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| Molly Hudgens |
It happened Wednesday at Sycamore Middle School. According to Sheriff Mike Breedlove, the 14-year-old approached school counselor Molly Hudgens after first period.
During the course of the conversation, the teen said he was having some “issues.” Hudgens then asked him if he had a gun based off statements he had made.
He responded yes, and said that he was going to kill some teachers and a police officer. The teen also indicated she would be the only person who could talk him out of it.
Hudgens then spoke with the teen for 45 minutes, ultimately diffusing the situation. “She was able to diffuse the whole situation before we even knew what was going on,” Sheriff Breedlove said.
“She did something that probably the most experienced law enforcement officer couldn’t do. It could have ended up tragically.”
Ms. Hudgens credited her training with giving her the tools to defuse the situation, which ended with the 14 year old taken into custody and charged with possession of a gun on school property and making threats.
But he is unharmed and not facing murder or attempted murder charges which could easily have been the outcome here.
Now just imagine if this were one of those school which had armed teachers walking the hallways.
Do we think that this young man would have been met with patience from a well trained professional who wanted to ensure the safety not just of the other students and faculty, but the boy himself, or would he have been met with a gun pointed at this chest by a poorly trained adult with his finger on the trigger?
This woman is a hero, and despite what we might hear from the conservatives our public schools are full of them.
Everyone needs to learn basic skills - interpersonal relationship, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and above all - mindfulness. Everyone.
ReplyDeleteOnce people all 'speak' the same language communication will occur. And imagine what humans can do next? I'm betting on amazing. Stunning. And my favorite - oooo, I didn't see that coming. Awesome!
What a spectacularly insightful comment!
DeleteI refrained from awesome because you used it right.
X 1000. ....
I'm getting tired of how sexist our culture is.
ReplyDeleteIf you're a person who has ever called a woman, any woman, a slut, bimbo, tramp or promiscuous, you do not deserve and should not be around kids whose minds are impressionable. I personally think you don't deserve to breathe because of your ignorance but that would make me as mean as you.
NO woman deserves to be called a slut and women will NEVER be equal to men until that stops.
Except Bristol Palin, right?
DeleteI'n not too sure about the "Absolute rule" While in the privacy of one's home, it's fine with me what two adults say, but saying it in school is a big no no. My sister was a teacher, she left because of systematically "pushing" poor performing kids to the next level. She used to rail against this one mother who never once answered her phone calls, letter sent return receipt requested, but was the leader of the pack on Parent teacher night defending little johhnny, who's going to get a sports scholarship (he's in the fourth grade) and can't grasp the basics almost any parent can help a child learn about simple math problems. It was always the fault of the teacher, she'd bite her tongue till she got home and called mamma bear some pretty nasty names just to vent. But she never changed a grade because of pressure from any parent.
DeleteHow about we call you an asshole, since you feel comfortable trying to hijack a story about a very troubled young person and a heroic educator/counselor who helped him.
DeleteCalling someone an asshole isn't sexist, is it?
"I personally think you don't deserve to breathe because of your ignorance but that would make me as mean as you."
DeleteI think you meant to write that "makes you as mean," asshole.
"The teen also indicated she would be the only person who could talk him out of it."
ReplyDeleteThat's very telling. It says the teen really, more than anything else, wanted attention from her in particular. He just picked the wrong way to get it.
Our school USED to be filed with trained counselors, a nurse, an educated librarian. I looked up this school, and there are 745 students and TWO counselors. They are damn lucky this woman made previous contacts with this boy, and that e trusted her. My kids were lucky to see a counselor once a year for scheduling.
ReplyDeleteThe American School Counselor's group recommends a ratio of 250 to one. Ha. The US average is 500 to 1. One counselor overseeing 500 students. That is awful. They aren't counselors at that point-they are 'how can I se all these students and get their schedules set, and check on the abused kids, the druggies, the pregnant girls...and still stay sane?"
Here in MI we are closing in on one to 1000 kids. This while parents are ever-busier with work and kids come home to empty houses with guns in them.
My school had 2 counselors for 600+ students. And, sure enough, I saw one of them 3 times in 4 years, about 4 minutes each time.
DeleteMaybe counselors help some students, but many, like me, are just a check box on their paperwork.
Molly Hudgens is obviously a remarkable educator. I hope the boy in question gets the help he obviously needs and that his parents rid their home of guns and whatever else it is that affected their son so adversely.
ReplyDeleteBeaglemom
No charges for the person that let the kiddo have a gun. Thanks, NRA.
ReplyDeleteTHIS!>
ReplyDeletehttps://www.yahoo.com/news/lgbt-students-teachers-still-lax-homophobia-112846939.html
Cops too....
This teacher deserves an award of some kind. Sometimes, just being there to listen and to guide in the right direction are what's needed, especially with early teens who are going through puberty and may feel anxious speaking with their parents.
ReplyDeleteWe all remember the good teachers we had and the impact they had on their lives, they ARE heroes, and unfortunately, we're losing a lot of them because of idiotic ideas like arming every teacher, paying them a pittance and acting like their glorified babysitters.
Well, first of all, in that scenario this child still wouldn't have had to fear being shot by an armed teacher. All teachers receive training, just not as much as a certificated counselor and shooting first simple isn't how they work. Most teachers would rather risk arrest for non-compliance than be forced to be armed on the job. It simply isn't appropriate.
ReplyDeleteI notice this didn't make our nightly news. The 6 year old child who died of his wounds in the other shooting did. But I guess it isn't in the media's interest to feature a teacher doing their job and saving lives. You know, being knowledgeable, competent, proactive, effective. There are still those that want to vilify teachers as lazy, stupid, incompetent and not worth their meager pay.
It's "defuse," not "diffuse."
ReplyDelete