As a teacher of teenagers, I try to look closely at all of my students, especially the “quiet” ones who often get overlooked. We try hard in our district to meet as a team to discuss all students who concern us, but without help from home or tighter laws for the types of guns used in these shootings, it’s a struggle.
When a shooting occurs I go through a cycle of feeling angry and not wanting to teach anymore, realizing that my own kids would still be in the fray, mourning and praying for those poor parents who lost their children, and then numbly putting it behind me only to repeat the cycle with the next dreaded news report.
Goodness, I have all the respect for you and other teachers out there on the "front lines" (hmm... going to look for a non-militarized term) working with youth. Such a hard job. I've been hearing about the concern for the quiet ones, boys in particular - I think I heard those kids called "ghost boys" on a podcast about gun violence in schools.
It does feel like there's so little you/we can do without support from home and leaders (elected reps, etc). We need a serious revamping of the system. My heart is heavy for the cycle you go through as a parent and a teacher.
As a teacher of teenagers, I try to look closely at all of my students, especially the “quiet” ones who often get overlooked. We try hard in our district to meet as a team to discuss all students who concern us, but without help from home or tighter laws for the types of guns used in these shootings, it’s a struggle.
When a shooting occurs I go through a cycle of feeling angry and not wanting to teach anymore, realizing that my own kids would still be in the fray, mourning and praying for those poor parents who lost their children, and then numbly putting it behind me only to repeat the cycle with the next dreaded news report.
Why must this be so difficult?
Goodness, I have all the respect for you and other teachers out there on the "front lines" (hmm... going to look for a non-militarized term) working with youth. Such a hard job. I've been hearing about the concern for the quiet ones, boys in particular - I think I heard those kids called "ghost boys" on a podcast about gun violence in schools.
It does feel like there's so little you/we can do without support from home and leaders (elected reps, etc). We need a serious revamping of the system. My heart is heavy for the cycle you go through as a parent and a teacher.