I don’t live far from Chardon where the shootings occurred at the High School. So sad to see a teenager take such a wrong path. He was a troubled teen. Many of us know teens or children that have issues. As tough as it is to reach some of these kids, it has to be done. Please take the time to encourage them or do whatever it takes to get them to turn the corner. As horrible as this incident was I hope that it opens our eyes and leads us to positive action and not just outward reaction. It’s easy to point the finger and judge. It’s not easy to lend a hand and guide a wayward child, even one that isn’t yours.
These kids may resist help because they lost trust in adults or others or for other reasons unknown. From what I read he had parents that had major issues too. There are a lot of kids being raised by parents that are on drugs, fight physically, are alcoholics, don’t want to work, don’t provide any love to their kids, amongst many other faults. Kids learn most of the behaviors from their parents. The cycle needs to break and sometimes it takes outside intervention.
The same day the shootings occurred I was to teach a Junior Achievement class at Willoughby Middle School. The school is just up the street from the school that the shooter attended. The school was on lockdown in the morning and I expected to get a call that I had to reschedule. Police cars were situated in front of all the schools. Luckily, I didn’t get the call and I was allowed to teach that day.
I teach a class on Personal Finance. The lesson starts with finding out the student’s interests and skills and then asks them about their values. Many said that honesty was what they appreciated most. Honesty. This coming from 9th graders. How honest are we with ourselves and the children around us?
One time I was teaching students at John Marshall High School. A very unruly group. But those are the classes I like to teach best. They are a challenge, but I know these are the exact students that need the most help. The first day I’m there the teacher tells me that the student that sat in the chair just in front will be back next week after he gets out of prison. Here we go.
The teacher had a hard time with the class keeping them in line. I knew that if I reached just one kid, I did my job. The one that came back from prison was fine. I don’t know what he did. As indifferent as most of the students seemed during the class I didn’t want to quit. Sometimes it felt like I was talking to just the desks. Sometimes that is what it seems like, but they were listening or at least that is what I wanted to think.
Maybe the ones that we pay attention to aren’t the ones that need help. It can be the quiet ones that need the most help. So much of what the shooter wrote could’ve been written in another language because nobody understood it or the seriousness of it. Do we understand what these kids are trying to say or not say?
I taught an Ohio Reads mentoring program in the inner city and one of the girls in a third grade class was in charge of taking care of her siblings. Yes, a third grader. She was always tired because she had to deal with her siblings into the evening. The mother was out and about. Sadly, it happens all too often. These kids grow up too fast and become resentful. What if you were that third grader? It’s easy to judge the Mom, but that doesn’t take away what the child will have to endure. The Mom might change after some intervention, but most likely will go back to her old habits. The shooter was staying with his grandparents to get him away from his parents and still the incident happened.
You never know when you reach kids, but the one Junior Achievement class I teach the teacher has the students write a thank you card. I was surprised to get one. But when I read what the kids said in the card I was stunned. They all wrote very thoughtful and appreciative responses. It reinforced my feelings that it takes very little to make a difference in a child’s life. Unfortunately, too many companies don’t allow their employees to better the community in such a way. JA always needs more volunteers to fill all the class openings available.
Soon the shooter will most likely go to prison himself. Did he reflect on his horrible decision? His parents were arrested for physical harm to others. He obviously learned his behavior from them. He dressed in goth like many that do to draw attention to themselves. It wasn’t his outward appearance that needed attention.
This could happen in any town. Perhaps that is where it can happen the most when we are comfortably dismissive of such an event happening. I tell the students that there will be challenges in their life and that is life and not to let it get them down. Sometimes God puts these challenges in front of us to have us grow. It’s not until much later do we understand why we had to go through these challenges. This challenge will also have us all reflect and grow.
My thoughts and prayers are with the stricken families, school, and community. Chardon is a great town. It will heal as will others with the grace of God.