A Troubled Student

The other day in a class I was substitute teacher for a young lady came up to my desk, paused, then turned halfway away and took a few steps, then came back to my desk. I said hello to her and commented that I thought she might want to talk to me, so she should feel free to if that is what she wanted.

She started: "I was a loner last year in eight grade. I'm something of a loner now." She began to cry. Two of the other young ladies in the classroom came up and put their arms around her in a protective way.

I asked her to come around in a slightly more private area, and I said to her that I could tell she was very upset, and that her business was her business, not something other students should hear about. I told her there are several people on the school staff who are advisers, and that she could talk in total confidence to them, and her business would never go beyond the two of them. I asked her if she would like to go down and spoeak to one of them now.

She said she would. I asked the two studfents whop had come up to her to take her to a particularly person in the3 counseling office, and then I called ahead to tell a friend of mine who works there that she was coming, had a really serious problem she needed to talk to someone about privately, and requested that she be allowed to see one of the staff psychologists right away.

I heard later that she did arrive and she was speaking to a psychologist. I have nbo clue what this was about, but I do know she needed help. Thank goodness we have the right kind of staff to be there when a student needs them.