The past week at school provided many mild surprises. However, there was one that stood out more than all the rest. It isn't every day you have a student go completely AWOL on you. But, that is exactly what happened to me in my 5th block on Thursday. A student stated they were finished with their task and asked to go to the restroom. Innocent enough request, I thought, so I gave approval. The student then grabbed the hall pass and out the door they went. After a short time had passed I noticed the student had not returned so I made a mental note of the actual time on the clock. Seven minutes later the student was still not back from their jaunt to the potty. Concern began to set in. Luckily, the class I have during this block is all upperclassmen so I knew they would stay on task if I stepped into the hall. Positioning myself just outside my room I surveyed the hallway. No students belonging to my class where present there. After a few more minutes of hallway loitering my concern turned to angst. What will my administration think of me? I have lost a child! Swallowing all remaining pride, I meekly walked to the door of the classroom next to mine to ask for assistance. Thankfully, this teacher had 5th block planning so I was able to have her step into my classroom as I made my way to the nearest administrator's office. Once there I explained the situation to the admin's assistant. She too was concerned for the student because by this time nearly 20 minutes had passed since I had last seen them. Just before the assistant was able to put out the all-points bulletin via the school walkie-talkie system, the student casually strolled by the office; merrily swinging the hall pass as if not a care in the world burdened their mind. I was both dumbfounded and miffed. Did this student really not know how long they were gone? I told the assistant thank you for her help and quickly walked out to the hall to catch up with the student. Once I had the opportunity to talk to the student and explain the seriousness of what had transpired the rest of the story became clear. It seemed the student had stopped by the classroom of another teacher who was a valued mentor. During this visit the conversation had turned to college plans and the need for recommendation letters and other important topics and the student had lost track of time. Only when the other teacher asked if the student's current instructor knew of their present whereabouts did the student realize perhaps they should return to class. At this point I knew I had a great opportunity to teach the student about the importance of thorough communication. I was able to explain to them in a situation such as that all they needed to do was communicate the change in plans. I was also able to explain to the student I would have had no problem with them seeking council with a valued mentor as long as everyone involved was okay with this. The student realized their lack of communication had nearly gotten them into a lot of trouble and was understanding of the concern. Going forward, the student has committed to better communication and planning with anyone and everyone which may be involved.