A Black Eye and a Bloody Nose Doesn't Always Mean a Fistfight

Today was a field trip from let's just say a not-very-nice place. We went to BYU for Sports Hero Day. The athletes put on a program involving getting the students active and talking about eating healthy and doing good in school, etc. It's a pretty good thing especially since as a teacher I get to sit back and watch except for today...

My two co-workers had to leave about an hour before the program/field trip was supposed to be over so our principal sent the school counselor with us along with a tech from another class. We were also supposed to have a sub meet up with us just before they left. Well, a sub for another teacher did not show up so the sub we had arranged was needed at the school. We didn't think it would be a big deal as there were plenty of adults to keep track of the students and get them back on the bus. Adam and Garrett left when they needed to and I continued on with the field trip with the other adults. The next rotation/station we went to was with members of the softball team. They gave their little spiel, let a couple of students hit a ball around, and then started a game with the group of 80 12-year-olds. I didn't quite hear what they were planning on doing as I was redirecting a few students back to the group. The next thing I know, the room has been split down the middle and they are playing "dodgeball" with the practice softballs (softer than a regular softball, but the same size). At this time, I have a boy coming up to me in tears, holding his nose, he had caught one right in the face. I sent him with two other boys to the bathroom to handle the bloody nose. By the time I get back to the gym to look for the counselor to help the boys in the bathroom, I have students running up to me telling me that one of my girls got hit in the eye and is laying on the floor with one of the BYU helpers/students/group leaders.

The boy with the bloody nose was fine, so he rejoined the group. The girl with the eye injury went with some people associated with the BYU program we were attending to check on her eye and continue with the ice. I went with one of the boys who was helping with the bloody nose to go find his jacket as the rest of the school went to the next activity with gymnastics. I had to hunt down the group and then the girl with the eye injury. We had the BYU EMTs come check her out to be sure. They said she would be fine but to continue with the ice to help with the swelling.

We finally got to go back to school and I told the counselor to lead the group as he was much taller than I am so the students would be able to follow him more easily. I took up the rear and kept getting after the students to keep up with the group so they wouldn't get lost in the 1,000 6th graders trying to get back to their buses. At this point, the counselor walked past our bus so I had to go chase the group down again. We then handed out our lunches (keep in mind, BYU didn't schedule our lunch break until we went home which was at least an hour past when our students normally eat lunch=cranky 12-year-olds and cranky teachers) and I found that one of my students did not pick up his school lunch, so he did not have anything to eat. In a positive note, it was nice to see everyone quickly offer up pieces of their lunches to this student.

I'm tired.

The good news is that I have a sub tomorrow, the bad news is that I have a sub tomorrow because I'm going to a boring workshop.