OMG!! I BROKE A NAIL!

3:30 on Friday at ECHS. Meet me on the bus ramp. There you will see the masses waiting in single file lines for their buses to arrive and take them home. The only sound is the whisper of students quietly discussing the things they learned that day. Wishing they were already home so that they could delve deeper into their learning and complete their homework.

NOT.

There are three words that chill any teacher at ECHS to the bone.... Bus Ramp Duty. I just so happen to be one of the lucky 12 to receive this dreaded assignment. My post is the 200 hall. Rain or shine, sleet or snow, we man our posts and try to maintain some sort of organized chaos as opposed to pure mayhem that would surely ensue without adult supervision.

One of the worst parts of bus ramp duty (besides not being able to leave at 3:30 with everyone else) are the fights. They may occur once a month.....they may occur once a week....they may occur three days in a row just to switch things up, but rest assured...they will occur. After all, who wants to just get on their bus and go home on Friday afternoon?

So I'm at my duty today and I hear the unmistakable roar of a crowd forming and look to my left and see the circle...or should I say "the ring". It's not teenage boys with too much testosterone, its two girls. Everyone knows those are the worst kind of fights. These chicks are on the ground, pulling hair, slapping each other. It was ridiculous. I made a decision a long time ago that I would not break up a girl fight for fear of losing an eye or getting mad and hitting back (just kidding). So, after the male teachers break it up, I got the honor of escorting one of the little featherweights to the office for the heapin' helpin' of 5 days suspension. I gave her the speech along the way about how violence is never the answer and how unladylike it is and how she is way to smart to be behaving in such a disgraceful manner. I sounded kind of like my mom.

Solution??? Let's handle fighting the way they would at any other public place. Let an Effingham County Sherriff haul them off in handcuffs. If that seems harsh, just think about it. What would happen if those girls were on the floor of WalMart sluggin' it out like that? The police would get called and they would end up calling momma with their "one personal call". I guarantee there would be less fighting and that would make school better for all of us...especially on the bus ramp.