I am going to call all my students MS for "middle school student" and then just refer to them w/ the appropriate pronouns. It is so hard not to use their actual names b/c their names are such an important part of who they are to me. So MS is a bright boy w/ a crazy comic gift (timing, material, etc) who has a less than stellar home life and reacts very violently(physical and emotional) to situations he doesn't like/is provoked. He is out for ANOTHER week for fighting after having been in school for 4 days only between his last suspension for fighting!!! The thing is, the kids he has been fighting have been deliberately goading him(this does not in any way excuse his personal responsibilty--it's just a fact) I broke up the fight before last that he was in and its a good thing he is small. That child has so much pain and anger coming out of him it seems almost impossible to reconcile him to the polite smiling kid who doesn't do a heck of a whole lot acdemically, but at least will try some days. He's not being expelled b/c he is in counseling and really trying to work with the adults, and the last two fights were extremely deliberate on the part of the other students involved. So he's suspended, but its not like he gets any work done when he is gone and make up work is just about impossible to get done too. I cried in front of my vp for the first time. I love this kid. I love 'em all, but some of them just worm their way into your heart more than others...big sigh