I wrote this yesterday on my Facebook page with tears in my eyes. Felt the need to share here, too.
For out of town friends, not sure if you saw the news yesterday that a high school sophomore was presumably beaten and killed by classmates in a bathroom just as the school day started. This was a school in Wilmington, a good school, and a school that several of my friends attended who have gone on to be great people doing great things.
As a kid raised by parents who were public school teachers, and as a kid who always tried to thank my teachers for sharing their knowledge with me, I know there was never a time where I thanked an educator for keeping me safe. I just took it for granted.
So many stories have emerged over the last few years, about teachers shielding their students from school shooters, and the like. These educators are putting their lives on the line every day (and without thanks, from people like me) whether we realize it or not.
So, 20-30 some years later, thank you. Thank you for keeping me safe. Maybe I just didn’t realize it at the time, but I realize it now. I’ve become a parent and trust that the new generation of teachers will have the same silent, watchful eyes as they did for me, for my daughter.
This time around, I’ll make sure she thanks them.
