The news report flickered silently on the screen, the image of the Pennsylvania rally a stark contrast to the quiet calm of my office. Another act of violence, another life lost, another reason for the knot of frustration to tighten in my stomach. As a school counselor at a high school with its fair share of troubled kids, I dealt with delinquency on a daily basis. But this, this felt different. This was the culmination of a path I see kids start down all too often – anger, a lack of direction, and a world that seems stacked against them.
My name’s Sarah, and motivation is my battleground. Every day, I walk a tightrope – trying to understand what fuels the defiance and apathy in my students, what that tipping point might be. It’s like the article mentioned, a balance scale. Sometimes the weight of their circumstances, of a broken home or a learning disability, feels like a hundred pounds pressing down on the “acting out” side. My job is to pile high the weights on the other side – hope, opportunity, a sense of belonging.
It’s not easy. Take Billy, for example. Smart kid, potential for miles, but his dad walked out a year ago and his mom works double shifts. School feels pointless, a place where he gets into trouble more than anything. My role is to be that steady hand, to help him see the bigger picture, the future he could have if he just tipped the scales in the right direction. It’s a constant battle, offering incentives, building him up, chipping away at the mountain of negativity.
The news report switched to a commercial break, the cheery jingle a jarring contrast to the weight on my chest. Maybe it’s naive, but I believe in these kids. Every breakthrough, every moment where they choose a different path, is a victory. Because ultimately, the goal isn’t just to keep them out of trouble, it’s to prevent them from becoming the headline on tomorrow’s news. It’s a fight worth having, one student, one conversation at a time.
Trump survives assassination attempt at campaign rally, as it unfolded
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