Being There For Your Students - Is it your job?

A school shooting not far from my high school this morning has prompted me to think about just how lucky I am to have and to have had such wonderful kids.  Sure I've seen my share of moody teenagers, locker room fights, bad grades, and sad faces, but none of those things matter.  I have good kids.

High school is a terrible place.  It's a transition period where kids are growing up into adults and everyone is generally confused about just about everything.  Unfortunately it's something we all have to go through in life, and we learn from our experiences and for the most part are better people for them.  There are times when our teens start to feel alone in all of it, like they have no one to talk to because no one will understand or no one will listen.  That's where we come in as educators.

I'm sad to say I've heard fellow ATC's say that kids coming in and wanting to talk isn't their job.  I believe strongly that it really does take a village to raise a child, and we that work at schools are a part of that village. Athletic Trainers are a really important part of the lives of student athletes.  A lot of us are teachers, but the kids call us by our first names and feel comfortable joking around with us and talking to us.  We're something like a bridge between the student and faculty worlds.

While I know that it gets me weird looks from my students and coworkers alike, I have a "Safe Zone" sticker on the window of my office.  If you aren't familiar with these, originally it was a sign that school workers were hanging in their offices to display that it was a safe space for LGBT students to come and talk and not have to worry about judgment or discrimination.  My sticker extends itself to all students, advertising that my office is a "Safe Zone" where they are welcome to come and feel free to express themselves how they need to, without fear of being judged or discriminated against for anything.  It might seem hokey, but it does work.  Weekly I have conversations with my students ranging from worries about college, fights with mom, school drama, relationships, and even just simple things like excited anticipation for dates or fun school functions. 

Even if you don't get the opportunity to talk to your students informally like this, make yourself available.  Don't shut yourself off from your students.  You don't have to be Facebook friends with them and share every waking detail of your personal life with them, but you should try to be there for them. 

At the end of the day, being an advocate and an ear for your students might not be in writing in your job description, but it became part of your job when you signed up to work at a school.  Don't think of it as a burden or as extra work - think of it as another opportunity you have to change a life.  The teens we have as students today are our future.  If you spend even just five minutes talking to a student, you might change his or her life for the better.  Sometimes they can drive us nuts, but each and every one of our students is a precious life that we can leave our mark on for the better, and in turn they can change us too.  Be open minded and willing to listen, and I guarantee you'll change things for someone.