I helped to prevent a suicide today.
A student who had indicated suicidal tendencies in some of his writing was talking to a friend in my class about his plans to end his life. She reported what he said to me; I passed the information along to the counselor. He's getting the help he needs now.
I don't have a lot to say about this except that I'm very glad his classmate was thoughtful and concerned enough to speak up. I am also glad that he's okay, for now.
I guess the biggest thing for me is that I don't always get a tangible, immediate understanding of the difference I make in my students' lives. I know they--for the most part--enjoy my class, work hard to fulfill the assignments I give them, and enjoy the experience of my curricula. But I rarely hear directly back from students about how I've helped them in their lives. Parents--sometimes with tears in their eyes--make comments to me. Stories from administration or other teachers circulate. I know I'm making a difference. But it's quite unusual for me to make such a large difference, albeit in a small way, about something as important as preserving a life.
That makes me feel good.
A student who had indicated suicidal tendencies in some of his writing was talking to a friend in my class about his plans to end his life. She reported what he said to me; I passed the information along to the counselor. He's getting the help he needs now.
I don't have a lot to say about this except that I'm very glad his classmate was thoughtful and concerned enough to speak up. I am also glad that he's okay, for now.
I guess the biggest thing for me is that I don't always get a tangible, immediate understanding of the difference I make in my students' lives. I know they--for the most part--enjoy my class, work hard to fulfill the assignments I give them, and enjoy the experience of my curricula. But I rarely hear directly back from students about how I've helped them in their lives. Parents--sometimes with tears in their eyes--make comments to me. Stories from administration or other teachers circulate. I know I'm making a difference. But it's quite unusual for me to make such a large difference, albeit in a small way, about something as important as preserving a life.
That makes me feel good.
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