A Teacher's Worst Nightmare

I don't have any children of my own, but every school year I inherit 100 new students who soon become like an extension of my family. While we might not be biologically related, they are my children. Every day for an entire year, I teach them, care for them, discipline them, console them, help them with their problems and celebrate their successes. Sometimes they irritate me or make me upset, but I always love them as my own. And at the end of the school year when they leave me for the 7th grade, they take a part of me with them and they leave a little piece of themselves with me. Even years after they leave my classroom, each one of them is still an important part of my life. They never stop being "my kids". 

Just like any parent out there, I do whatever I can to protect my kids. I worry about them constantly. I worry about their grades, their home life, their safety and their general well being. So when something bad happens to one of my students, I take it personally and straight to heart. I worry about my students when they leave me every afternoon because I know what they are going home to. Rough neighborhoods, full of scary grown-up experiences that no child should be exposed to at this age. I pray for my students and their safety every day. 

Today, I return to work for our first pre-planning day of the school year. However, my colleagues and I return to school today with heavy hearts.  

In the early morning hours on Saturday, one of my former students suffered life-threatening injuries due to a drive by shooting. Megan was in my class two years ago and is going into the 8th grade at my school this year. She was at a friend's house when the shooting occurred. Dozens of shots were fired through the side of the mobile home while the two girls sat in the living room. Megan's friend was killed instantly. This young lady would have been entering the 6th grade next week at my school, which means that she could have possibly been in my class this year.

The police believe that the shooting is drug related, but has nothing to do with Megan or her friend. They were simply innocent bystanders. I absolutely hate that this is the kind of world we live in now. A young girl is dead and another fighting for her life because of drugs and violence. It breaks my heart. 

You can read about the incident here: 1 teenage girl dead, 2nd critical after overnight drive-by shooting.

Please pray for my student Megan and for both of the families involved in this tragedy.