I was going to write a whole post about the Sandy Hook tragedy but it was starting to leave a sour taste in my mouth. It sounded bitter and resentful which isn't particularly how I want to portray myself right now in this time of national mourning. I was trying to express my grief and sorrow over the events that transpired on Friday, but it soon turned into a political rant about how little respect teachers get in this country despite the fact that, as we have seen by the actions of teachers at Sandy Hook, most of us would take a bullet for our students.
But this isn't the time for politics.
In the coming weeks and months, we need to start having some really hard conversations: about gun control, mental health, the role of the media in perpetuating these tragedies, and yes, education. But right now is a time for grieving. I can't think of one person who wasn't deeply affected by the events of Friday morning. Our hearts break for the families who lost children and loved ones in the wake of such a horrific crime. I'm going to take this time to process it all before I just go spewing rhetoric. And I'm going to make sure that come Monday, I will look all of my students in the eye and tell them how much they mean to me.
That is exactly what I plan to do tomorrow as well. It's hard to process and articulate thoughts on such an event.
ReplyDelete