Our Very Own First Responders

Friend:  "Are you okay?"

Me:  "Yeah, why?"

Friend:  "There's an ambulance outside the PAC."

Me:  "Uh oh."

I'd left rehearsal a few minutes early so I could set up for that night's support group, but I started messaging people to find out what happened. There were so many possibilities . . . 

It turns out a student had a seizure during the final moments of rehearsal. She is okay. That's the most important part. 

Here's what I want people to know, though. The other students at rehearsal, ranging in age from 14-18, jumped into action. One student immediately called 911 while others cleared a path for paramedics and waited to flag down the ambulance at the correct entrance. Someone ran for the principal. Others tended to their unconscious friend, rolling her onto her side and protecting her head. When she regained consciousness, their soothing voices and gentle touches helped reassure the student that she was okay and that help (and parents) would be there soon. They did everything right. Every. Single. Thing.

As I mentioned, I wasn't there. Still, I've heard the story many times from many people and one fact holds true:  They did everything right. Teachers have basic first aid training, as do students, but that training doesn't teach students how to keep their cool, how to show compassion, how to put others first, how to assist without causing embarrassment. They did everything right.

High school students get a bad rap. I get it--those still-developing brains housed in fully-grown bodies trick us. Kids this age want to look older and be older, but . . . still-developing brains. So, sometimes they act like knuckleheads. So do I. Sometimes they make bad or stupid decisions. So do I. Sometimes they wear us out. Yup. So do I. 

But . . . here's the thing. Despite the confusion of being a teen in this whack-a-doodle world, fantastic humans are forming. Humans with love and kindness in their collective heart and bravery in their soul. For as long as I've been teaching, I've said we simultaneously expect too much and too little from teens. We expect them to behave as less-wrinkled, less-employed adults, but we don't always give them credit for stepping up in difficult situations, for looking after each other, for supporting mental health. Their lives aren't easy; some of their lives are more than adults could handle. 

Life is hard. Highlights should be acknowledged and celebrated. There's so much more to these big kids than people know. If we open our eyes and hearts, if we allow them to make us proud, they will. So if you see cast or crew of the spring musical, thank them for stepping up. Theirs is an example to follow.