OP/ED: A teacher’s mindset

A mystery to uncover in every case

The first cases I became aware of as a young kid were the shocking discoveries of people finding severed feet washed up onto beaches around the Salish Sea. When I was younger, these cases piqued my interest in the topic of true Kaitlyn Miller OP/ED EDITOR crime as a whole. Though this was an exciting case, upon further research, National Geographic reported that the feet were washing ashore due to the decomposition process of corpses.

It was soon discovered that the real culprit was crustaceans and other sea creatures that work around bones in a way that would separate the feet from the body, which was the real reason these human feet were drifting to shore for an unsuspecting person to find.

Even though I learned this new information about this case now, at the time as a kid it was compelling to think about. What could’ve caused this? Was it a killer on the water? Pirates?

Eventually, once I had access to a phone, I rediscovered the true crime genre. It yet again became one of my new favorite topics to learn about.

Whenever time seemed to slow down, the first thing I would do was open up YouTube on my phone and search for true crime videos. Whether it was murder cases, kidnappings or anything of the sort, something about how crimes went about was always very intriguing to me.

What drew me in was just learning about more than the surface case, but previous life details about the people committing the crime. What drives someone to the point in their life that all of society’s morals fly out the window? What pushes someone so far that they find themself in a position choosing to take someone’s life? What past trauma can lay under the surface that can affect the life-changing choices people make in their lives and others?

As time continued and I was learning about more murder cases specifically, it was those very questions that faced me. Trying to ponder about what psychologically was happening to these people turned criminals was so much more genuinely interesting to me than just what was going on with the case.

To me, it was like reading past a headline. “One person found dead in their home,” would turn into this sequence of events that led both a killer and a victim to the horrible events that unfolded.

“What could this killer have done in their life that would have resolved whatever issues that could’ve prevented this crime?” was a question I would frequently ask myself.

Yet once I got past what had happened before and during the case, one of the most interesting parts about them was what happened to a criminal afterwards. Once they’d pushed past that societal boundary, most criminals had very prominent and different reactions to what they had done.

Many pushed themselves to an extreme area of denial for what they had done, where it had almost seemed that they themself started to believe what they were saying. Others felt extreme pride for their crimes. Even if not admitting to it from the start, whenever what they’d done was mentioned you could tell they felt a sick sense of pride. With the endless amounts of different reactions and pasts these people have had, and finding out what truly happened to these victims, I have always been ready to dive in and learn more. H

ROD BUDDEN | HAWKEYE

GUEST EDITORIAL

Teaching and learning in a post-Uvalde world The harrowing thoughts of an elementary school teacher

Igot the news while my kids were at recess, and my heart stopped. I walked outside to pick them up and was immediately swarmed with hugs and little hands that wanted to hold mine. 15 little voices started sharing their recess stories with me all at the exact same moment – I held back tears. What if it happened while they were out here?

I forced a smile and walked hand in hand with my line leaders while our class followed behind us full of giggles, kiddos skipping and sneaky ones hopping out of line to pick me flowers. It’s a long way back to our room, I thought to myself. We got back to class and I closed my door, then exhaled.

The kids ran to their seats excited to see their second grade buddy come in and read them a story. I watched their little faces light up as he walked in, and I looked at our big window and thought about how quickly I could get the blinds down if I needed to.

Our buddy sat down to read and I wondered about how fast I could then get across the room to fully lock my door and shut off the lights. What could I barricade this door with? If I needed help, what KINDERGARTEN STUDENT would I ask? Of course I had already thought about this, but I was running through my plan again. Maybe that table over there would be better. Maybe this kid would respond quickly.

The kids asked about a picture in the book and I wondered if I’d be able to calm them down enough to sit silently with me in a corner when we needed to hide. Then I thought, I need to change where we hide in this classroom, that corner is too visible from the window. Maybe over there…

The kids asked about the picture again and I was snapped back to reality and answered their question. I watched them eagerly listen to their friend read and felt my heart racing thinking of how much I love my 15 children and the students at my school. I would do anything for them and that includes fighting off a gunman to protect them. I went to school to be a teacher. I wanted to teach so that I could change lives and help children reach their dreams. I wanted to teach so that I could be someone in a child’s life telling them they mattered and how much they were loved. I wanted to teach so that I could create a safe place for children to learn and grow. The very fact that I have to teach my children how to respond during a lockdown by showing them how we might hide, run and barricade doors makes me sick. This is not what school should be. I should not have to do this. My children should not have to

worry about this. And yes, they do worry. 5 and 6-year-olds know a whole lot more than anyone gives them credit for. I also think through my plan way more than I care to admit, because I fear it will happen. Because it continues to happen. Because it WILL continue to happen if something doesn’t change. I am a teacher. Not in the military. My kids are students. Not soldiers. We should Thea Klever not have to CONTINUALLY WORRY SPRUCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER and prepare for an attack by a gunman. I seriously don’t get how this is still a question. There are people dying left and right, and on that day 19 children and two teachers were murdered while at school. And yet, gun rights are still being prioritized?! What the hell is wrong with our country? I don’t know what you have to do tomorrow, but I know that I’ll be walking into a building where I have to think about and plan for the ways in which I will try to protect the lives of the children around me – and that’s everyday life for a teacher. H

“I am a teacher. Not in the military. My kids are students. Not soldiers.” Thea Klever SPRUCE ELEMENTARY TEACHER