This was Homecoming Week.

Monday was dress like a "hobo" day. Derrick Chestern walked in 30 minutes late with a tire around his neck and crack powder around his lips (like Chappelle). The middle of the week was exhausting but I taught some good lessons. We did skits about amendments 11-27. We had great informal conversations about what activities they learned the most from. My students are hilarious. I laughed a lot during the middle of the week.

Today was Friday. Sharai Kelsey came in 45 minutes late, didn't do any work, and then told me that "this isn't education. Nothing in this school ain't about education." She got into a fight with Ronnie Williams and called his side of the class "monkeys." I was calm the whole time. I hugged Ronnie and got him to ignore her. The rest of the day went okay.

The pep rally started at 2:30. I played in the faculty/staff basketball game. I got a cheap steal, a couple of uncalled fouls, some rebounds, and I made one of two free throws. Afterwards, the football team came down and got the students hyped. Then, the Seniors did their skit. It was funny. They got some of the teachers to put tinfoil grills in their mouths. Everything was really going great.

Then a brawl erupted between some football players and some thugs. I was standing below the bleacher that it happened on. Most of the students stampeded off the bleachers, but some fighters stayed. It was violent. I saw about 3 or 4 mini-fights between individuals going on. Two cops and the principal rushed in. They were violent as well, and personally dragged out three troublemakers. I gained a new appreciation for my school and my principal watching the prinicipal get in students faces. It's a war, but there are some soldiers in the fight.

It all made me so sad. Couldn't they not fight for one fucking hour? Security and the principal got things under control, and I walked back in to cart some notebooks for grading out to my truck. The veterans were smiling and back to business as usual after the fight. Apparently, what had saddened me so much was just part of the routine. It was really healthy for me to see them just moving forward from the situation, even though I know it must kill them to see such violence.