The Honeymoon is Over

I've come to realize that we have reached the point in the school year when the excitement and fuss has died down, and it is no longer an escape from reality for many of my students. In just this week alone I have had four different students come to me with issues from home. I'm thrilled that my students feel that they can come to me, but now more than ever my job doesn't end when I walk out the school doors.

Yesterday was the worst. One of my students, Timmisha* (name changed), was looking very down in class, which is incredibly rare for her. I asked her if she wanted to talk so we stepped out into the hallway. She then moved her hand from her face to reveal her cut and swollen lips. She broke down and told me that her step father has been beating her for years and she just can't take it anymore. She shared with me how she comes home from school, he is usually on caine, calls her a slut, and then proceeds to beat her. Apparently when she was 12 years old she had an older boyfriend who impregnated her, and even though she has come a long way since then and realizes her mistakes, her stepfather will not give her a break. Timmisha* is an 'A' student in my class with so much potential, and it pains me to see her in this situation.

She was adamant about not wanting her parents to get in trouble, but I knew that I was bound by law to share this with the authorities. After school yesterday I set up a meeting for us with the school counselor. When that was over, Timmisha* and I went to the gym and then grabbed some dinner before she went home. We had a wonderful time together and she was so grateful. It was horrible knowing that when she left me she was no longer safe. I was talking to one of my fellow corps members last night and we both said we've had these huge urges to just adopt our students, but we need to be careful about thinking with our heads sometimes instead of our hearts. Fortunately, by handing the case over to the counselor that legalities are off my shoulders and I can just focus on making Timmisha's* school experience a positive one.