Day #80

I'm trying to finish up some reading with my last period class; they're always rowdy because it's last period and they are fired up for the end of school because they are children and they have to sit for 90 minutes straight four times a day without recess or gym. They are easily distracted, and some jackass is flashing the lights in the hallway. I go outside and there are two 8th graders I don't know crouched on the floor with their hoods up, flicking the switch. Ms. G the AP is down the hall and she says "Mr. Godfrey, find out who those punks are flicking the lights!" I approach them and they creep off toward the stairwell.

"I don't know these children," I shout back.

"Take a picture, then." I approach the boys and advise them to clear out the hallway because Ms. G is going to nail them. They ignore me. I go get my Kodak YouTube camera and I start recording. By now the boys are back at the light switch and they have their hoods down. They see me filming and jump up. One of them pushes me. I can see from these boys' eyes that I need to make careful decisions. Normally if a kid pushes me I drop him on his neck, but these kids are expressionless, tight-eyed, and I don't know them. I shout "You best not come at me like that outside my room! Get away from the door!" And I keep walking toward them with the camera out. They cover their faces again and move away, muttering "We're gonna fuck you up and break yo damn phone bitch." I keep shouting "Roll out! Roll out! Roll on out of here, get away from my door!" Then I call the office and report them, but nothing happens, which is typical. Ten minutes later at dismissal they are still outside my room. I am joking with the hall monitor about a kid pushing me and she says "I know that boy, show me the video" and I do and she calls the director of our Emotionally Disturbed program. He is at an all-week training and apparently these were two of his kids who flew the coop because he was out. This man doesn't play--he throws 350 around at the gym like it's a balloon or something. I once walked past the cafeteria when the ED kids were having lunch and a kid flew through the swinging doors and 8 feet across the hallway before landing on the floor because the director threw his ass. The social studies teacher later said that this boy was serious bad news and that I was lucky he didn't attack me. Then he said write up a report and he'll get 45 days for assaulting faculty.

We'll see. Three years back several students bashed a teacher's head in with chairs and desks at my school and they were back in school the next day. That teacher is still getting reconstructive surgeries.