Heroes

I am sitting here in front of a blank computer screen attempting to write curriculum, to focus on the Common Core, to be mindful of my looooooming deadlines.  But then…

My mind drifts back to the recent tragic events at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT.  As a mommy, a teacher and a CT-girl, I just cannot wrap my head around what took place on Friday.  And yet, I can’t think about anything else.

Although I am horrified and write this with tears streaming down my face, I have never been more convinced than I am right now that teachers are heroes.  We are heroes.  Those men and women working at Sandy Hook Elementary were and are heroes.  I joke about Super Colleagues zipping through the hallways with capes on their backs as they go about changing the lives of the children they touch each and every day, but these people, Vicky Soto, they are truly heroes.  With or without the cape.

If I struggle to process what has happened, I am not sure how those most closely involved can even begin.  I have read that when Fred Rogers was a boy and would see scary things on the news, his mother would say to him, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

So for today, I am going to focus on the helpers and the heroes.

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3 Comments
  • Amen, and wonderfully said. It's not even comprehensible, yet it's constantly in the back of my mind. Anyone who bashes teachers needs to hear about Vicky Soto.

    December 16, 2012 at 5:17 pm
  • When I was thinking about this over the weekend, I thought about your blog/book and how you consistently refer to teachers as heroes. They certainly were shown publicly to be that on Friday in Newtown, but I know that so many are that every day. I didn't want to post anything too related on my FB to cheapen what went on, but I did post a picture of my friend making a big sign that says, "Hug a teacher today."

    God bless you and other teachers to whom we entrust "our hearts outside our bodies".
    ChrisinNY

    December 31, 2012 at 9:38 pm
  • I am also a fellow Connecticut girl now teaching in Florida. Although, I wasn't directly affected by The Sandy Hook tragedy it made me start thinking about many topics, such as: mental health, gun-control, school security, and bullying. I began reading in the news about how the teachers sacrificed their lives to shield (literally in some cases) the children from the violence. I like how your post connected the importance of looking for helpers and heroes because as you said they are always present. I have created a blog about my teaching experiences as well. I would love for you to check it out and let me know what you think. treading-water.com Best Wishes!

    October 8, 2013 at 3:15 am

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