Something needs to be done about violence! After the shooting in the Jonesboro, Ark., Middle School and the shootings in Paducah, Ky., I am not so sure schools are such safe places anymore. Sure, one can say, Well, that is not here. Wrong. It is in our area also students threatening to kill or hurt teachers. What is up with this? I graduated from high school four years ago, and this didn’t seem to be much of a problem back then.

As an early childhood education student, I wonder if teaching is a safe occupation anymore. It honestly scares me to think that this can happen. I know I will only be teaching children up to the age of 8, but if children 11 and 13 years old are committing such acts then you never know what is going to happen next. I love children, and it is so hard for me to imagine that children in middle school can carry out an act like this.

I feel so bad for the parents and families of the victims. I could not imagine going through the pain and hurt that they are going through now. My grandmother and I were talking about these incidents and this is what she told me, These foolish acts could have been prevented. If schools would not have done away with disciplining the children, we wouldn’t have this problem today. My grandmother was talking about spanking the child in school things that were done when her children were younger. At first, I disagreed with this, but the more I think about it the more true it seems.

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Seriously, what are we as teachers, parents, and members of the community going to do about this problem? We need to do something before it is too late for our community!

Senior, early childhood education