If you were a high school teacher would you break up a fight? If so how would you do so?

Answer 1

As a paid member of school staff, it is your responsibility to ensure the welfare of all students and to maintain health and safety.

If you see a fight, you simply can not do anything. You could get into even more trouble if senior staff were told "Mr Jones was there but he just stood and watched. He did nothing."

I have stopped a number of fights between young and old pupils. Usually, because i am quite big, i stand in between them. I know this could cause problems but i put both hands up in a calming manner and speak calmly to one of the pupils whom i think is the aggressor.

Don't go in all guns blazing. They are all charged up wanting a fight and you go in all confrontational? Won't work.

Do like the police with their horses. They are used not to provoke or to harm, but to block and 'divert' people in different directions.

Just make sure you keep an eye on everything that is going on. And always keep an eye out for the good kid who will go and get help.

Answer 2

Yes , I have broken up fights. Usually the voice of authority will stop the fight. However, sometimes the kids are just too emotional that they don't even hear anyone else. I learned the hard way not to get in between the two kids . I had the bruises to show for doing it that way. The most effective and safest way is to turn the water hose on them . A bucket of water works well too. We have a code signal that we use that summons all available adults to the problem area. Kids might not be intimidated by one adult, but 20 adults may slow them down. Usually, we don't even have to touch the kids , just that many adult witnesses has a calming effect. Finally, since I work with emotionally disturbed students, my staff and I have had special training in how to safely hold a student until they calm down. We prefer not to use that technique, but sometimes it is necessary when a student is out of control. This always stresses me out and I feel shaky later, but we cannot allow kids to injure themselves or others. There have been a few times when we have simply moved all the other kids out of the room and called the police. We figured physical damage in the room was easier to repair than an injured person.
Of course, prevention is better all the way around. Lots of involvement and interaction with kids may help. Some kids are on medication to control violent tendencies, and many kids are in counseling programs. I hear lots of stories about school fights, but I have to say that the number of incidents in our school has dropped dramatically in the last ten years. If an adult is injured by a student, even a bruise, it is our school district policy to involve the police at once. Several years ago we had a fight several times a week.. During this last year we had only two all year long.

Answer 3

I have seen teachers get injured breaking up fights, getting kicked, punched, bitten, hair-pulled, desks and other things thrown at them, and being knocked down. But if teachers don't do it, kids try to, and then the fight can really get out of control. Usually the male teachers, especially coaches, jump in and pry them apart - two men on each kid, sometimes three, wrestling them to the ground, pinning them down. It's always a physical strain for all involved.

I broke up a fight in my classroom (Jr. High) by standing between them and shielding a girl from the blows of a boy. I had called for backup when they started making angry remarks about a minute before he jumped at her. I kept telling her not to strike back and I backed her in the corner while he tried to slug away at her around me and over my head. A male aid walked into the room and when he noticed, he backed off and left with him. Kids just get really angry and lose their head sometimes. I was so determined to protect her that I didn't think about how I could have been harmed. Sometimes its just like a natural reflex. You almost know when to get in the way and when you will be a casualty.

We have police on campus and they pull out the pepper spray which can really affect a lot of people in a closed area. It breaks up the fight but the innocent have to share in the side effects.

Answer 4

My initial answer is yes, I have. How? I just jumped between them and they both respected me enough to back off... However I don't know how to translate that to another situation or if it would work for me again.

I was a volunteer mentor, not a teacher, and the boys were about 15 years old and rival gang members. Thinking back on it now it might not have been the best idea, but it worked. I didn't want them to get ejected from the program, they needed it.

Answer 5

I would tell them I am calling the police and they have a count of 5 to quit or risk arrest.