boring is underrated

    Today Berry and Seattle got into a conflict. I separated them, sending Seattle to the back of the room and Berry to the front. At the time, I was getting the class ready for lunch.
     Some of the other boys were buzzing around the room, talking first to Berry, then Seattle. I tried to shoo them back to their desks, as I could tell they were just adding to the problem.
     As this went on, Berry grew increasingly agitated. He first began banging his desk against the wall, sending papers and pencils rolling off. I had to tell him several times to turn around and face the front, because he kept turning around and glaring at Seattle. His face was contorted in a scowl.
      I don't even know what set him off, but suddenly Berry got up and charged across the middle of the room. Some students tried to grab him, but he was yelling and pulling against them with all of his might. I have seen Berry angry before, and even had to put my arms around him and pull him back from getting into a physical fight, but he has never reached this point. He was in a rage --  I couldn't even understand what he was yelling. I rushed over and grabbed him. He kept pulling to try to get away. I ordered the rest of the class out of the room.
     Luckily, the teacher next door noticed I had my hands full (literally) and offered to walk my class to lunch. They were so unsettled themselves that they couldn't have taken themselves in an orderly fashion.
     I had one of my responsible students call the counselors to ask for someone to come down. I was still holding Berry, but when I asked him if he was calm enough to sit down in the back he nodded. The school psychologist came by with a counselor. The school psychologist asked to come in to observe in the afternoon, and I agreed. I let her know a little about Berry. 
     I had a very abbreviated lunch break. I had been hungry before, but the excitement had stopped that. I just walked to a different part of campus to get a soda, then sat at my desk and tried to calm down. 
     Berry and Seattle had lunch at the counselor's, then came back toward the end of the day. Berry had hurt his abdomen when he rushed into a desk. Seattle had hurt his hand by punching the bathroom wall. But they came back calm and let me know that they were still friends.
      We are rolling very quickly toward the end of the year. The last time I talked to my mentor, she asked what concerns I had for quarter 4. I said my most fervent wish is for my students to get along and be safe. I would be so thrilled to have a bunch of quiet, boring days in my classroom.