Is It a Sign of the Times or Is This Just a Really Bad Year?
I have had three - THREE - violent episodes in my classroom this year, or at least closely related to my clasroom. I work in Special Education at a middle school and this has not happened to me in ten years of teaching.
1. A student chokeholded another student and attempted to strangle him to death. The supposed antecedent? Student #2 called Student #1 "broccoli".
2. A student brings a knife to school because another student in class was bullying him. Was the other student bullying him? No. Student #2 annoys Student #1 as a result of Student #2's disability, but Student #2 is incapable of bullying. They found the knife before Student #1 got to my classroom because I don't know if he would have tried to use it or not. Student #1 is not one of my usual students, but Student #2 is.
3. A student threatens another student with a rock at lunch, threatening to bash in his head. Student #2 does not engage Student #1, but when Student #2 comes into class he reports the threat to me and said Student #1 put the rock in his pocket and he was afraid Student #1 would get him during passing period. Administrators find the rock in Student #1's seat pocket in the classroom.
These are all different students. I have never had such a string of violence amongst my students EVER. Have things changed to such a degree in society that hurting someone has become the normal reponse to every action? Or is this just one of those years that happen every decade or so? It's been insane. I keep reminding myself that the three violent students are not part of my usual circle of students so their behaviors really can't be considered reflective of my usual grouping. However, it's had a big impact on my students because of recent changes to scheduling this year. I keep pointing out the problem, but the administrators just spout the same nonsense that's going to lead to one of my students getting seriously hurt. It's like I'm banging my head against the wall. I tell them how to fix it, and they refuse to hear me. But it's not one of their students who is going to end up bleeding on the floor. It has been so frustrating not being heard this year.
1. A student chokeholded another student and attempted to strangle him to death. The supposed antecedent? Student #2 called Student #1 "broccoli".
2. A student brings a knife to school because another student in class was bullying him. Was the other student bullying him? No. Student #2 annoys Student #1 as a result of Student #2's disability, but Student #2 is incapable of bullying. They found the knife before Student #1 got to my classroom because I don't know if he would have tried to use it or not. Student #1 is not one of my usual students, but Student #2 is.
3. A student threatens another student with a rock at lunch, threatening to bash in his head. Student #2 does not engage Student #1, but when Student #2 comes into class he reports the threat to me and said Student #1 put the rock in his pocket and he was afraid Student #1 would get him during passing period. Administrators find the rock in Student #1's seat pocket in the classroom.
These are all different students. I have never had such a string of violence amongst my students EVER. Have things changed to such a degree in society that hurting someone has become the normal reponse to every action? Or is this just one of those years that happen every decade or so? It's been insane. I keep reminding myself that the three violent students are not part of my usual circle of students so their behaviors really can't be considered reflective of my usual grouping. However, it's had a big impact on my students because of recent changes to scheduling this year. I keep pointing out the problem, but the administrators just spout the same nonsense that's going to lead to one of my students getting seriously hurt. It's like I'm banging my head against the wall. I tell them how to fix it, and they refuse to hear me. But it's not one of their students who is going to end up bleeding on the floor. It has been so frustrating not being heard this year.