Job Discussion Forums

[7969]

this morning, during the break between two periods (university class), a fight broke out in my class. i was up front reading a book, and noticed a gathering forming at the rear of the class. it turns out two guys were trying to kill each other, and several students were trying to break it up. by the time i got in there, one guy had the top off of a desk and was trying to swing it at his opponents head.

after the melee, one guy disappeared, the other guy finally sat down, but i took him outside, and sent him home.

i didnt report it, and some other students were quite apologetic. this threw the whole class off for the remainder. should i just let it go and forget it happened? keeping in mind, if it happens again, i will report it.

anyone else ever have this happen?

[tw]

I had two senior college boys getting into a fist fight just before class began in Qingdao at my first job two and half years ago (and a short one I might add). Apparently a disagreement took place in another class and the boys were exchanging angrily back and forth in Qingdao dialect before it escalated to physical violence in my classroom. I had to push myself between them to seperate them with my arms (they were both taller than I am). The class monitor (or just a male student) later apologized and literally begged me not to report the incident, which I didn't.

[dajiang]

These kids need somekind of feedback here.
A private talk with you, maybe with the two of them together, or apart if they're about to get at it again. They might even need councelling, who knows. You can choose not to report it, but then you'll have to take action yourself. In any school there should be somekind of professional that can offer students guidance in problem situations. If there's no such thing, or if you don't think the school is up to it, you can choose to do something about it yourself.

If reporting means they will be expelled without any investigation, then it's best not to do this too quickly, but you can't allow the students to manipulate you when they ask you with tears in their eyes not to report them. There are always consequences to any action they take, and fighting in a classroom is about the most serious thing there is, so there must be consequences. We as teachers can set them. If they don't comply, it will get more serious.

It's important that you stay in control in your class anyway, and that these kids learn you can't get away with behaviour like that anywhere in society, let alone a classroom. I'd say you've got some things up your sleeve: call the parents, report them to the department, get them expelled. You can give them sanctions in some ways, talk to other teachers and your FAO about the way to go about this. If you get bullshit answers, think about what they used to do at your own school if this were to happen.
I'd say, if these kids can get together, apologise and shake hands and somehow show sincerety in their remorse, it's over and done with and back to business.

The other kids and the lesson should suffer least of all. Take them out and make them realise their mistake. Don't do nothing.

Dajiang

[hengyangdave]

punch ons.....how the big world learns.....PC is screwing it up now....lets mediate and so on.....

[Henry_Cowell]

[hengyangdave]

they tried the UN...

but who cares if a few boys have a little fight in the back of class in betweens classes....maybe someone needed to be put into the box they belong!

[erinyes]

I would tell someone - just for ass-covering.

About 35 minutes into a 40 minute class 2 senior grade 1 boys started at the back of my classroom. The girls fled and ALL the boys in the classroom stepped in to stop it.

Again other students were so sorry, and asked me to continue as if nothing had happened.

There were NO Chinese teachers around and their head teacher came just in time to miss everything.

The students didn't want me to say a thing, but imagine if one of the teachers hears something in a few weeks time. They might question why you didn't say anything. I wouldn�t go to the principal, but find any Chinese teacher and mention it.

It doesn't matter if you think it's good or bad or what fighting is... you�re a teacher who doesn't know the school's process for dealing with this. If you don't tell someone then due process might be neglected.

[MoggIntellect]

Tell them and the whole class that fighting is wrong and absolutely forbidden... unless they are two ladies in mud at which time the teacher gets a ringside seat if not 1st crack at participation!

[clomper]

Last year, two junior 1 boys were fighting during my class. At first, it was just words. I told them to stop. After a minute or two, both of them stood up and started kicking at each other. The students were telling them to stop but they won't. The other students tried to stop them but they still kept on fighting. One of the students asked me if it's ok to tell their head teacher, I told her, go and call your head teacher. The head teacher came and pulled out both boys from my class.

They treated the fight as an entertainment. Geez!

Claudine

[Mysterious Mark]

[hengyangdave]

a fight always looks like you are trying to kill each other....but nothing hurt for 2 teenage boys to have a few swing s at each other....it is natural....but now we dont see it happening....society in the west has become so sterile in some respects....such as this....

[dajiang]

I thought this thread was about what teachers should do when something like this happens. We're not trying to define what makes a (good) fight or talk about how the class reacted. That should be in the off-topic section.

You've got to know what to tolerate in your classroom and what not.
Fighting is unacceptable, even if it's just a jab with an elbow, let alone smashing a head in with a tabletop.

If something is not acceptable you've got to be strong enough to act accordingly. That is our responsibility.
Now, how to act, that's open for discussion.

Dajiang

[Henry_Cowell]