One of my students died last night in a car crash. I knew that I would have to deal with this sometime during my career, but certainly not so soon. He was working really hard in my class, and had struggled to pass first semester, but did. This child was living breathing, and talking out of turn in my class on Friday. Now he's gone, he simply dosn't exist any more.

What do you say? What are you supposed to feel? How in the hell am I going to deal with my students? Most of his friends are at-risk students. They have lost parents to alcohol, drugs, divorce and abuse. They havn't developed the coping mechanisms to deal with this. Many of them are already struggling in school, and I am terrified of what this will do to them.

I am glad that I can say that I was a postive influence in his life, and that he heard praise from me in class before his death.

Oh God, be with us all.