In the last decade, school violence has become a major issue faced by not only students but by parents as well. Both students and parents face the same concern of how common school violence, such as school shootings, have been in the previous years. In the article “A majority of U.S. teens fear a shooting could happen at their school, and most parents share their concern” students and parents speak out about their shared fear of a school shooting occurring at their school. The aftermath of recent school shootings, such as Parkland and Sandy Hook, has raised concern for the safety of students. A quote in this article that really stood out to me was the statement that “Overall, 57% of teens say they are worried about the possibility of a shooting happening at their school, with one-in-four saying they are very worried.” This specific quote stood out to me because I know I am part of the percentage that would say they are afraid of a possible shooting occurring at their high school. In 2018, the same year that the Parkland school shooting occurred, I was still in high school. While still being in high school I remember having constant anxiety about “what would happen if MY school was shot up.” I also remember teachers talking about their concern about a school shooting happening too.
The role of teachers and professors are truly underappreciated. Teachers are not only responsible for the education of their students but their safety as well. With every school shooting that took place, there is always a story about a hero teacher that faced their life to help their students. While being in my junior year of high school the same year the Parkland school shooting happened I was faced with an important question. Did I still want to pursue my dream of becoming a teacher with the constant risk of my life in danger? Or choose a completely new career path. I eventually choose to stick with my career path as a teacher and pledge every day that once I become a teacher my students are my first and biggest priority.
It was painful watching the film Bowling for Columbine and seeing the students cry for help. These students just want gun control to help reduce the possibility of future school shootings. While these students pray for better gun control in their state of Colorado those in charge completely ignore their wishes and do the exact opposite. Days after the shooting in Columbine the state had a Gun show. This event shows exactly how much the government truly cares about the safety of American students. Thankfully as years went on more students became aware of the problem being faced by American students and started to stand up for themselves. Especially after the Parkland shooting in 2018 the rally for “March for our Lives” showed how students and teachers alike are ready and waiting for a major change to take place to ensure the safety of future generations of students in America
Pew Research Center. 18 Apr. 2018, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/04/18/
a-majority-of-u-s-teens-fear-a-shooting-could-happen-at-their-school-and-most-parents-share-their-concern/.
Hi Olivia! While reading your blog post, I related to a lot that you mentioned, especially in the first two paragraphs. I, too was in high school when the Parkland school shooting occurred, and I had the same thoughts and asked myself-"What if we are next?". Being a teacher, it is so important that our students' safety is placed on the highest pedestal. It is terrifying to think that we live in a world where a potential school shooting could occur. There sadly seems to be more preparation for these students in schools than there is prevention against school shootings. Moreover, In regards to the Bowling for Columbine film, I was absolutely astonished to see that there was a gun show immediately after student's lives were taken in a school shooting. It was a heartless act and showed, as you said, the lack of empathy the government had toward those students whose lives have been lost. There needs to be restrictions and guidelines to save our students' futures and prevent them from getting in harm's way.
ReplyDelete-Jamie Rash-Flynn
Hi Olivia! Your blog post was very well written, and I agree with everything that you shared and discussed. When I was in middle school and high school, I was somewhat concerned about the possibility of a school shooting. When the Sandy Hook shooting took place, I was in middle school and it was a very scary time for everyone especially because Sandy Hook is only about thirty minutes from my hometown and some of my classmates knew families that live in that district. Just like you, I was in high school during the Parkland school shooting and that also raised my concerns because a shooting can happen in any school anywhere. When viewing the film Bowling for Columbine, it was very upsetting to see what the students, their families, the school, and the community had gone through. I could not believe that the state held a gun show just a few days after the shooting. The states actions show a complete disregard for how it may hurt the individuals in the community. This module could relate to two other modules that we have learned about: the bullying module and the mental health module. The number of students that are victims of bullying and students that suffer from mental health issues is extremely high. I think that a lot of school shooters were probably victims of bullying or had mental health issues, but they never received successful help or treatment. In order to stop such horrible tragedies from occurring, educators must do their best to watch out for any signs of bullying or mental health issues and they also should foster a safe and comfortable classroom environment. Schools as a whole need to have increased security and do everything they can to protect their students. I found it very interesting to hear that you questioned if you want to be a teacher because of school shootings, I believe all future teachers consider that risk. I have always wanted to pursue a teaching career and I will not let my fear of school shootings affect that. As a future educator, I vow to protect my students in every way possible. You did a great job with your post, I enjoyed hearing how you felt about this topic!
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