strange days.

[MadBunny]

Transgender kid got into a fight at my school today.  (and won, he/she is a naturally gifted fighter despite appearances).

As I separated them and put him/her into the detention area he/she leans over and yells out the door to the other kid: "I kicked your bitch ass and my eyelashes didn't even come off, I should have done it with one of my wigs on!"

Strange summer days.

[Quesi]

Strange summer days indeed. 

Do you know what the fight was about.  Does the good-fighter with false eye lashes need debriefing or protection in the event that the next fight is three against one? 

It might be good to ask whether the one with good eyelashes prefers to be addressed as she or he.  And then perhaps, spread the word around, so that teachers and staff know the proper form of address, and can send out appropriate cues to the students and allies. 

Bathroom usage may also be an issue.  If the eyelashed one was born a male, but identifies as, or is transitioning to female, bathroom choices become huge, and time in bathrooms may be dangerous.  If you are in a position to offer support/protection, you might ask, and if it is a problem, ask for permission to they eyelashed one use a bathroom in the nurses's office, or another safe location. 

[HAL]

A transgender kid? How old is this kid?

[Nick]

I'm sure they covered how to handle that in your college ed classes and/or the school's handbook.

[LoriPinkAngel]

Interestingly, I automatically find myself rooting for the transgender kid without having any information on the circumstances.  Either kid could have been the instigator...  I guess that's reverse discrimination...

[Quesi]

Interestingly, I automatically find myself rooting for the transgender kid without having any information on the circumstances.  Either kid could have been the instigator...  I guess that's reverse discrimination...

Yeah, and I automatically assume the transgendered kid is the victim, rather than the perpetrator.  That is why I went into the mode of strategizing future protection.  Statistically, I'm probably right.  The eye lashed one is more vulnerable to bullying.  But the eye lashed one might be a holy terror who started the fight.  Or just a not-very-nice - person who starts fights.  Probably not.  But it is possible.

I also assumed high school, not college. 

[Kimberly]

I do not envy your job MB.

[MadBunny]

Strange summer days indeed. 

Do you know what the fight was about.  Does the good-fighter with false eye lashes need debriefing or protection in the event that the next fight is three against one? 

Actually it was the transgender kid sticking up for a girl who had been bullied yesterday.  One of the boys spat on her.  For all that I can't condone students fighting, I'm pleased to see them sticking up for one another to stop bullying.

It might be good to ask whether the one with good eyelashes prefers to be addressed as she or he.  And then perhaps, spread the word around, so that teachers and staff know the proper form of address, and can send out appropriate cues to the students and allies. 

*edit: Eyelashes goes by 'she' but I wanted to let the people reading the comments understand there was an identity issue involved. *

Generally this child prefers 'she' but dresses either way.  'She' is androgynous enough that he/she can pull off either one quite well.

As for bathroom usage it's a non-issue at our school.  They're always locked and need a key to open.  Single occupant only.  When this student was in my GYM class they would change at campus to avoid the problem at the gym. (I had a class that I took to a gym three times a week last semester)

Bathroom usage may also be an issue.  If the eyelashed one was born a male, but identifies as, or is transitioning to female, bathroom choices become huge, and time in bathrooms may be dangerous.  If you are in a position to offer support/protection, you might ask, and if it is a problem, ask for permission to they eyelashed one use a bathroom in the nurses's office, or another safe location.

Like I said, we've sidestepped the bathroom issue at our campus.  It's a side effect of reducing vandalism, bathroom fights and constant weed smoking.  Seriously, weed is so common now it's a pain in the ass.

If I remember correctly, born male, identifies as a female, but likes girls.

Yeah, and I automatically assume the transgendered kid is the victim, rather than the perpetrator.  That is why I went into the mode of strategizing future protection.  Statistically, I'm probably right.  The eye lashed one is more vulnerable to bullying.  But the eye lashed one might be a holy terror who started the fight.  Or just a not-very-nice - person who starts fights.  Probably not.  But it is possible.

I also assumed high school, not college. 

You're right about high school.  As it happens we have a lot of... I don't know if they're transgender or not actually.
[1]

Mostly the other students leave them alone.  For one thing they know the teachers won't put up with harassment for another they're clearly mystified.  What can I say, I guess we do well by them at our campus so we get more referrals.  Most are pretty obvious; big huge guy with stubble with a name like (lets say Jeffrey) who pronounces it 'tatiana', or 'star'.

1.	They fall under the auspice of LGBT for sure.

[MadBunny]

A transgender kid? How old is this kid?

Hmm, I think around 17-19.
The one who got his face pulparized is 19-20 [1]

I'm sure they covered how to handle that in your college ed classes and/or the school's handbook.

Haha.  Ironically all this week has been an inservice on CPI training for most teachers.[2]

I've had some form of restraint, response and emergency training/certification almost every single year I've been a teacher.  Longer actually, since I was at one time certified to teach P.A.R.T. before I got the job.[3]  Then we went to 'Pro-Act'[4]

One thing I've learned is that it almost never works like they want you to think.  Nowhere in any of those training sessions did they cover what to do when two students run out into the parking lot and start fighting wedged between two cars so that nobody else can get to them, for example.

Interestingly, I automatically find myself rooting for the transgender kid without having any information on the circumstances.  Either kid could have been the instigator...  I guess that's reverse discrimination...

Kinda weird this time.

As it happens Eyelashes was the instigator, but in response to a bullying incident that happened yesterday.

