Tomorrow morning...

Tomorrow morning around the United States, children will go to school.  Tomorrow morning, teachers and staff will go to work.       
 It will NOT, however,  be just any Monday.               
 Tomorrow, parents will cling a little longer, hug a little harder, give many more kisses.   I work in an elementary school and I know it will be different.  I know my fellow staff will survey their classrooms and the building a little differently. We will look at each child in a different light.  We will look at each other  differently.  It's because we all know that no matter how many crisis plans we have in place,  it could happen to us.  No matter how many drills we practice, no one is ever prepared. But I also know that no matter what, my fellow staff would do whatever it takes to protect our "babies".  That's the unwritten part of what we sign on to do.  It's not in our contracts, but each child in our building we covet as a gift to help nurture and keep safe.  That is what every staff member attempted Friday in Connecticut. My heart hurts for the great loss, as an educator and a parent.   It is heart wrenching  to think of those innocents  who were lost, because they should still be here.  And  I can't help thinking, It could have been any school.  It could've been us.  

How do we take this tragedy and learn from it?  
What can we do to stop it from happening again?