As a nation, we are saddened, angry, and frustrated about the events that took place in Connecticut. We look for somewhere to place the blame. Gun control. No God in schools. Mental illness. We mourn for the young lives lost and loss of innocence. Why did they have to die? Our men and women in the military know of the possibilities of death in their profession, yet they choose to enlist anyway. Firefighters and policemen know the danger, but choose to serve the public. Teachers, on the other hand, see a different job description. We go into the job expecting to make the difference in the life of a child. We want to instill a passion for learning. We know our responsibilities will include many meetings, duties, and lots of paperwork along with the teaching. Nowhere in the job description do we ever think of the possibility of putting our lives on the line. While we sacrifice for our students on a regular basis, never do we think about the possibility of sacrificing our lives. Yet, when the need arose, that is exactly what six teachers of Spring Hope Elementary School did.
My heart is heavy. A fellow teacher told me about the shooting during school on Friday. Her eyes were filled with tears as she told me, thinking about her own little ones I am sure. It shakes me to the core. We practice for the possibility of evil entering into our building while hoping it will never come to pass. I can't even imagine it being for real. Yet it was. Even though it wasn't in my school, I am mourning. For strangers. Teachers I never met. Parents grieving. I cry for the students. Those who will go no further in school, as well as those who will never go to school as innocent and naive as they once were. My heart aches for the policemen, medical examiners, school counselors, pastors, friends, and relatives. The journey to healing is sure to be a long one. I want to wrap my students up in a great big hug for I know they are trying to make sense of it also. In the meantime, I find solace in hugs from my children.
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