Who's counting?

That seems to be the carrier end-phrase of the month. All around, my associates have been counting down the days until this academic year ends. (i.e., "XX days, but who's counting?")

Although I don't have the number of days counting down in my head, I am looking forward to that last day. Kids are actin' a fewl left and right and gettin' way too out of hand for anyone's good!

Yesterday, I walked into my room between IEPs and my assistant said, "Ms. L__, please talk to [student sitting off to the side]." I had to give this horrible impromptu grown-up talk about respecting authority/adults, not cracking inappropriate jokes or lewd comments, and the same motivational speech about doing well in school blahblahblah. I am horrible at giving grown-up talks (too much negative practice with C and D, arguing with them like I'm in middle school, too!).

The Tuesday Chronicles continue -- however, my 2nd period session was fine. C didn't show up so it was just D, who was so chilled out b/c he was tired. 7th period was when I was all out of my element. G arrived first and the way he asked where D was signified potential trouble. When D arrived, I thought they were really going to get into it right then and there. Through the entire session, I had to keep lecturing them and calling them out on their behavior. I have to give props where it's due -- G is really good at calling bluffs. (All of us said at his IEP yesterday that he has so much potential...if only he could stay out of trouble and put more effort into his work!) Out of all of my kiddos that present with challenging behaviors, I've gotten away with calling all of their bluffs (like yesterday), but G totally called me out today b/c apparently, he could care less about anything. Not only that, he called my bluff at least twice in that half hour session!

Right before G left, he actually did jump at D! (Semi) Thankfully, it was really just major rough-housing and not an actual fight. My room is so tiny so when G went for D, all kinds of thoughts rushed through my mind.

1. I was NOT in the mood to break up a fight. I've only broken up one fight in my life. On the real, I do NOT ever want to do that again. Especially when men/boys are bigger and stronger than me.
2. I can't believe I also had this thought -- crap! My [safety "tool" of choice] is in my car! A little background about that -- BF is uber-paranoid about my safety (and rightfully so; I've gotten into quite a number of unfortunate predicaments in my younger, naive days, including being held up in an elevator with a gun pointed at me, confirming my childhood fear of being stuck in an elevator with a stranger). So I typically walk around double-protected. Just not on campus as it should not be necessary. I think the reason why I had this thought was b/c in that split second, I was thinking about my own safety. Then I snapped out of my selfishness and thought #3.
   
3. I considered breaking up the fight, but then thought, how in the world am I supposed to separate them? I recalled my Nonviolent Crisis Intervention training on breaking up fights, but dude, there is totally not enough space in my room! I probably would've gotten sandwiched into the mix. When G jumped at D, D had jumped behind my chair into my little private work area, and then G pushed him back farther into my little space so that the three of us were in the back half of my small room; I would have had to jump over the huge kidney table to get to the door way b/c they had blockaded me in (narrow opening between my work area and kidney table).
   

Before D came, I had spoken to G about really wanting to see him graduate and go on and do big things in life (i.e., he needs to stay out of trouble for the last two weeks so he can!). I was pleasantly surprised when I asked him, "Do you even care about graduating?" and he genuinely said, "yah." I reminded him that he will need to be on his best behavior, stay out of trouble, and not get into fights. He said, "Man, that's going to be really hard."=X

After G left, I totally lectured D about being quite the instigator. To which he responded, "It's easy to upset [G]; I know which buttons to push." Boys!

Antecedent intervention: I will see D and G separately for the last one or two sessions!!!