Well, this week has crawled along as slowly as a turtle in slow-mo. I am SO happy it is Friday and that it's perfect napping weather. As soon as I leave work, I'm sleeping for at least three hours.
I found out something this week that was extremely disturbing. I will tell you the backstory before I let you know what I found out.
I have this student, we'll call her Ashley (not her real name), who is very well-mannered and keeps to herself most of the time. She is a ninth grader (14 years old). In my other ninth grade class, the girls call her by name and make fun of her almost daily. I have made it a point to stop their conversations as soon as they start talking about her, because the things they say are just hateful.
Also, Ashley writes in her class journal about her boyfriend a LOT. She wrote in there that he used drugs; he deals them, too, but her problem was with how he acts when he uses. She says when he uses he is mean and mistreats her. However, when he's sober, she says he's "like he used to be." It's just really depressing to see her in this situation; she is SO young and does not have the self confidence to realize she's better without him.
Anyways, that brings us to this week, when she has come in every day teary-eyed. She asked on Monday to go to the counselor to have some "testing" done. I of course agreed, figuring that her boyfriend must have cheated on her or that she needed a pregnancy test (not an uncommon thing for these girls).
Thursday, Ashley was hysterical when she walked into class. I called her out in the hallway to see what was wrong, because she would NOT calm down. Then, she reveals to me that the reason she asked to see the counselor for testing was because she was raped last weekend in a Tuscaloosa gas station restroom. As if that's not bad enough, her cuss of a boyfriend broke up with her after she told him. I won't tell you exactly what he said to her, but I will say that it was degrading and the most hurtful thing I've ever heard.
I wish you knew this girl. She is smart, funny, self-disciplined and caring. It doesn't seem right that these things are happening to her or any other girl for that matter. This is the SECOND student (in the 9th grade) who has told me she was raped. I am heartbroken over this, truly. I really just can't believe it.
I found out something this week that was extremely disturbing. I will tell you the backstory before I let you know what I found out.
I have this student, we'll call her Ashley (not her real name), who is very well-mannered and keeps to herself most of the time. She is a ninth grader (14 years old). In my other ninth grade class, the girls call her by name and make fun of her almost daily. I have made it a point to stop their conversations as soon as they start talking about her, because the things they say are just hateful.
Also, Ashley writes in her class journal about her boyfriend a LOT. She wrote in there that he used drugs; he deals them, too, but her problem was with how he acts when he uses. She says when he uses he is mean and mistreats her. However, when he's sober, she says he's "like he used to be." It's just really depressing to see her in this situation; she is SO young and does not have the self confidence to realize she's better without him.
Anyways, that brings us to this week, when she has come in every day teary-eyed. She asked on Monday to go to the counselor to have some "testing" done. I of course agreed, figuring that her boyfriend must have cheated on her or that she needed a pregnancy test (not an uncommon thing for these girls).
Thursday, Ashley was hysterical when she walked into class. I called her out in the hallway to see what was wrong, because she would NOT calm down. Then, she reveals to me that the reason she asked to see the counselor for testing was because she was raped last weekend in a Tuscaloosa gas station restroom. As if that's not bad enough, her cuss of a boyfriend broke up with her after she told him. I won't tell you exactly what he said to her, but I will say that it was degrading and the most hurtful thing I've ever heard.
I wish you knew this girl. She is smart, funny, self-disciplined and caring. It doesn't seem right that these things are happening to her or any other girl for that matter. This is the SECOND student (in the 9th grade) who has told me she was raped. I am heartbroken over this, truly. I really just can't believe it.
2 comments:
hales said...
that is horrible.
Kristen said...
this is so sad. :( btw- i LOVE to read teacher stories. so, please share more.