The world lost someone precious today. Not a movie star or well-known personality. To her students, she was Queen of their school year. She was their teacher. Her name was Eva. As I’ve said before, a lot is said through a person’s eyes. Here, I see kindness, compassion, and confidence. Yesterday, Eva showed something else. Ferocity. No, I was not there. But, Eva was a teacher. Teachers are fierce people when anything threatens their students. We’re just wired like that.
Yesterday, Eva and 19 of her students were stolen from this earth.
The news said Eva had been teaching for 17 years. She was in her prime. I remember my own classroom and the students that taught me so much over the years. On 9/11/2001, we comforted each other in Room 20. On so many regular days, we became heroes to each other. For one year out of their lives, they had an additional family member. Mrs. Hurt. As for me, I have hundreds of “extra” children that will be 3rd graders in my heart for the rest of my life, their memories frozen in games of jump rope or animal reports handwritten in the sweetest cursive.
To be a teacher is one of the most beautiful professions a person can choose. Over the years, you become identifiable as a teacher because, face it, sensible shoes are comfortable. Clothes that hide stains while being easy to move in are the way to go. Hair styles aren’t important because there are too many papers to grade and activities to plan. Tired eyes happen after nights sleep doesn’t come while trying to decide the best approach to a classroom problem. There are confidences to keep and accomplishments to cheer. But above all, there are children to protect. My last class was made of 27 5th graders, 9 going on 10, just like Eva’s kids.
Happy. Smelly. Intense. Sleepy. Funny. Inspirational. Bored. Confused. Hormonal. Tussled. Hopeful. Growing. Inquisitive. Pure. Purposeful. Open to new ideas. Thinking. Analytical. Life long learners. English-Second-Language. Entitled. Poor. Sniff-ly. Athletic. Clumsy. Kind. Respectful. Bundles of love.
All those adjectives described the 27 reasons I went to work every day at the crack of dawn.
Every day of my career, I told my students I loved them. Once in the morning, and once before they walked out the door. Guess what? They told me they loved me, too. Because, without love and respect between a student and teacher, something very special gets lost. I put on band aids and dried tears. I knew when they weren’t feeling well before they did, and the same care and affection was given to me. We shared important stuff like a special birthday song and homemade cupcakes brought by proud moms. They knew “the look”, and all secretly accepted the fact that teachers DO have eyes in the back of their heads.
Teachers – a special group of people that are on the front lines everyday. Students – a special group of people coming together to learn. Together – MAGIC.
No, I wasn’t there.
But. I know.
Eva died protecting her students.
The world lost something very, very special yesterday. A teacher and her students finishing a year they would never forget, while being ready to begin a summer ripe with possibilities. They will remain elementary students and their teacher in our hearts forever. Please send prayers to Uvalde.
Needing to regroup, I’ll be back on Monday.