Babies

I just overheard in my last class that one of my 15 year-old students is pregnant. She told a group of girls that she was sitting with, and they all looked at her in sympathy. One said, "Well, your baby will be pretty!..." and another, "Man I am not going there until I am 26!" This comment made me sad for the little doe-eyed girl sitting there with an expressionless face. She suddenly seems a lot tinier to me than she did before.

She has not yet told her parents. She is afraid to.

I tried to find a way conveniently pull her away from the group to chat, but to no avail. After class a herd of students needed help.

I am dying to talk to her, though I am afraid I don't know how. Unsolicited help doesn't always go over well with teens, and I don't have a relationship with her yet that would merit my barge. I don't have her class again until Thursday, and what if she needs someone now? Almost everything I think of to do seems a bit too overwhelming. Maybe I can sneak her out of another class tomorrow--but then say what? I could always write her a note and vicariously talk to her, but that almost seems insincere.

I wish I had snagged her today! No matter how uncertain I am about talking to her, I know that doing nothing because I don't know what to do would be the bigger mistake. It's my job, right? Is it presumptuous of me to assume she even needs or wants anything?

Even if so, I can't help it.  I'll find a way to talk to her tomorrow.

She is a sweet little girl that needs help.  

I hope I'm not belittling her.