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Something struck me in this moment. Standing outside STEM School Highlands Ranch - these students were waiting for buses to pick them up and take them to a rec center where they’d be reunited with their families after the #STEMShooting. I started watching the teachers. 
Some of them were holding binders that said “STEM School Emergency Plan”. They’ve practiced this before. They’ve reviewed the manuals. They’ve probably thought about this moment and prayed it would never happen to them.
But it did. Two shooters entered their school. They were locked down. They were probably terrified in that moment. But they remained calm. The police helped them evacuate. They watched as their young students walked out of the school with their hands up.
I couldn’t get over the level of calm in this group of 150 or so kids waiting for buses. I imagine the emergency plan doesn’t teach you how to make kids comfortable in chaos. That’s not something you learn in your masters program. That’s a natural skill and they each had it.
Teaching is so much more than books and lesson plans. Teachers work well past the ends of their work days. They spend their own money on their classrooms to make up for the shriking funds in their districts. They put their hearts and souls into their work.
And, as of late, they prepare for days like today. They fear days like today. They protect on days like today. They comfort on days like today. For that, I’m eternally grateful. It’s teacher appreciation week. I hope we appreciate them all year.
