Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from January, 2018

Stress

Stress “Mr. Pickerd, I just can’t do today!” These words fainted out of her mouth as she drooped there in front of me. “What on earth is wrong?” I asked. This proved to be the right or wrong question at the wrong or right time…I couldn’t tell quite yet, because what poured out for the following minute or two became a litany of stressors in the life of this young student: test here, practice over there, paper due then, work in the meantime… The list continued. She felt driven to the point of confusion, of disarray, and was no longer able to focus on the moment. My teacher (and more so my parent) heart wanted to sit her down and help her decide which of the too many activities was or were pressing her beyond her limits, but that wasn’t what she wanted. Time to put away the toolbox. She needed to lay it all out and be heard, nothing more at the time. If this were an isolated situation, I might be able to chalk it up to a student who has opted to take on too much. That is not the