ruckus in the hall

today I broke up my first fight. i heard some noise in the hall as i was going to make photocopies, and as i turned my head i saw one kid jump at another. four quick steps later and i was wading into a storm of windmilling fists (these kids, surprisingly, don't actually seem to know how to throw a punch). it was a relatively simple task to grab one kid from behind and pull him away, just keeping myself between him and the other one. coach was there ten seconds behind me, and security was right behind him. i discharged the kids into their care and went off to make my copies. at least i seem to have made a friend of the security guard out of it.

school has been non-stop crazy, and i just haven't had the time to do most of the things i need to do, never mind some of the things i would really like to do. took ben's advice and took saturday off, completely, and went up to the blues festival with WS. was too tired to really enjoy it, but i guess it was good for my sanity. i wonder now, though, if taking that time off might have been a mistake. i really need to come up with a rewards system, and to make some kind of action plan for my fourth block, which was, surprisingly, a little better today, although certainly not quiet, by any means. I told them all that I was glad they were a little more focused on work today, and they said - just wait until Kenny comes back. Kenny is already one of my favorites, but he tries to play me, and always speaks out in class. i think it also helped that i moved the Joker away from the kid who called me a fag. But I'm not sure. I still have to figure out someway to get through to MH, who has to be one of the loudest students i have ever met, in all of my 17 years in one type of school or another. louder than the girl who used to dance on her desk in my third grade class, louder than the guys who used to sneak out of class to jump off the roof in 7th grade, or anyone i can think of that i might have been to college with. she's trouble, alright, but she's not a bad kid. i just need to reign her in.

also, kids in my FAP were discussing the years that different people were born. "I bet Mr. Gallagher born in about 76." I just nod, and let them think whatever they want, but i got a kick out of that, just like i get a kick out of the fact that everyone thinks I look like a certain third year tfa. yes, we're white, relatively tall and thin, and we both have some form of facial hair. i guess that's all it takes for a striking similarity. or the girl in the hall the other day, who asked me what my name was. when i asked her, in return, who she was, she promptly responded "mrs. gallagher" i must have given her a nastly look, because she immediately followed it with "i'm just playin" and her real name.

alright, that's that. i've got some phone calls to make. i'm nowhere near my target of calling every parent in the first two weeks, but i've got this whole weekend before it's been, technically, two weeks. so, six tonight. only one discipline-related. one positive. and four introductary.

good luck to the rest of the mtc crew - i know you all will be the last to read this, but i know you all will be doing great work right now, or at least struggling towards survival, which is about where i'm at.