I (29F) am a middle school English teacher, and this is my first year in the role. Yesterday, one of my students, "Emily," had a complete breakdown during my class.

The day started off normally. Emily came into the classroom, but I noticed she wasn’t her usual self. Her eyes were puffy, like she’d been crying, and she kept her head down. Before class began, I quietly asked her if she was okay, but she just nodded and said, “I’m fine.” Not wanting to push her, I let it go and started teaching.

About halfway through the lesson, I assigned the class some practice problems while I walked around to check on their work. When I got to Emily’s desk, I noticed she hadn’t written anything. Her pencil was sitting untouched, and her hands were trembling. I leaned down and quietly asked if she needed help.

That’s when it started. Emily shook her head and muttered, “I can’t do this anymore.” Before I could respond, she broke into loud, uncontrollable sobs. The entire class froze, and all eyes were on her.

I quickly led Emily into the hallway to give her some space and privacy. I reassured her it was okay to feel overwhelmed and that she didn’t need to explain anything if she wasn’t ready. After a brief chat, it became clear she wasn’t calming down. I decided to call the school counselor, as I felt this was beyond what I could handle in the moment.

When the counselor arrived, Emily seemed reluctant to go with her but eventually did. I returned to the classroom, but the energy was tense. Some students were whispering, and I reminded them to be respectful and focus on their work. The rest of the period felt heavy, as everyone, including me, was visibly shaken.

Later that day, I spoke with the counselor. She told me Emily was experiencing a mental breakdown and suggested it might be best for her to take the rest of the week off. She said she would follow up with Emily’s parents and ensure she had the support she needed.

Today, I received an email from Emily’s mom, and it was harsh. She accused me of “humiliating” her daughter in front of her peers and claimed I had no right to involve the counselor without her permission. She wrote things like:

• “Teachers these days are so quick to label every little thing as a mental health issue.”
• “Maybe if you’d let her stay in class, she wouldn’t have felt so embarrassed.”
• “She doesn’t need a break from school—this generation is becoming so weak. It wasn’t a big deal.”

I responded politely, explaining that I acted out of concern for Emily’s well-being and my goal was to ensure she got the support she needed. I also mentioned that I kept the situation as private as possible under the circumstances.

My principal has been supportive and assured me I made the right call. However, a few colleagues suggested I might’ve escalated the situation unnecessarily and that I could’ve let Emily stay in class until she calmed down.

Now I’m second-guessing everything. Did I overreact? Should I have kept Emily in the classroom and handled it differently? I feel awful that Emily’s mom is upset, but I genuinely thought I was doing what was best for her in the moment.