A school day can be very hectic and stressful for students and staff. I know that I often have so much to do that even having lunch seems like an impossible task. Today was very close to being one of those days. At one point in my day, I was working on paperwork and one of my colleagues needed to talk. He was feeling uncomfortable about something that was going on, and wanted to talk to me to get some feedback (I'm keeping this vague to protect my colleague!). It was very difficult to stop what I was working on and listen to him, but I did.
Now think about all that a student has to do during the day: get to school, complete schoolwork, focus on the teacher, plan for extracurricular events, study for tests, and much more! It is hard for a student to find time to listen to someone who is needs to talk! Here's why it is important though; when you make time for someone and listen to them when they need to talk, what you are saying is "You matter. You are important. I care about you." When you have the opportunity to give that message to someone, you know you have found a true ASK.
Considerations for Schools:
- Students have to tell at trusted adult if their friend is dealing with any of the following: hurting themselves or other people, being hurt or abused in any way, being bullied, wanting to die.
- Sometimes, students may take any opportunity to avoid class. (I know, this is completely shocking!) Make sure students don't abuse this ASK to get out of schoolwork or class!
- Students should not take on more than they can handle - if they feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed they should get a trusted adult involved.
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