Nine years ago, twenty students and six adults were killed in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. For many of us, it changed the way we view our jobs, our well-being, and our students’ safety forever. Below we’ve gathered just a few of the Tweets that describe how teaching has changed since that horrible day.
If this is a hard day for you, you are not alone. You are in our hearts, along with the families and friends of the victims. The following Tweets touch on violence and the events that occurred, so please keep that in mind before reading.
“Teaching was never the same”
8 years ago. A day I’ll never forget. It really shook me. Teaching was never the same. Cried in church 10 days later at Christmas Eve service thinking about those families. Never forget #SandyHook
— Mr./Coach Carroll (@MJCarroll302) December 15, 2020
“‘Intruder’ drills are the worst days of each school year for me.”
cw guns , violence in schools
Nine years ago was the #SandyHook tragedy, and it was also my first year teaching in an elementary school. “Intruder” drills are the worst days of each school year for me. Kindergarteners sometimes cry even when adults are calm. I hate it all.
— an okay pianist. 🎹💜 (@okpianist) December 14, 2021
“I had a kid threaten to bring a gun to school because I told him to take his headphones out.”
I started teaching right after #SandyHook and within a month had a kid threaten to bring a gun to school to b/c I told him to take his headphones out. 9 years later and we’re still here, with the same problem, but more dead students and teachers. #WeCanDoBetter
— Mrs H, B.A. Anthropology, M.A. History (@notoriousmrsh) December 14, 2021
“I was more worried about my students’ safety than their academic success.”
#SandyHook touched my heart in a way I had never felt before. For the last 7 years of my teaching career I was more worried about my students’ safety than their academic success. 💔
— Kim Lehnus (@KLehnus) December 14, 2020
“I don’t want to lose my future students. I don’t want to lose my future coworkers.”
I don’t want to lose my future students. I don’t want to lose my future coworkers. I want my classroom to be a place where students feel safe. It has been 8 years since #SandyHook and we still have so much work to do to #EndGunViolence https://t.co/lULiAdpU6J
— Emily Brace (@enbrace02) December 14, 2020
“Fearing the worst has been a part of my career since before it began.”
6 years ago I got the news of my first student teaching placement. 2 hours later, I heard about #SandyHook. Active shooter drills, preparing small children for gunman, and fearing the worst have been a part of my teaching career since it began.
— Monique (@LivAnotherDay) December 14, 2018
“I never let my phone get down below 80%.”
A student in America says “I never let my phone battery drop below 80% in case I have to call my mom to say good-bye,” #SandyHook
— Michael Cowtan Climate Action CK 🌐 (@MichaelCowtan) December 14, 2018
“Is it going to happen here?”
Conversation with one of my 850 students:
Are you scared too? Yes, honey, sometimes. Is it going to happen here?! I doubt it, but we’re as prepared as we can be, right? Right. We’ll stick together no matter what, okay? Okay.#elementaryprincipal #sandyhook #thisISmylane— Deidre Patrice (@STEMCoreLLC) November 13, 2018
“It is my unspoken responsibility to be prepared to pay the ultimate price.”
In this world, its my unspoken responsibility to be prepared to pay the ultimate price to keep my students safe. #SandyHook #EndGunViolence
— Jill Barry (@barryjrose8) December 14, 2015
“Sandy Hook forever changed me as an educator.”
Columbine changed me as a middle school student. I’ll never forget calling my parents from the school pay phone to check in.#SandyHook forever changed me as an educator. I have a heavy heart today thinking of these educators and babies. pic.twitter.com/c5TImgjgFL
— Melissa Tackett (@MrsTackett224) December 14, 2020