Student Teaching Experience Week 7

The week of September 30th-October 4th at CBHS was one that I anticipated to be upbeat, fun, and full of school spirit as this week was supposed to be Homecoming.  My heart was broken on Tuesday morning when I woke up to a message letting me know that one of my students was tragically killed in a one-vehicle car accident.  She was a bright, beautiful girl.  She was a state track champion, cheerleader, 4-H member, and she played on the volleyball team.  She had a smile that could light up the room and a super contagious laugh.  She was a true leader in this school.  When I received that message my stomach immediately turned, and that feeling lasted all week.  This week at school was nothing like what I anticipated it to be.

When I got to the school on Tuesday, October 1st, the students were extremely quiet and blank stares filled the commons area.  There were so many tears.  The teachers had a meeting in the library before school started, and every single one of the teachers and student teachers were crying.  This young girl had touched the lives of so many, and the fact that she died at the age of 16 tore every one in the school apart.  The principal was an amazing leader through it all.  He told us what happened and said, "I don't care if you don't do one educational thing today.  You need to be here for these kids."  This school is extremely small--436 kids total from 6th-12th grade, and they have all gone to school together since Kindergarten.  They are constantly around each other in and out of school, and they are an amazing network of support for each other.  So many of the kids felt the loss as if it were their own sister, and it has been amazing to see them reach out to each other with support, love, and tissues as they mourn the loss of their friend.  

On Tuesday, most of my 11th graders were not in class.  They were allowed to walk around and talk to the counselors, and many of them left with their parents for home.  

I remember reading an article in my Education 400 class about how the school serves as not only an institution to explore content, but it is also a social and moral institution.  We, as teachers, have a duty to provide all students the proper experiences educationally, socially, morally, and intellectually.  My mind went back to this article on October 1st as I watched the amazing network of students reaching out to their peers.  And there I was at the front of the classroom.  I had to be a rock.  I had to guide these students and let them know it is okay to grieve, to be sad, be mad, be upset.

Through this tragedy I did notice one thing: my love for this school has grown so tremendously over the past two years. Why is it that I realized it this week?  My heart was so broken, my stomach so upset, and my tears continual when I received the news of this young girl's accident.  Yet through all those feelings my heart was so touched to see these students and the community rally around the family of this girl; everyone was quick to hug, to share stories, offer tissues, give students time to take a quick walk down the hall if they felt the tears welling.  The love instilled in the community surrounding Clay-Battelle is unreal.  It's amazing.  

This young girl will forever be in the hearts of her peers, her teachers, and me.