assault on a minor

i live in tennessee. i worked for one of the state's boys homes for troubled youth.
i was fired after one of the residents in the boys home attacked me by choking me and i punched him in the face to defend myself. now, i'm charged with assault & battery and scheduled to go before a judge soon. i had no prior record. what can i do to make sure this does not effect my chances of getting another job?

My response:

You can assure your future marketability by obtaining a "Not Guilty" verdict.

IAAL