Learning

I broke up a fight yesterday at school. Standard procedure I guess for teachers, albeit unusual in an international school in China.

It was an interesting punch on. One of our students was involved and about 10 chinese students from the Chinese school that shares our campus. One vs Ten, not good odds, but as it turns out, our lad can handle himself (after all he was raised on the mean streets of Mexico) and so he managed to inflict a fair amount of damage until he was overcome by the sheer weight of numbers.

By the time I ran down the 10 flights of stairs to rescue him, the fight was in a lull and had descended to yelling abuse while both sides re-grouped before starting again.

My presence alone was enough to end it. I didn't have to say or do anything. Our man was more than happy to see me, and the other 10 fighters with another 30 abuse yellers were suddenly scared and backed off. The power of a foreign teachers 'status' on students in this country is amazing.

However, what I found particularly interesting was that when I arrived at the football pitch where the stink was unfolding, I didn't arrive as a teacher. I arrived as a mate and supporter of my student who was being attacked my another group that were not related to me. Had the fight continued in my presence I think I would have quite happily weighed in to rescue my kid. I'm not suggesting I would have fought anyone, but I wouldn't have hesitated to knock some of those little pricks on their arses to protect my student.

It seems clear to me that despite my belief that I'm not really a team player and so prefer solo sports and activities, the reality is, I am hard-wired to protect my own, be they family, friends or community members against attack. And, when that instinct is activated, there seems a sudden and clear 'turning off' of all rationalisation. I revert back to some animalistic state.

Who would have thought that a simple school yard punch up could provide such invaluable insights. I say again, the students teach me far more than I teach them!