Sometimes Educators See What Parents Don't See

No matter how involved parents are in the lives of their children, sometimes they are unaware of things that go on in their child’s lives. Because teachers and other school officials work with them for extended periods and nearby, they observe things through their lens.

Whether up close or from a distance, they see things that parents do not see. As a result, they are in a position to provide life-changing hope for them.

Narratives That Capture My Reflections

As I think about the years that I spent as an educational practitioner while working as a teacher, principal, and district-level administrator, I can collect my thoughts about the ways that I helped students. I saved many of them from devastating and uncertain consequences.

Here are brief accounts of a few of these instances.

The Student Was Not A Behavior Problem…They Were Very Ill

Early in my career as a principal, I encountered a situation with a student who entered puberty. They were always compliant and got along with their peers. Sadly, the behavior of that student suddenly changed. And the change was abrupt.

They got into explosive arguments and verbal fights with teachers and former friends. The student became especially sensitive because their hair began falling out and it became impossible to manage and style it. Peers that they struggled with began teasing them about their hair. This only increased the disruptions they created throughout all school environments.

Meetings with the parent did not help either because the student also became unmanageable at home.

As I met with the student in my office one day to discuss the latest disruption that they were involved in, the student began crying. They became extremely emotional as they explained that they did not know why everything was going wrong for them. As the student cried hysterically, I became alarmed by what I observed. Their tears were not clear. Instead, they were thick, white, and very cloudy.

Once the student settled and went back to class, I instructed to school nurse and guidance counselor to inform the parent of what I observed. They urged the parent to seek medical attention at once. In doing so, it was discovered that the student was suffering from a very serious thyroid condition that caused their body to produce excessive amounts of sodium. Extreme hair loss and a mood disorder were among the other symptoms.

Because I was observant, that student received the medical support to help them heal physically, socially, and emotionally. Normalcy ultimately returned to their school and personal life.

And that student experienced their happily ever after.

I Saved the Life of a Student

One day when I was a principal the school nurse alerted me that a student had been struggling with significant oral infection. While on medication and experiencing a little discomfort, the student reported to the school.

As I visited classrooms during the afternoon on the same day I was informed of the condition of the student, I decided to subtly observe how they were doing. To my surprise, I notice the student sitting in the back of the library where the class was being held shivering and sweating at the same time. The student also struggled to stay awake. While the teacher was unaware that the student’s condition deteriorated because they engaged with other students, I immediately informed the school nurse. The parents were notified and urged to rush their child to the hospital.

Within a short time, the school nurse and I were told that the student was in septic shock and needed to be intubated at once. The student remained close to death for several days but managed to make a full recovery.

Even though the parents of the student never offered any word of gratitude nor spoke to me for playing a role in discovering their child was in crisis, I am thankful that I observed the student when I did and responded appropriately as the school leader.

A Few Words Gave Them Hope

I was responsible for serving as the administrative disciplinarian of my school. Even when harsh administrative consequences were required, it was my policy to encourage students. It was my way of helping students move beyond their mistakes so that better choices would be made in the future.

After being a principal at a school for several years, a former student stopped by to visit me. Even though I do not remember the minor infraction that the student was involved in, they wanted to thank me for the encouragement I gave them while disciplining them. At the time of their visit, the former student was enrolled in college as an engineering student. They recalled that I told them how much potential they had and that I believed in them. Those words that I spoke to the student made them determined to make appropriate decisions in school and life as well as to reach for their potential.

I spent several heart-warming minutes listening to my former student describe their goals for their future.

My Final Thought

It has been a wonderful thing to pause and remember a few incidents that I had where I made a difference in the lives of students in the past. While countless incidents similar to these were routine occurrences, I am pleased that I helped many students in life-altering ways.

These and many other experiences enable me to offer these words of advice to other professionals. Anyone who works with children and young people should always remain observant to see things beyond the scope of their responsibility. If things do not appear to be right, it is important to speak up and offer help. If words of encouragement need to be said, they must be spoken.

What adults who work with students see through their eyes and on-the-job experiences can contribute to their student’s longevity. These things also give students hope to embrace a promise-filled tomorrow.

Thank you for taking the time to read this story. If you have had similar experiences with children and young people, share your story here. Also, if this story helped or positively impacted you, be sure to pass it on to others.

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Thank you.

This story was originally published on Medium.com.