First Grade

It was pretty much enough to make you want to quit teaching today. At least, in the US it would’ve been enough. Here, it seemed to just be enough to shrug my shoulders and move on (plus a small rise in blood pressure).
I walked into Anabel’s class and half the hellions (the ones who aren’t actually hellions) cheered and started getting their books out. There were some sighs and some groans. But it didn’t seem as terrible as it had before.
Calos Jovany, my precious little hellion that was new back in October or November (I had a physical battle with him to show him who was boss- that sounds abusive. I had to restrain him from hitting me. How’s that?), asked me if he could go to the bathroom. I said no. That’s my policy. We don’t leave language classes (here or there) to go to the bathroom. Our time is too precious as it is for you to miss a minute. (Note: I’m decent at reading a sincere emergency and there are exceptions to my rule. Few and far between, but they exist.)
I look up the next minute or two and Jovany is returning to the room. Oh, no he didn’t! So I start to ask him if he heard my response when he asked permission. He goes into the fact that I hadn’t started class yet. Blah blah.
Long story short, on about fifteen different occasions, I had to go pry Jovany’s hands off another student. Twice they were around a girl’s neck.
This is where a huge difference in education takes place. He would’ve been snatched out of that classroom at least for the day, if not suspended or expelled. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. And there is no support, no help, no answers.
I left there feeling deflated. (I didn’t have makeup on today after a sleepless night; I’m blaming it on the coffee candy I ate right before bed? The no makeup doesn’t do anything for me when I’m already tired, but I hadn’t felt like it or had time this morning since I reset my alarm about 18 times!) Maribel noticed the deflated, but thought I was either sick or tired. I just decided to forget all of that as soon as possible instead of reliving it. The thing is, the kids here live that way. It is such a weird environment. It’s not weird to them, of course, because it is their life. But I cannot imagine growing up in this chaos. It helps explain some other things that are “different.”