It went like this:

Yesterday: Bullying incident.
Today (morning) lots of smack talk.  Lots.
>break while a field trip departs<  Seriously, everybody stopped arguing and helped get the field trip ready.
Back to smack talk.

Yelling, pushing ensued and I separated them with another teacher.

Finally one of the boys tore off his shirt threw it in some dirty bushes full of stray cat poop.  (long story)
and then walked out of the yard to the opposite side of the fence and they started yelling through the fence at each other.

Then the boy who went outside climbed over the fence ignoring the gate 6 feet away and they started fighting. 
Separation....

Then they ran in opposite directions (teachers were in the middle) out different gates to the opposite side of the fence... and started fighting again.  Knock down hair grabbing fist to face fighting

Separated them again, and I basically carried Eyelashes to a back office where 'she' would be safe and isolated.  The other boy.. dunno.

The OP comment was as I was taking Eyelashes away.

Then everybody went back to class.

1.	Yeah, yeah, HS officially expires for our population at 22.  Yes, sometimes they age out  before they graduate.
2.	http://www.tec-coop.org/pdl/PDFs/Fall09/RestraintTraining.pdf  *small document
3.	http://www.tec-coop.org/pdl/PDFs/Fall09/RestraintTraining.pdf <-- this.
4.	http://parttraining.com/

[MadBunny]

I do not envy your job MB.

It can be interesting at times.
Teaching has it's own intrinsic rewards though.  Despite the weirdness and astonishingly low pay, I enjoy doing it.

[Quesi]

Well I'm delighted to hear that she was defending a classmate rather than being victimized herself.  But yeah.  You can't tolerate fighting. 

It sounds like a great school, and a really safe environment for transgendered kids.  Is it private?  Charter?  Students are generally referred? 

I just saw your next post that stated that some of the kids are 19 or 20.  Is this a special school for kids who don't have enough credits to graduate, but who want to continue and get a traditional high school diploma? 

[Kimberly]

I've always admired your attitude about your students MB. I'm not sure how you do it but you never seem burned out, and some of your stories make it seem like a pretty hard job. Any ways, keep up the good work! I'm sure you greatly impact the lives of many kids.

[MadBunny]

Well I'm delighted to hear that she was defending a classmate rather than being victimized herself.  But yeah.  You can't tolerate fighting. 

It sounds like a great school, and a really safe environment for transgendered kids.  Is it private?  Charter?  Students are generally referred? 

I just saw your next post that stated that some of the kids are 19 or 20.  Is this a special school for kids who don't have enough credits to graduate, but who want to continue and get a traditional high school diploma?

It's 'special ed'.  In education lingo it's referred to as a 'non-public' school.  The school is funded by the district, follows LAUSD standards, but students have to have a referral IEP to attend.  The school is run as a not for profit enterprise, which while there are some advantages like being able to get supplies by just asking the director also means money not spent equals profit to them.  Guess how generous they are about buying new expensive stuff?

The master contract with the district allows us to take students as young as 13 and old as 22.  Part of the agreement is that we will provide our own transportation, or a reasonable equivalent to each student every day.

In our case we get students that are mostly behavior problems, or have been kicked out of so many regular schools there is no other place for them to go.  Think of it as the kids who get kicked out of continuation school.  They have to go somewhere, so the come to a school like ours.  It gets rough sometimes.

[MadBunny]

I've always admired your attitude about your students MB. I'm not sure how you do it but you never seem burned out, and some of your stories make it seem like a pretty hard job. Any ways, keep up the good work! I'm sure you greatly impact the lives of many kids.

When I get another job it probably won't be because of my students (though there are always a few that I wouldn't cry about if they saw the front side of a bus; the ones who brag about breaking and entering into peoples houses and waiting for them to come home.  Those guys; shitbags.) it'll likely be because I can't afford it any more.

No raises, no bonus worth mentioning, gotta buy my own supplies, and a never ending parade of certifications and new rules.

[Kimberly]

Wow no raises? That would eventually catch up to anyone! We had a raise freeze one year due to the economy... It really screwed me. With in a short amount of time (also due to insurance premium increases) I started bringing home less money than 2-3 years previously. Basically my annual raises are still a negative to my annual increase in insurance premiums. It really pisses me off, I need a better or raise or my company needs to stop offering shitty health insurance. But even that doesn't compare to no raise, IDK what the annual cost of living increase is but you are really getting screwed once you establish any longevity.

[MadBunny]

We get a 'meh' raise.
The problem is that it's less than the rate of inflation, and with LAUSD furlough days hitting hard I'm getting less days paid for; net reduction in pay.

Boss drives a nice car though.  Yay for capitalism.

[Nick]

I do not envy your job MB.

It can be interesting at times.
Teaching has it's own intrinsic rewards though.  Despite the weirdness and astonishingly low pay, I enjoy doing it.

I bet taking in all that retirement money and destroying the economy.  Thats what the Gov. of Wisconsin said.

[nogodsforme]

Kudos to you, MB. Anyone who works with kids should have their salary doubled. From daycare workers to college professors to school bus drivers to juvenile detention guards. I tell that to every teacher I meet. And every politician.

Because right now, nobody is doing it for the money. Or the luxurious offices. Or the generous benefits package. Or the prestige. We do it because we like the work and like the kids. But someone with a profession that requires a master's degree shouldn't have to take a second job to make ends meet.