I’m at my old high school, but as a teacher, not a student. I seem to be a combination of my favorite female teachers, women I looked up to.
There seems to be some sort of fight between some of the boys in year 11. One of the sports teachers, a calm and nice guy with a short rugby player build follows them into the boys' bathroom to try and figure out what is going on. I know most of the boys from one of the classes I teach so I also walk into the bathroom. Everyone is shouting at each other while partly hiding in cubicles. Out of nowhere, two guns appear and the bearers start waving them around. Everyone is still yelling, the PE teacher seems to have disappeared. I somehow manage to shout over the top of everyone. I’m not sure what exactly I say to make them quiet down, probably something along the lines of ‘don’t do anything you will regret and have to live the rest of your lives with’. We start talking and the two guns are handed over to me. We all head up the principles office. The band of guys is separated, 4 walking together and 2 following at a distance. I figure the 4 were picking on one guy and his friend came to back him up. Once in the office, I put the guns into a box behind reception. We wait for the police to arrive, but the other teachers somehow assume that I am in charge of the situation and should find out what happened and talk some sense into the students.
So I make them all sit down in the principles office (the principle just happens to not be there when he is most needed).
I manage to figure out that the guy that was targeted is gay. Trying to figure out how to get homophobia out of the other guys' system, I get an idea. I start asking them questions.
Have you ever gotten butterflies in your stomach or gotten nervous while talking to a crush etc?
Was this a choice or did your body just decided for you who you were attracted to?
I notice that all the young men sitting before me have different nationalities.
I ask them if they have ever been taunted for their appearance, their families background, if they were poor or had money, being tall or short etc.
Coming to the point in my argument I state that it is wrong to judge someone on something they cannot control. Something not of their choosing.
Most of the guys nod in understanding. Some give shy glances at the guy who was being teased.
Wondering if I should continue about the judging someone by their actions, not by their race, gender or sexuality, I decide against a long lecture.
I state the facts and then change subjects to what will happen next.
The police will obviously arrive and want to know what happened and where the two guns came from. I tell them that I will state there was a misunderstanding that got out of control and because of teacher intervention nothing drastic happened. They all nod and mumble thanks.
After the police have questioned everyone they take me aside and ask if I knew that the guns weren’t loaded. I’m a little surprised but reassured that the guys, despite big gestures are good deep down.
Starting to wake up I hope that I can take an example from my dream teacher self and apply the judging wisdom my subconscious spat out.