Unexpected consequences of teaching

I have been thinking about a former student lately.

I do a landscape painting unit where we spend some time drawing outside on the school grounds. Our school property has a public jogging path that is heavily used. Some of the students will sit in the middle of the jogging path and I go around and ask them not to block the path. In this particular year, I had a difficult group and some of them would not budge. Along comes, a bicyclist all decked out in bike gear and wrap-around glasses. He starts cursing at the students, which was not appropriate or expected. One student jumped to his feet and started yelling back at him. "At least I am not a loser and I don't wear spandex and live in my parent’s basement!" Along with a few more choice words. "Jack! (not his real name)," I said, " you can't say things like that, you are going to get yourself in trouble someday."

"But Ms. S., I know it's immature, but he is a grown-up and should know better, but I am just a kid."

Well, true, but the whole interaction was out of line.

Early last week I learned that this same student, now a junior in high school, had murdered his father by stabbing him to death. I feel devastated. Even though he was a difficult and troubled boy, I kind of liked him.

That is something I hadn't expected when I started teaching: that some students will break your heart.