tess

Today I had a student lose his mind.

Tess is his name, he is in my phonics class. He's probably about 9 years old, but is the size of a 5 year old. And he might just be bat-shit insane.

It was the second of back to back classes that I have with his class, my last period of the day. The kids were being okay that day, better than usual. They are one of the more energetic classes that I have, but today I managed to focus that energy toward learning by having them play a game in which they spell words on the whiteboard. Toward the end of class I got them back in their seats, which is easier said than done, so that I could give them their vocabulary homework.

As I'm writing the words on the board I hear some commotion behind me, and I turn to see Tess and this other boy in a bit of a scrap. I grab Tess and quickly see that he is having himself one hell of an outburst. So I pick him up and carry him out of the room and toward the Korean counselors. When I get him out there and set him down, I get me a dose of craziness.

Tess is literally drooling from the mouth in rage, fighting with all his might to get back into the room and presumably beat the hell from the other boy. I have to resort to putting this kid into a bear-hug to keep hold of him, and still he is damn near wriggling lose. I turn to the counselors for some sort of help, but they are just staring in amazement at the fit this little shit is having. At one point they bring out the kid Tess was fighting with so he can apologize. This just incites Tess more. I have him around the waist, while he tries to run out of my grasp. I suggest it might be a good idea to get the focus of Tess' convulsions out of his sight.

Still clutching him, I figure Ill let him tire himself out, but that just doesn't happen. At one point he manages to shed the coat that he was wearing and almost gets away; I had to drop to my knees to wrap him up again. I still have my arms wrapped around him, patting his back in an effort to calm him down, but Tess is still drooling furiously.

At this point I am quite tired myself, so I decide to pick him up again and carry him to another room and, I dunno, lock him in there or something. On the way there we bump into one of the Korean teachers, and I happily relinquish control of the child to him. Now the Korean has a grip on him, but not entirely understanding the demonic strength of the boy, the Korean loses Tess momentarily before we manage to pounce on him again.

Probably a good five minutes since I removed him from the classroom, Tess is still going strong. The Korean teachers and counselors are trying to speak to the boy, but Tess continues to just stare at the door of the classroom that houses his enemy, still fighting like a madman to spring loose.

After maybe ten minutes of this, the demon relinquishes control of the child, and we start to get some sort of response from Tess. The Koreans sit him down, talk with him, and give him some water. In time, apologies are made and Tess once again resembles a human child.

A little while later I get the chance to ask the Korean teacher just what the hell it was that set little Tess off. The response I get is less than illuminating: he was insulted.

So that was my day at work. How was yours?