One Week Later

It has been one week since the shootings in Newtown, CT. One week since the world lost 18 precious first graders, teachers, a principal and a school psychologist. I have seen many tragic events in my 36-years on this earth, but this for me has been particularly hard to understand. I think because what happened in Newtown could happen anywhere, but more particularly because several people effected in Newtown play roles that I play daily. For instance, Mary Sherlach was the school psychologist, a role that I play on a daily basis. She went to work doing what all school psychologists do on a daily basis, she protected those kids, which is what any one of us in the field would do given the situation. Just two days before the shootings, my school had its annual disaster drill and we like to complain that it takes away from the time we have to get so much other stuff done, but as I think back, I am glad to have given those forty-five minutes up to practice keeping the students and staff safe and I am happy to know that my school has a safety procedure in place. Secondly, I work with so many amazing teachers on a daily basis. Any one of them would have given their lives the way that Victoria Soto did protecting her students. For those anti-teachers, you really have no idea how teaching is more than just a job. People these days seem to blame all of the worlds problems on teachers, but we do little as a society to bolster education. Funny how now these same people are considered hero's. Well to me they always have been. They live and breathe their work and noone seems to get that unless you have the pleasure of working with them. I am saddened for the loss of a principal who so obviously loved her work. It is rare to find that quality, for it seems most principals have forgotten what it is to work directly with children. I am grateful that I get to work with a principal who really puts forth the effort to get to know her students and who does put children first. Thirdly, and what I think rings true for many is the loss of precious 6 and 7 year olds. Since Nathan is nearly six, I think this why it has been particularly hard to take. Especially because he loves school so much. I hate that elementary school has suddenly become such a scary place for parents. I think we need to try as hard as we can to maintain some semblance of normalcy for our youngest learners and not take that away from them. I am glad that I had this week off so that I could spend time on Nathan's school campus, getting to know staff and enjoying the kids because it made this all seem almost like a bad nightmare. Kids are still kids and are having a great time at school, not cowering in fear of what could happen. That has helped me be less nervous over the course of the week. It has made me realize that despite the horrific event that happened last Friday, there is still good in the world and we need to focus on that and maybe just squeeze our little ones a little tighter at the beginning and the end of the day because we can.