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Teachers on School Shootings: ‘None of Us Are Built for This’

时间:2022-07-14 06:32:48

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Teachers on School Shootings: ‘None of Us Are Built for This’

A recent incident inside a West Virginia high school demonstrated how school shootings have greatly affected1 teachers and students across the United States.

Teacher Jessica Salfia was putting up balloons at the school to celebrate graduating students. When two of the balloons popped, students thought the sound was gunfire. The incident led to panic inside a school hallway between classes.

One student fell to the floor. Two others quickly ran into open classrooms. Salfia shouted, "It's balloons! Balloons!" The teacher apologized to the students, who then realized the noise did not come from gunshots.

The students' reaction shows how the world has changed in recent years, even for teachers and students who have never experienced school shootings.

The incident happened at Spring Mills High School in Martinsburg, West Virginia. It was one day before a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers inside a classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

Salfia has a closer connection to gun threats than most. Her mother, also a West Virginia teacher, had a student pull out a gun in her classroom seven years ago. After talking to the student for two hours, she helped bring the incident to a peaceful end.

For any teacher, the job seems to ask the impossible. Teachers are already expected to be guidance counselors2, social workers, parental3 models and more to their students. Now, they are increasingly being called upon to be protectors of students, too.

Salfia said teachers think about the risks of school shootings every day. "What would happen if one of my students came to school armed that day?" she said. "This is a constant thread of thought."

George Theoharis is a former teacher who has spent the last 18 years training teachers and school officials at Syracuse University. He said teachers are now working harder than ever — even more than last year, "when the pandemic was newer."

"We're sort of left in this moment where we do expect teachers and schools to solve all our problems and do it quickly," Theoharis said.

Schools nationwide have been dealing4 with more student misbehavior and mental health problems since the return to in-person learning. In growing numbers, teens have been turning to gun violence to resolve immediate5 conflicts, researchers say.

In Nashville, Tennessee, three Inglewood Elementary School workers last month had to restrain a man who had jumped a school fence.

The three workers watched in horror less than two weeks later, when the Uvalde shooting happened. "In my head, immediately I thought, ‘That could have been me and my kids,'" said teacher Rachel Davis.

Adding to the anger for some educators was the quick blaming of a teacher for opening a door the attacker used to enter the school in Uvalde. Days later, officials said the teacher had closed the door, but it did not lock.

Salfia says teachers are expected to do a lot for their students.

"You're a first responder. You're a first reporter. If there's an issue in the home, you are sometimes the only chance a kid has at love, at getting food that day, at maybe getting a warm and safe place to be that day. The scope6 of the job is huge right now."

The pandemic added the difficulties of remote learning, classroom cleaning and finding enough temporary teachers to keep schools operating.

There is also a feeling that while school shootings continue to happen, politicians cannot come together to do anything about them.

In August 2015, the high school year had just started for Salfia's mother, teacher Twila Smith. A first-year freshman7 entered Smith's world studies class at Philip Barbour High School and took out a gun.

For about 45 minutes, Smith said, no one outside the room knew the class was in serious danger. She drew the student's attention away from others and tried to keep him talking while she walked around the room with him. Eventually, police persuaded the boy to let everyone go and the gun was not fired.

Smith said, "I had 29 freshmen8 sitting there looking at me, and I would have to say that they were the heroes."

When asked what she tells others hoping to go into teaching, Salfia repeats another teacher's description of what today's teachers are facing: "None of us are built for this."

"This is the only job I can imagine doing," Salfia added. "But it is also the hardest job I can imagine doing."

Words in This Story

balloon — n. a thin usually rubber bag that becomes larger when it is filled with air or gas

constant — adj. happening all the time or very often over a period of time

first responder — n. a person (such as a police officer or an EMT) who is among those responsible for going immediately to the scene of an accident or emergency to provide assistance

scope — n. the area that is included in or dealt with by something

remote — adj. connected to a computer system from another place


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 affected TzUzg0     
adj.不自然的,假装的
参考例句:
  • She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
  • His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
2 counselors f6ff4c2b4bd3716024922a76236b3c79     
n.顾问( counselor的名词复数 );律师;(使馆等的)参赞;(协助学生解决问题的)指导老师
参考例句:
  • Counselors began an inquiry into industrial needs. 顾问们开始调查工业方面的需要。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • We have experienced counselors available day and night. ) 这里有经验的法律顾问全天候值班。) 来自超越目标英语 第4册
3 parental FL2xv     
adj.父母的;父的;母的
参考例句:
  • He encourages parental involvement in the running of school.他鼓励学生家长参与学校的管理。
  • Children always revolt against parental disciplines.孩子们总是反抗父母的管束。
4 dealing NvjzWP     
n.经商方法,待人态度
参考例句:
  • This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
  • His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。
5 immediate aapxh     
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
参考例句:
  • His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
  • We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
6 scope 1ZTxa     
n.(处理、研究事物的)范围,余地,机会
参考例句:
  • There is limited scope for creativity in my job.我的工作中发挥创造力的空间有限。
  • There is little scope for initiative in this job.这工作几乎没有发挥主动性的余地。
7 freshman 1siz9r     
n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女)
参考例句:
  • Jack decided to live in during his freshman year at college.杰克决定大一时住校。
  • He is a freshman in the show business.他在演艺界是一名新手。
8 freshmen bcdb5f5d859647798b83af425baa69ee     
n.(中学或大学的)一年级学生( freshman的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • We are freshmen and they are sophomores. 我们是一年级学生,他们是二年级学生。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • University freshmen get lots of razzing, but they like the initiation. 大一新生受各种嘲弄,但是他们对这种入门经验甘之如饴。 来自辞典例句

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