As the year progressed students, instead of moving away from Sue when she was angry, drew close. When Sue was frustrated with work, they would provide encouragement. When she was angry they would stand near her. They had learned that being close helped her and, as one student joked, “If she went to hit you, she couldn’t hit as hard in close.” Consequently, it was not unusual to see a group of kids around Sue as they walked the busy corridors to their next class.
At the end of the year, we interviewed some of the students who had been with Sue. From these discussions some common themes emerged:
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The students liked making a commitment to Sue. Out of the twenty-five students who started, only two left the group. The students in the support group saw students who were not in the group as outsiders. When asked if they felt it was a job they had to do, students replied, “No, it wasn’t. We were doing something for her,” and “No, it was like being with anyone else in the class”.
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They felt that they were contributors to Sue and their class. Students felt they were not asked often enough to help other students in school. “We could do a lot more if we were given the chance,” one student said. “My mother says that I am good with other kids. It’s something that I already have.”
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Most of the students derived satisfaction from their relationship with Sue. Her peers described the experience as “fun because you get to laugh with Sue about things.” Another student drew satisfaction from the experience, saying, “It’s nice when she says your name.” Students commented on feeling bad when they were away from school or had other commitments which prevented them from being with Sue.
