I glance down at my Apple Watch mid-lesson and see a headline that jolts my focus: “Four dead in shooting at Georgia high school, 14-year-old suspect in custody.” The notification from ABC News arrives as I’m teaching my ninth-grade class how to draw inferences from Roald Dahl’s Lamb to the Slaughter. My students are engrossed in the story of Mary Maloney, the seemingly calm housewife who meticulously covers up her crime. Yet, my mind drifts, unable to fully concentrate. While we analyze how Mary gets away with murder, I can’t help but think about another school where classes have been abruptly canceled due to tragedy—this time in Georgia.
After class, I sit at my desk and survey my room. Mentally, I map out potential safety spots, rehearsing different scenarios for a lockdown. What would I do if a shooting happened during lunch? Or between class periods? My thoughts flip between practical safety plans and quiet prayers of relief: thank God it wasn’t us. I know I’m not alone. Across the country, teachers, administrators, and parents are likely echoing the same sentiment: thank goodness it wasn’t my classroom, my students, my child.
Despite the familiar outcry for gun control and stricter safety measures, the urgency fades in the quiet period after a shooting. No significant changes follow the national mourning. Every time the headline repeats itself, my anxiety as a teacher intensifies. It’s personal. It’s frustrating. Amid the helplessness, I ask myself: what can I do to help my students and colleagues process this collective trauma? What can we, as a school community, do to navigate these repeated tragedies?
When I learn that the shooter is only 14 years old, my first thought is the pressing need for regular emotional check-ins for both students and staff. Research clearly supports the benefits of social and emotional learning (SEL); it’s proven that students’ perceptions of safety and inclusion significantly improve when such support is prioritized.
The age of the shooter in Georgia underscores the urgency. Schools must intentionally focus on mental health as a proactive measure to identify those who may be struggling. Were there warning signs? Could this have been prevented? Balancing this is difficult. Schools must avoid overstepping in labeling potentially violent individuals while also teaching emotional intelligence to help students cope with stress. Incorporating SEL into school curriculums won’t eliminate all risks, but it is a proactive, researched step toward creating safer environments.
Teachers and school staff also need proper professional development in handling trauma. What do we do when we see signs of stress or distress? Today’s students face emotional burdens more frequently than previous generations, and teachers often feel unprepared to respond. Schools need structured systems for responding to these signs, for both students and colleagues. Just as safety drills are mandatory, trauma-response systems should be, too, along with appropriate annual training.
Another growing issue in my classroom is the role of cyberbullying and social media in exacerbating students’ mental health challenges. Technology has made it more difficult to keep students focused, and more importantly, to keep them safe. How has living in a virtual world affected their ability to navigate real-life interactions? While violence in schools existed long before smartphones and social media, it’s hard not to see a connection between the rise of digital interaction and an increase in school-related violence.
As we cope emotionally with the aftermath of the Georgia shooting, the larger systemic issue becomes glaringly clear. Another community, Apalachee, Georgia, has been added to the growing list of places grappling with the consequences of government inaction. Schools across the country will now review their safety procedures, trying to fortify themselves against the possibility of becoming the next headline.
Ensuring that students and faculty return home safely from school shouldn’t be a political issue—it’s a basic expectation. Yet the burden of this responsibility falls heavily on teachers like me and my colleagues, who must devise creative ways to protect ourselves. The weight of this pressure should not be on us; it should be on our elected officials. While we wait for legislative action, we continue to map out escape routes, check our security measures, and hope, fervently, that we won’t become the next Lamb to the Slaughter.
