Today’s lesson plan: Teachers deserve respect

On May 24, another horrific shooting occurred in a school in our country. Babies’ lives were needlessly and brutally cut short. Two brave teachers also lost their lives while selflessly trying to save the lives of their students.

Yet, below the Miami Herald’s May 25 frontpage headline, “Another unbearable toll,” these two brave women were referred as “others.”

I have been an elementary-school teacher for 19 years. It was the only career that I dreamed of having.

There was no class in college on how to physically ward off an armed intruder entering a classroom. Nor a class to prepare me for saying goodbye to my family in case, on that day, I would be sacrificing my life to try to save my students from a madman with a gun.

This cherished profession (at one time respect- ed), now has an asterisk — be prepared to die for your students as an “other.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, we were heroes for transitioning overnight from in-class teachers to Zoom teachers. Then, in the fall of 2020, we had to navigate “synchronous” teaching, with some students physically in the classroom, and many at home with parents by their sides.

Judged inefficient and ineffective, we no longer are heroes of academics. Yet, we are expected to risk our lives to protect the students in our classrooms.

We deserve to be recog- nized for who and what we do every single day. Parents entrust their chil- dren’s education to our loving, nurturing care.

Now, unfortunately, we must protect the children from violence and harm and return them safely home at the end of the day.

We are not “others;” we are dedicated professionals. Please show us the respect we deserve.