Recently I have been thinking a lot about the power and responsibility teachers have. This week we saw the awesome power a teacher can have in extraordinary circumstances. On Monday afternoon when the tornado touched down in Oklahoma, two elementary schools were in the direct path. Both schools were completely destroyed. Sadly in one school seven students died but I have no doubt that it would have been more without the actions of the teachers. It is also amazing that no students died in the second school. I have been so moved by the actions of these teachers.
I have been watching the news reports and hearing story after story about teachers who protected their students. Teachers physically protected their students by shielding them with their own bodies. Some of these teachers were injured while the students lying underneath them were unharmed. They did not just use their physical abilities to protect their students; they also used their skills as teachers. They tried to remain outwardly calm even though they were terrified inside. Teachers told their students that they loved them and that they were all going to be ok. A teacher being interviewed talked about going into “teacher mode”. One teacher tells the story about how she hid with her students and told them that they were playing a game. She didn’t want them to hear the storm and be afraid so she told them to sing and play as loudly as they could. It is amazing to think of the power a teacher has. In moments of terror students looks to their teachers to gage the situation. They look to them for support and guidance. If the teacher is able to convey that they feel confident and in control, the students will believe that is true.
On CNN a teacher was quoted as saying “We did our best to take care of them and make them feel loved and secure. People talked about us being brave, but it’s just our job. We love these kids like they’re our own.” What she said was true. They were doing their job, but they are also heroes. It amazes me how people will put their own needs aside to protect someone else. I find this inspiring and very humbling because I am going to take on this same role in my life.
Now that I am planning to be a teacher this all hits very close to home. I hear the teacher’s stories and I picture myself in their shoes. This also hits close to home now that I am a parent. I watched the video of a mother being reunited with her son. She hugged her son and sobbed, then hugged her son’s teacher and thanked her for protecting him. I picture myself on both sides of this situation. I can imagine what it would feel like to be that mother. I would be so grateful to the teacher who took care of my baby. I also imagined as a teacher what it would feel like to know that you were carrying for someone’s most precious loved ones. To know that you saved the lives of your students would be an amazing feeling.
Everyone knows that police officers and fire fighters risk their lives to save others. These men and women know they are taking on this risk and responsibility when they enter the profession. Though events like the tornado happen on very rare occasion, I believe that teachers fall into the same category as those other heroes. They may not have to face danger on a regular basis, but when they do they are willing to risk their own lives to save those of their students.
The Teacher-To-Be 