No educator anticipated becoming a human shield.
Teaching is filled with numerous challenges and sacrifices. Low salaries, minimal recognition, national scrutiny, and unpaid overtime are just a few of the struggles we face. Yet, for many of us, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. We witness firsthand the impact of our efforts. We assist students in their personal growth and academic pursuits. We build relationships and earn the trust of parents to nurture, shape, and educate their children, striving to do so to the best of our abilities. The sacrifices associated with our profession are well-known and accepted in the pursuit of meaningful work.
However, today’s educators are being asked to make sacrifices that were never part of the deal.
Some professions involve a conscious choice to risk one’s life for others. Our military personnel and first responders deserve our utmost respect for shouldering the weight of this responsibility, knowing each day could demand the ultimate sacrifice. They receive training to prepare for such outcomes, making the risks inherent in their chosen fields.
I am not trained for combat. I have never faced live fire and lack the skills to effectively engage an active shooter to minimize harm.
My expertise lies in teaching history, where I guide students to understand the significance of the past. I teach economics, helping them grasp market dynamics. I instruct on government, having pursued a degree to comprehend our political system.
I deeply respect those who have chosen military or law enforcement careers; it was not a path I felt suited for me. I briefly contemplated such a route but struggled with the notion of taking another’s life. Instead, I opted for education.
I was prepared to make sacrifices to become a teacher, but the thought of having to risk my life as part of my job never crossed my mind.
Yet, this is the grim reality for many educators today. Conversations with my students reveal their expectation that we, their teachers, will protect them from potential violence. Some educators have indeed made this sacrifice. If faced with such a situation, I believe I would, too. Our students are like our own children. Parents entrust us with their care and education, and I hope my children’s teachers would do the same for them.
However, I wouldn’t blame them if they chose not to.
They didn’t sign up to become human shields. Teaching was never meant to include the possibility of sacrificing one’s life.
Yet, here we are, in a nation where our schools—once sanctuaries for children—have been tarnished.
Few teachers have not contemplated where an attack might originate or how they would respond. Discussions about “what would we do?” have taken place in nearly every classroom.
We debate causes, send our prayers, grieve, protest, and become outraged, yet ultimately, we do nothing.
Meanwhile, children are losing their lives.
I don’t want your guns.
But I also don’t want to be a human shield.
Would I give my life for my students? I believe I would. But then, my own children would grow up without a father—just like the families of too many teachers affected by these tragedies.
More guns are not the solution. Arming educators will not solve the problem. More firearms lead to more bullets, more shootings, and an increased risk of death and destruction.
Perhaps this is a mental health crisis. Maybe it ties to issues of race or reflects a troubling aspect of toxic masculinity. But, fundamentally, it is a gun issue.
Fewer guns equate to fewer school shootings. It’s simple arithmetic.
The specific causes can be debated later. We can take steps now to prevent these tragedies from occurring. We do not need to pinpoint a singular cause before we act.
An individual determined to cause harm might find alternative means if firearms become difficult to access, but let’s at least make it harder for those intent on hurting our youth. We can address future issues as they arise.
This matter is urgent and demands our attention.
Keep your hunting rifles and handguns, but I don’t want them. Uphold the 2nd Amendment. But let’s make it more difficult to obtain firearms. If you are responsible, you shouldn’t mind. You’ll still retain your rights, and perhaps, just perhaps, I won’t be compelled to take a bullet for your child.
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Summary:
This article discusses the unexpected dangers faced by educators in today’s society, highlighting the growing expectation for teachers to protect their students from violence. It reflects on the sacrifices made by teachers and advocates for changes in gun laws to ensure schools remain safe sanctuaries for children.