"You are the only person that likes me. Your my only friend."- written to me by a fourth grade girl after the only student that would talk to her was forbidden by their parents to talk to her. She was troubled, bad home life, mother told her she didn't want her. She was often mean, she would dig fingernails into people's arms or pull hair. She was low academically. I spent a lot of time talking to her about her behavior, making progress, and that I believed in her. She moved before the end of the year. I don't know what has happened to her. I have her note and look at it often. I try to always remember that my 6th graders are battling things that I may not know, they need me to be kind, and academics are second to knowing I care about them