T.H. White, “The Once and Future King”
The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, “is to learn something. That’s the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn.”
everyone deals with tragedies a different way. We have different ways of coping. Some people find it very easy to discuss their feelings with others. Some find comfort in keeping a journal. Others prefer not to say anything at all and deal with it in their own way. As a teacher I think it is of the utmost importance to realize this, and allow students to greive in their own ways. If dealing with a major crisis, I would ask students how they felt about the situation, and judge the best way to deal with the situation. I’d consider having the class start their own weblogs in order to vent thier ideas. They always have the option of keeping them private. If at all possible I’d want them to help in some philanthropic way. Getting together and raising money for a cause, logging onto the internet and learning how best to aid in relief efforts. Sometimes there arise problems on a one on one basis. Especially in highschool, relationships fall apart, friends have a falling out, girls get pregnant, parents divorce, and students fail tests. I’d like to be the type of teacher that students can feel they come to with their problems. If at any time I felt like I wasn’t able to handle the situation, or a student was at risk, I’d consult the school counselor and encourage the student to do the same. I think letting students know that we’re not there to just teach them some stuff, grade them, and send them on their ways is important. Young and old we all have bad days, and we have times when it seems like no one understands us. It’s nice to know we’re not alone in the world, and there’s always someone to talk to.
