Is it normal to feel this way?

[ForOliveShaker]

Today I was made aware of a safeguarding issue regarding one of my students. It was bad. Quite literally the worst thing I could have heard.

At the time. I just took it in and said. Oh gosh ok thanks for letting me know. However, I came home and broke down in tears to my mum. I’m normally very tough and tune out. But this time I just couldn’t. I told her that sometimes when I hear these things. I just want to adopt those children and take them in and offer them some normality and comfort.

I’ve seen and heard a lot through my short span on 5 years in teaching. But yet sometimes, certain things just get me in knots.

Has anyone else ever felt this way?

Also to clarify. I did not hear the incident from the child. My response was to the safeguarding lead when I said thanks for letting me know.

Yes. And what I always think is really hard is that the DSL has access to supervision to help manage this stuff and the rest of us don't.

I vividly remember going from hearing an appalling disclosure to passing it to the the DSL to teaching to the weekend, with no one checking I was okay.

I wasn't okay.

DSL here, never in 15 years have I had access to supervision! I have always been treated the same way you have described. It is not right but it is true.

Well that's shit!

Yes. I've been crying on and off for the last week as a result of some information I was told about a student in my tutor group. Another of my tutor group came to me yesterday as they are also aware of this incident and burst into tears because they feel useless being unable to help their friend. I struggled to hold in my tears as I was explaining to them that it's normal to feel the way they are feeling. I'm a crier anyway and feel other people emotions greatly so I could never be a DSL as I think I'd be in tears constantly.