Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Can't Imagine

I've always been so grateful that school was out when the tornado hit Tiny Town.  As a teacher, that is your worst nightmare--trying to protect kids who are terrified, and trying to appear calm and brave when you feel anything but. 

The news out of Moore, Oklahoma breaks my heart.  I know there were teachers who died, trying to reassure little ones that everything would be fine; teachers who died, using their own bodies to shield little ones. And teachers who knew there was nothing they could do to save the kids or themselves, but pasted on a reassuring smile in those final moments.

It makes me proud to be part of this profession.  The pay, the press, and the denigrating of our profession speak otherwise, but when push comes to shove--most of us devote our lives to asking for the best kids have to give and giving our best to make sure our students are safe and secure in this world.

Our communities expect us to sacrifice everything, even our lives if need be, for our students.  My colleagues would do that without a moment of thought or hesitation.  We hope it would never come to that, but sometimes it does.  We've seen that too many times this last school year. 

Too many times.

4 comments:

Kim said...

I just heard a little boy on a TV interview say that his teacher covered him and a couple of other classmates with her body to protect them. Thanks for all you and your fellow teachers do, Mrs. E - whether the storms are natural disasters or just the storms that happen in everyday life. Thank you to the teachers, the first responders, the strangers who rushed to help. There are no words ... just tears.

Amy said...

I can't even imagine.

Mary said...

I would hope that, if I was in the situation, I could be as brave as those teachers.

Shannon Krueger said...

I've thought many times in the last 24 hours about the tornado drills we did in school, and how we may have moaned and groaned, but the practice was all for good reason. Teachers are heroes for so many reasons, but the ones who perished protecting their students in Moore and also in Newtown, CT, have taken that calling to an entirely higher level. Thanks to you and all the other teachers who give selflessly every day.