Hitting Home

As I've had more time now to sit and watch and read of the horrific events that took place in the small Connecticut town, I weep.  As an elementary teacher, it hit home, hard.  Every year we practice drills at our school.  To be honest, it sometimes seems as if it is just quick, let's take five minutes and mark off that we practiced.  When I go to my room tomorrow, you better believe I'll be pulling out my flip chart and looking at it alittle more careful to know what exactly the procedure is.  This year, our district changed the procedure though to an intruder lockdown.  Fight or Run or something like that it is called.  It is now MY choice what I do with my precious students.  Do we stay in the room or would it be safer to run out and get the heck out of the situation.  I can't even fathom having to make that decision, especially if it were in situation like Friday.
My heart is saddened for the families of these beautiful babies and adults that were killed.  I watched a clip on CNN of a 30 year old dad whose 6 year old blonde hair beautiful girl was one of the students killed.  He wept.  He spoke of her and how she made sure everyone around her was happy.  She would carry her markers and crayons around and make cards if someone was feeling sad.  I have 22 just like her.  Although this is going to be a stressful week and students throughout the school are a little more energetic then normal, I'm just going to love on them.  The stories of the couple of teachers who lock their kids in the closet and protected them, breaks my heart.  No teacher signs up to be a defense person like that to children.  I pray that I never have to face a situation like this, please join me in praying for all schools across this nation, that this never has to happen again!