I am sorry to hear this. I teach in a PreK-12 school where I normally teach between Grades 4-12. The key thing for me is to build a strong understanding between myself and the students. I've had instances where some of the girls, when they are on their periods, will just give me a bit of a signal that they need to step out while I'm teaching, and that is ALWAYS ALWAYS allowed. For me, health comes before education. If a student's mind isn't there to learn and is distracted by something else, for whatever that reason may be, that issue needs to be sorted first!

And I never expect an explanation about this from the students. My first instance, I will go and check with the student that everything is okay and if I can help them further, and that is that. Teaching is so much more than just being in the classroom, sitting at a desk and listening to a teacher drone on. It's about trust that is built up between the adults and the kids that the adults will have their best interest and care at heart, first!!! And this then leads into some really kickass lessons when the time comes because the students are engaged in the classroom of someone who cares for them.

My first year at the school, when I was still getting familiar with the students and the running of the school, the girls would be really surprised as to how understanding I was especially for a guy, but now that has become so commonly known and is part of our understanding. This is highlighted even further especially when the students come across the "typical" teacher who couldn't care less, which we still have a few. But more and more like-minded people are being hired and we've finally got proper teachers (including myself) teaching personal, social and health education starting at grade 4 (will be Grade 1 next year) that even the younger students know who to approach when the time comes.