From the Desk of The Hall Monitor

In my Opinion: Assessing the firearm pandemic in American culture.

I’m a daily substitute teacher in Illinois and I took the role of a middle school hall monitor today.

As I was walking the halls, it got me thinking about the reality of being in any role in a school in 2023.

I’m happy to help and be in the school district accommodating & supporting staff and students.

Still, I’m feeling heavy after hearing news across America of mass school shootings and realizing that it’s students and teachers who are at the frontlines of violence in American culture.

Noticing the downfall of our education systems leading to detrimental effects in our society I can’t help but think it starts with the collective care of our kids.

Students need a lot more support than teachers alone can provide.

They need to be seen and heard. As a society we need to be providing opportunity for students to feel belonging, through community, mentorship, and access to mental health resources.

When big emotions, no matter where they stem from (home life, learning difficulties, effects of bullying, etc), are simply treated as behavioral issues, we miss the point.