Now and then a student will become visibly upset, in or after class. You do not need to diagnose anything or act as a counselor. What helps most is a calm, kind presence: lower your voice, give the student a little space or a private moment, and ask simply how you can help. Listen without judgment, and do not feel you must solve the underlying problem.

Your role is to be supportive and to connect the student to people trained for this. Know your campus resources, the counseling center, the dean of students, and any behavioral intervention or CARE team, and offer to help the student reach them. A warm handoff, walking them to or contacting the right office, is often the most useful thing you can do. Staying within your role is not cold; it is how you help best.