paris

I wrote about my feelings on the Paris terrorist attacks--odd phrasing. Feelings toward terrorist attacks are always awful. There's nothing unique about feeling pain & anger. But this struck unexpectedly close to my heart, as my former students were directly affected. I wonder if any teacher these days will escape this concern for their students--whether the attack happens in the classroom (a fear that lingers at the periphery each time my husband heads to work) or while we each go about our lives. I wonder, too, who we can use our position as compassionate authority figures to help them through this time--encouraging them to talk to a counselor & urging them to resist generalizations about people based on radicals that cause tragedy. How do I walk back into my American classroom on Tuesday and do each of my students--past & present--justice?