It just sickens me that this happened. In an elementary school. 20 young children don't get the right to live out their life because of this sicko. 6 adults as well. You send your children to school to get an education and think they'll be safe. School used to be a safe zone. You can always say "Maybe things would have been different if..." but that is not going to change the fact it happened.
I cannot imagine what the students and faculty at that school are going through. The pictures of the children being escorted out of the school with their hands on the person's shoulder in front of them to safety at the firehouse are just heart-wrenching. I don't see anyone returning to that school this year. If I worked there, I don't know how I would be able to. What if you were that teacher that witnessed what happened to these children? It is something I would never get over it.
One of the articles I read that said this teacher, Victoria Soto, locked her kids in cabinets and closets. When the gunman came in, she said they were in the gym and he shot her....they survived because their teacher took a bullet for them. Would you have if you were in that situation? I know as a teacher I would do everything my power to make sure the kids are safe as well as myself. But if it came down to it, I'd try to make sure the kids are protected first. It's almost a Hippocratic oath you "take" when you become a teacher regardless if they are in kindergarten OR high school. You want to protect your "kids" aka your students.
Oddly enough, the school that I work in had a lockdown drill to practice what to do if a situation such as the one in Newton, CT were to happen in our district the same day the shooting happened. We had a presentation at our faculty meeting last month, and were reminded at our one this week that it was going to happen before break. it's amazing how your instincts kick in whether it's a drill or a real situation.
People throw teachers under the bus all the time, claiming we have it easy and summers off. This 27 year old died to protect her 16 students. The principal of the school died trying to take the gunman down. 6 teachers died that day. If this doesn't say that teachers would do anything to protect their students, I don't know what does.
My heart aches for these families and the grief they are deal with at this time...especially right before the holidays. Keep these little ones that had their lives cut short and everyone in Newton, CT in your prayers.
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