Mass Murder: An Answer to a CTE Teacher’s Dilemma

On the morning of May 25, I got a call from my friend Karen, a graphics art teacher at a local Career and Technology Center (CTC). “How do I go into school today and tell my students they are safe and everything is okay, when they may not be and it definitely isn’t? How do I get up and go through my Wednesday routine as if nothing has happened, when in fact my heart is breaking?”  

Most of us have not been directly affected by the tragedy of a mass shooting, and yet daily (and sometimes even hourly) we struggle to figure out what to do. Are we sad? Angry? Or just exhausted from the tragedies that strike all around us every day? Political vitriol, war in Ukraine, international food shortages, racist attacks, exploding gas prices, and more. It all feels like too much.

Then the media hits us with another tragic event: the senseless death of nineteen young children and two teachers in Texas. For teachers in particular, this is a direct punch to the gut. Today and this week and for the last few days of the academic year, teachers must think about how to walk into their classrooms and teach.

Do they pretend nothing has happened and move through the lesson? Do they hug their fear-filled students, knowing there are rules and even laws against touching a student? Do they review their school safety protocols with their students, knowing they have little chance against an assault rifle? No one prepares teachers or students for this.

In traumatic situations, content and pedagogy are not enough. What emerges is another equally important factor: the culture of the classroom. I often talk about this concept with educators, but it can be difficult to grasp until it completely takes over the classroom, as it has now.

Consider Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.[1] At the bottom of a five-step pyramid are the basic needs that we all have for water, food, warmth, and rest (physiological) and security and safety (safety). The middle levels, are related to our psychological needs, including our desire to belong and be loved, have a strong sense of our identity and self-esteem. At the top of the pyramid are self-fulfillment needs, and include the desire to explore, create and learn.

In classrooms where teachers create an experience that feels welcoming, inviting, accepting, and, yes, even loving, learning is taking place.

The STEM Equity Initiative (SEI) refers to this nurturing classroom as an equitable learning environment (ELE). In an ELE, teachers have the right tools to create an opportunity for learning for all students, regardless of their race, culture, gender, language, religion, income, ability, and so on.

However, learning is not a reasonable goal in the wake of a traumatic event. Other, more basic, needs—especially safety—must first be recognized and met. Research tells us that empathy is a powerful tool for helping others come through crisis and advance in their progress toward improved academic learning. In fact, empathy is the most critical tool in a teacher’s toolbox right now. It must take precedence over everything else so that—eventually—learning can return to the classroom.

Teachers like Karen may feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of the moment, but the needed approach is simple, even if the underlying problem is not: This is the time to show you care.

Focus on the classroom environment. Keep it balanced and filled with care, acceptance, and love. Fill the time with easy lessons, fun activities, or quiet conversations that demonstrate your empathy. Insist on empathy between students. If a child cries, respect it. If a child is angry, find space to productively allow it. If a student seems disinterested, that’s okay too. Finding the space for all student experiences is the definition of an equitable environment. 

To my dear friend Karen in CTE and to all the other teachers out there who continue to care for our children as their own, know we are thinking of you and are here to listen. Care for yourselves and each other today. Tomorrow we will continue the teaching and learning.

[1] Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396.   https://doi.org/10.1037/h0054346