2/17/2023 0 Comments Be the light"If it doesn't work out after you've tried all that, maybe it wasn't mean to be a part of your story," I told her. She held back tears and gave a small smile. "You give really good advice, you know that?" she said. "Thanks for caring about me." This was the last conversation I had on my way out the door on Friday after school. A student had left class, then come back to tell me about something going on in her life. I listened, sympathized, and supported the only way I know how. I know it didn't fix her problem, but maybe it empowered her to be a little more resilient and accepting. This conversation is what sparked my most recent blog here. Teachers have a unique opportunity- dare I say, obligation- to support the emotional and mental wellbeing of their students. We are with them for a large part of their waking hours. While our paycheck comes from planning, instructing, and assessing the content and standards, our humanity can never be separated from it. Nor should it. Don't get me wrong. I don't believe that every teacher should pour their heart and soul into each student's troubles and try to fix them. That would be exhausting, ineffective, and blur the lines of professional boundaries. But. We can and should pay attention to students as humans. We all know that building relationships help students succeed academically, but it is my belief that school is also about learning how to be a good human. They need good role models: someone to listen when they are struggling, someone to see past their fragile façade when something is really wrong, someone to connect them with supports when they don't know what else to do. Context: this year I am at a new school, where none of the students knew me. I've had a really hard time getting them to trust me, open up to me, and understand my goals and values for our classroom. Finally, this week, it seemed like the barrier dissolved and they let me in. I think it also came at a time where, here in the Midwest, the cold snow, lack of sunlight, and stircrazy anxiousness all hit a peak. We had a ton of fights, absences due to sicknesses, apathy, disrespect, and the overall tone of the building was just on edge. It was this week that I was humbled and overwhelmed by the emotional needs of my students. One of my girls asked me to buy a big bag of gummy bears from her for $5 so that she could afford dinner before the choir concert and there was no food at home. One of my students burst into tears because her failing grades made her ineligible for the dance that the rest of her friends were going to, and she knows she's smarter than that. My own child refused to go to lunch because all of her friends were sick and she's scared to death of germs. One of my boys who works full time to support his family found that his mom is uprooting them to move out of state for a new boyfriend. I overheard a girl call her dad for a ride because she missed the bus, and witnessed him cuss her out full volume, refuse to come get her, then hang up on her. One student said to a friend at lunch, "I don't understand why my parents leave me alone all the time, then get mad when I fend for myself. What else am I supposed to do?" We truly, honestly, never know what heavy things other people are going though. Students are people too. Before any of this happened, completely unrelated, I had made an update to my mental health bulletin board this week. I found the timing to be odd but appropriate, and I just hope that even one person felt inspired or uplifted for even a moment. I took the idea partly from The Semicolon Project, an anti-suicide initiative. Their website states: "A semicolon is used when an author could've chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to. The author is you, and the sentence is your life. PS: You Story Isn't Over." I also took a phrase from the musical Dear Evan Hansen, which has themes of mental health and suicide prevention. If you haven't seen it yet, at least listen to the soundtrack. If you don't have time for the whole soundtrack, just listen to the song "You Will Be Found" by Ben Platt. I cry every time. Click here to find the ready-to-print Suicide Prevention Bulletin Board resource on my TPT storefront. I think back to the conversation Friday afternoon with my student. I know what she shared with me, but I don't know a lot of what she's dealing with beyond that. All I can do is see the person in front of me and treat them like a someone who matters to me. My sincerest wish is that all adults use their position to be a light for others who might be walking in darkness. To spread the message that tomorrow needs each and every one of us to make the choice to stay here, even when things get tough. That we are not alone in this journey through the difficulties of life. That every person matters.
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AuthorA midwest teacher in love with creating awesome opportunities for students to think, communicate, and produce. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Comfortable-Classroom
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