Critical incidents: Violence at school

In our every day teaching practice, teachers face problematic situations which should be solved on the basis of our resources. The analysis of each unexpected situation will enable us to go beyond our cherished notions and interpret the situations deeply in order to carry out effective solutions to them (Flanagan, 1954, cited in Pintos & Crimi, 2010). Being able to provide immediate decision-making will increase the teacher’s self-confidence and foster the achievement of their professional growth.
During my life as a teacher I have had to face different problematic situations such as learners who did not like the subject itself or the way in which lessons were taught; those who refused to speak English or those whose behaviours made the classroom a non-friendly environment for the teaching-learning process to take place. This time I would like to share an experience that shocked me, perhaps, because it was my first contact with violence at school and I was not prepared at all to handle it.
The incident occurred while I was doing my practices at a state run primary school. The group was formed by 28 students at fifth year of Primary School, so they were between 9 and 10 year. Their level was not brilliant and their behaviour was not the best one possible but they had worked properly and produced more than I had expected through the previous observation lessons.
All seemed to be under control and my teacher and I were happy about the students attitude and their progress until, during the fourth day of my practices while I was alone

with the students because their teacher was ill and my teacher had considered that she had seen enough about my work this incident took place.
The class had gone as usual. Except for a minor disturbance caused by an interesting realia I presented, their performance had been optimum. I was really proud of the students and thought that it was a pity not having my teacher’s feedback on that day’s lesson. However, while the learners were putting their books and pencil cases into their schoolbags a fight started between two girls.
In less than a minute the girls were on the floor, caught by their hair and fighting with a violence I had never imagined while the rest of the students were around them cheering the girls. I still do not know how I managed to separate them but I did it. I also made the rest of the students occupy their benches and all had a five minute chat that allowed me to understand the girls’ attitude: For them and their families fighting to solve their problems was as or more natural than talking.
Although I may grant that I have got profit of reflection, even before knowing about the Critical Incidents Technique (CIT), I should also recognize that if I had been trained using it, perhaps, my first experience with violence would not have been so shocking. Therefore, it could be assumed that it is almost certain that introspection would help teachers to design new strategies and improve their future practices, enhancing continuous professional growth.


References
Fernández González, J., Elórtegui Escartín, N. and Medina Pérez, M. (2003). Los
Incidentes Críticos en la Formación y Perfeccionamiento del Profesorado de
Secundaria de Ciencias de la Naturaleza. Revista Interuniversitaria de
Formación de Profesorado, 17(1), 101-112. Universidad de Zaragoza:
Zaragoza, España. Retrieved December 2007, from
http://redalyc.uaemex.mx/src/inicio/ArtPdfRed.jsp?iCve=27417107

Pintos, V., & Crimi, Y. (2010). Unit 2: Personal Narratives in Teaching
Universidad CAECE: Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Retrieved , September, 2010, from
http://caece.campusuniversidad.com.ar/mod/resource/view.php?id=7214