I have a student. No surprise there. I actually have about 100 students this semester. But there’s something else going on with this student: she seems so sad. All the time.
At first, it seemed to be a mixture of hostility and sadness, and I felt like that hostility was directed toward me specifically. She once left a class session in the library in tears, but she has not been communicating with me at all.
Today, though, I think there may have been a breakthrough. I worked with her one-on-one a bit in class, and she came to my office just now for some more help. When she left again, though, she was almost in tears again. When I tried to see what was wrong, though, she clammed up again. I’m just not sure what’s wrong or what I can do about it. . .maybe I should talk to somebody in counseling to figure out the best way to approach dealing with students in these situations.
essaying the plains 
Hey Denise – What happened with this student? Did she ever open up to you?
She never really opened up to me, but I referred her to counseling services, and I think that helped her through the rest of the semester. I actually saw her yesterday in the hallway outside my office. She waved, and we chatted for a bit; she seems to be adapting more now. Thanks for asking!