The Moving Student

Another first happened to me last week.  A student moved to another city and therefore is out of my class.  Now, the fact that a student moved is not anything new to me.  In fact, a male student in this same class moved and there was nothing of note that happened with him.  Additionally, a female student during my student teaching also moved.  But this particular student was very emotional.

For anonymity purposes I'll call the student Janice.

Janice had told me she was leaving the week prior, and I thought nothing of it.  Students come and go, I have no control over that.  I didn't think twice about it.  The week goes on with no big issue.

Then, her last day is her at last.  It was a somewhat cloudy day, a little drizzle falling outside.  A note from the office comes for her and she goes to talk with the assistant principal.  Upon her arrival, the students and I are in the middle of reading our novel, and she is crying.  I don't mean tears quietly falling down her cheek, but sobbing. Her nose sniffling.

"You have to sign this, Mr. ________, " she sniffs, handing me a form for her transfer.

I asked her what was wrong.  I thought maybe she had gotten into trouble. 

She sobs, "I.. don't.. want.. to leave..." and breaks down in class.

Now, I don't care who you are, just thinking back on this pulls on my heart strings.  I was at a loss for words.  Part of me wanted to stop class and let everyone say their good-byes, the other part wanted to keep a professional demeanor in the class and continue with what we were doing.  I noticed several students looking at me while I decided.

In the end, I chose to keep class moving along, eventually sending a female friend of Janice's outside with her to calm her down.

I'm sure you're thinking, "How heartless!"  But really, I think I would choose that option 97% of the time in the future.

The two girls come back in and there was no issue for the rest of the class.

And, so, that is my first experience with the emotional student saddened by leaving school.

I was also taken aback by the hug.  I am, by nature, not very emotional in the classroom.  I am not entirely comfortable making contact with students in this way.  These two things added together meant that the hug was an awkward, one-armed, side hug on my part, and a two armed strong hug on her part.

Again, I'm not heartless, just not experienced with how to act in these situations.

And since I have no better way of ending this, I'll borrow those iconic words from Forrest:
"...That's all I have to say about that."