<p>Thank you very much for that. That’s just about all I feel like saying right now, except that I very much doubt that this student has taken this step (what appears to be a social transition) without extensive counseling. </p>
<p>And that people don’t generally do this unless they feel they have to. After a great deal of thinking. It doesn’t reflect a character flaw, and (in my opinion) reflects the opposite of irresponsibility. It shouldn’t influence anyone’s willingness to write a recommendation.</p>
<p>I found some of the things in the OP’s original post rather upsetting. But I think other people have pointed them out, and I hope the OP is willing to listen.</p>
<p>PS: It’s “transgender,” by the way. No hyphen! And it’s an adjective, not a noun or a verb.</p>
<p>Chances are that she’s still going through a rough time. Pre-op transgenders usually take hormones and these have a huge effect on someone’s personality. If she indeed is taking estrogen (and if she’s looking for a place to have her surgery I assume that she is), she’ll be experiencing second puberty, including moodswings, fatique, headaches and all the changes that make teens sometimes so difficult to handle. No wonder that her performance might suffer.</p>
<p>Reading a bit more about the subject might help you be more accepting. It’s impossible for a non-transgender person to concieve how torturous it can to be locked in the wrong body. Nature is not infallible - this happens - and all you can do is start treating and seeing her as the girl she is.</p>
<p>I don’t know this student. I obviously have no idea what medical steps she’s taken or plans to take. None of which are the OP’s business, by the why, unless she chooses to talk about them. Contrary to what seems to be a widespread assumption, trans bodies are not public property, or an appropriate subject for uninvited questions. Any more than anyone else’s.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, I find it far more likely that it was the stress and dysphoria of <em>not</em> being able to be herself that finally reached a crisis point and contributed to performance issues. Not the taking of hormones. Generally speaking, hormones relieve distress for trans women (and trans men); they don’t cause it. Sure they have effects, and can cause mood swings and other things, but they hardly render most trans women dysfunctional, either at work or school. Any more than they do non-trans women.</p>
<p>And, yes, for those who don’t know, I speak from personal experience, as hesitant as I am to bring this up unless it’s necessary. (My heart sank a little when I saw the thread title.) </p>
<p>Otherwise, I agree with elidh. And the rest of you.</p>
<p>Sorry, DonnaL, I of course did not mean to imply that transgenders on hormones become dysfunctional.</p>
<p>It could of course well be that she has used excellent academic performance as an outlet all these years: preferring to drown herself in books and studies rather than face the issue. Now she is more confident with herself and may want to explore other aspects of life, so her classwork could suffer accordingly. But I am speculating now. Just trying to explain what a difficult process this can be - because it does affect your life and personality a lot more than most people think.</p>
<p>The prof should write a letter of recommendation as the advisor stating that the student was an excellent student for 5 semesters and all the wonderful things the student did during this time. The prof should state that the student withdrew mid semester and that the prof has had no experience with the student since this time.</p>
<p>A withdraw is a legal allowable option for students that is given by all colleges that I know of. A discussion of the reasons for the withdrawl is entirely up to the student and only the student. It is no ones business.</p>
<p>The transgender issue had to be dealt with since the previous teachers knew this student as a male. That is the only reason that the student had to address this. It has been addressed in a letter by the student to these profs and should not be discussed again.</p>
<p>Write the kid a glowing LOR for the time you were the adviser. It’s the right thing to do.</p>
<p>A clarification to a previous post: by my reference to a certain “widespread assumption,” I didn’t mean the people here. I was referring to the world at large.</p>
<p>Our students do challenge us, don’t they! I’ve been through something like this so I understand how OP feels. It’s exactly because you care about this student that you feel so deeply. But, there is certainly something you need to overcome, esp. since you’re an educator, things like this may happen again. Keep an open mind and a loving heart. Not everybody is like you or do things like you do. I think you should write the letter for her. It sounds like she really trusts you. </p>
<p>It reminded me of the doctor in the movie Philadelphia. His patient changed him, cured his prejudice. Our students can educate us often times.</p>