In the Ghetto

An uncle of one of my students, who was just released from prison a few weeks ago, was shot nearby. I don't know the details, but it looks like he was involved in some shady dealings. When he was shot, he was climbing a wall, and he fell, dead, into someone's front yard. That yard belonged to another student of mine, and she was sitting by the window when the body fell into her yard.

I was not taught how to deal with such matters in my education classes. The neice of the killed man is very calm about the whole matter, saying she knows he's an angel, etc. However, I feel like I have some kind of duty as this child's teacher. Unfortunately, I don't know what that duty is.

Tragedy Strikes

I'm tired of the drama of teaching at this kind of school. So far this year: a car accident death, drugs found on students from fourth grade to eighth grade, and, today, news that one of our students was stabbed.

It's frustrating thinking that our students leave to be in that sort of neighborhood and community. And even school isn't a completely safe place.