I got assaulted by a student this week. That's a powerful word, 'assaulted'. I wasn't the one to use it first, but I heard it when, upon telling the head of year, he grabbed the deputy head and said '*Name*, Miss Roots has just been assaulted by a student.' That's when I knew it was going to be ok.
It wasn't major, as assaults go, and I'm not seriously hurt. The assault was a little complicated - I was standing in front of a door that was partly open towards me, and Trouser Boy (remember him?) reached past me and yanked the door into me, as hard as he could. He was trying to leave the room. He had a detention, but wanted his cigarette. He was in an awful mood and had had an unsuccessful lesson, in an area where his confidence is rock bottom. These are not excuses, but they are reasons. My Head of Department came through, having heard the commotion, and I told him. We went and found the head of year, who grabbed the deputy head, and used the word 'assault'.
Last year, at a different school, I was assaulted more seriously by a student. The school did not deal with it - I was told the student would be sent home, but saw him later the same day. I received no offers of support and no help with sanctioning the student or teaching him next lesson. After many, many tears of frustration, I asked my mentor how to make the school take it seriously. She said, and I quote: 'Start using the word 'assault'. It'll scare the shit out of them.' It did. I think it conjures up the spectre of unions and legal responsibilities and contracts and duty of care and all the stuff that we shouldn't need to be protected from assaults, but we do.
When the head of year said 'assault', then, I knew the school would take this hugely seriously. You can ignore an 'incident', but you can't not deal with an assault. I was right. After sending people off to pick up Trouser Boy, find forms and notify people, the head of year turned to me.
'Are you all right?'
'I, uh...yeah, I...think...'
'No.'
'No.'
That was when I burst into tears. My head of department, the head of year and the deputy head turned to each other and immediately began organising cover for my next lesson, so I wouldn't have to teach. I was sat down, made a cup of tea, then Matron was sent for (I was fine). After 20 minutes, the deputy head came and sat with me. He chatted with me, then asked what I had to do the rest of the day. He asked if I would like to go home, and said it would be fine for him to cover me. That is so unusual, I was blown away.
After another 15 minutes, I was feeling much better, and my Head of Department said I could go and take over my lesson whenever I wanted, although I shouldn't feel I ought to. I headed up and everything was going smoothly, so I took over for a very relaxed last 20 minutes of the lesson.
I am feeling so lucky in my school this week, and in the people we have in charge. The contrast to my last school's management is stark, and it's the things like this that make all the difference, that make or break teachers and can drive them out of inner city or deprived schools, out of the state system, or out of education.
It wasn't major, as assaults go, and I'm not seriously hurt. The assault was a little complicated - I was standing in front of a door that was partly open towards me, and Trouser Boy (remember him?) reached past me and yanked the door into me, as hard as he could. He was trying to leave the room. He had a detention, but wanted his cigarette. He was in an awful mood and had had an unsuccessful lesson, in an area where his confidence is rock bottom. These are not excuses, but they are reasons. My Head of Department came through, having heard the commotion, and I told him. We went and found the head of year, who grabbed the deputy head, and used the word 'assault'.
Last year, at a different school, I was assaulted more seriously by a student. The school did not deal with it - I was told the student would be sent home, but saw him later the same day. I received no offers of support and no help with sanctioning the student or teaching him next lesson. After many, many tears of frustration, I asked my mentor how to make the school take it seriously. She said, and I quote: 'Start using the word 'assault'. It'll scare the shit out of them.' It did. I think it conjures up the spectre of unions and legal responsibilities and contracts and duty of care and all the stuff that we shouldn't need to be protected from assaults, but we do.
When the head of year said 'assault', then, I knew the school would take this hugely seriously. You can ignore an 'incident', but you can't not deal with an assault. I was right. After sending people off to pick up Trouser Boy, find forms and notify people, the head of year turned to me.
'Are you all right?'
'I, uh...yeah, I...think...'
'No.'
'No.'
That was when I burst into tears. My head of department, the head of year and the deputy head turned to each other and immediately began organising cover for my next lesson, so I wouldn't have to teach. I was sat down, made a cup of tea, then Matron was sent for (I was fine). After 20 minutes, the deputy head came and sat with me. He chatted with me, then asked what I had to do the rest of the day. He asked if I would like to go home, and said it would be fine for him to cover me. That is so unusual, I was blown away.
After another 15 minutes, I was feeling much better, and my Head of Department said I could go and take over my lesson whenever I wanted, although I shouldn't feel I ought to. I headed up and everything was going smoothly, so I took over for a very relaxed last 20 minutes of the lesson.
I am feeling so lucky in my school this week, and in the people we have in charge. The contrast to my last school's management is stark, and it's the things like this that make all the difference, that make or break teachers and can drive them out of inner city or deprived schools, out of the state system, or out of education.
I'm so so sorry to hear you got hurt. I'm glad there was support and follow through this year for you. (What happened last year was simply unacceptable, happy you're no longer there!)
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure an assault in our district would result in immediate expulsion of the student, or at the very least a 5-day suspension.
Thank you for sharing, Miss Roots. HUGS.
Thanks, Fawn! I think it's really important to talk about these things, as most non-teachers don't have any idea that this can and does happen, even in 'excellent' or 'outstanding' schools.
DeleteHe's got an external suspension and a remediation meeting with me (and various Very Important People) next week, and that will decide what happens next.