondered why 39 percent of first-year teachers in Chicago Public Schools do not come back for a second year. When even the good students are likely to start pounding on each other at the drop of a hat, it’s hard to find the drive to go to school for just one more day, let alone find the energy for another year.