VA- 6-YEAR-OLD is in custody after shooting teacher

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Doghairrules said:
I could make an argument that both the child and the teacher are victims of this school administration. The child was clearly calling out for HELP and now his life is affected by what happened when no one would intervene. And I don't know how the teacher will ever enter another classroom. It's all just awful.
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Didnt he point the gun at the teacher and pull the trigger with purpose?

Or did he like drop it and it go off.

I think its very important to understand the difference.
 
PriorTheCreator said:
Didnt he point the gun at the teacher and pull the trigger with purpose?

Or did he like drop it and it go off.

I think its very important to understand the difference.
Click to expand...

Per the Newport News police Chief Steve Drew

But Drew also reiterated that the shooting was “not accidental.”

“It was intentional,” he said.

Drew also revealed that the 9mm handgun used by the boy was legally purchased by his mother and was in the family’s home. He said the boy brought it to school in his backpack the day of the shooting.

Zwerner put up her hand in a defensive position when the gun fired, and the bullet went through her hand and into her upper chest, Drew said. Although her injuries were initially considered life-threatening, she has improved and is currently listed in stable condition at a hospital.

Drew hailed Zwerner as a hero for quickly hustling her students out of the classroom after she was shot. He said surveillance video shows she was the last person to leave her classroom.

apnews.com

Chief: 6-year-old shot Virginia teacher during class lesson

A Virginia police chief says a 6-year-old student fired the handgun that wounded a Virginia first-grade teacher while she was teaching class.
apnews.com apnews.com
 
Tiger Stripes said:
Just now reading this -- especially timely, considering that *today* an attorney for Abigail Zuerner gave a press conference regarding a lawsuit directed at the school district, that is being filed on behalf of the teacher.

As someone (this would be yours truly) who has served well over a decade as a licensed educator, substitute teaching in literally *hundreds* of elementary classrooms, I must say that I've had a few scary moments in classrooms...having to speedily do a "room clear" while dealing with one or more students with behavioral "issues" is *not* why I (nor Ms. Zuerner, I feel sure) chose education!

@Ontario Mom: You have "the guts" to be a good, solid elementary school principal -- being sincere here. I can't even begin to share with those reading this post how *many* times there have been "issues" with students...but here's what we (teachers) are constantly being told/reminded of: "Solve the problem in your own classroom." Leaves one feeling helpless (not to mention a bit frustrated, too). So one just does his/her best, being super-focused on covering the material at hand, while simultaneously keeping as calm as possible when a student (or several) need high levels of "intervention". (Sorry so long.)

My thoughts and prayers continue for Ms. Zuerner, and for her legal team, as of today's press conference (sorry, I don't have a link handy).
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Thank you for this post.

I'm curious...and hope you don't mind me asking; has it always been the expectation that you address disruptive and defiant students "in your classroom" or had that changed? If it has changed, when did you begin to notice it?
 
I only saw one well-known independent-crime news-related YT creator cover the press conference (a channel that's been linked on WS many times, btw). I find it interesting (and unsettling) this case seems to be getting no coverage by creators of similar genre'.
 
ChatteringBirds said:
How do schools usually handle it when a minor's clothing/person need to be searched for a weapon? Does anyone work for a school and know what you/ your administrators would do?
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I read the SB polices, didn't see this addressed.

I would think LE would be called. I'm sure LE has a procedure for minors.

To do NOTHING, is one of the most inhuman acts, I've experienced!!!!. A teacher critically injured and the child in a hospital under state emergency custody. The children in the class, the school, the teachers, all the parents that aren't gonna sleep at night with worry. This will mar all their livees, forever. Some may never emotionally recover.

I'm just sick.
Moo...
 
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PriorTheCreator said:
Didnt he point the gun at the teacher and pull the trigger with purpose?

Or did he like drop it and it go off.

I think its very important to understand the difference.
Click to expand...
He pointed the gun and pulled the trigger, I believe. But this kid is SIX. I'm just not going to impart the same executive brain function to a six year old that I would to an adult. This kid was failed by whatever adults gave him access to a gun, as well as by the administrators who seemingly turned a blind eye to his having the gun at school. This is clearly a very troubled little guy who would have been better served with a prevention approach.
 
Doghairrules said:
I could make an argument that both the child and the teacher are victims of this school administration. The child was clearly calling out for HELP and now his life is affected by what happened when no one would intervene. And I don't know how the teacher will ever enter another classroom. It's all just awful.
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Has there been any information shared about whether or not the child’s parents had them in counseling? I’ve missed a lot of info.

Edited: my internet is acting weird and an incomplete msg posted
 
Doghairrules said:
He pointed the gun and pulled the trigger, I believe. But this kid is SIX. I'm just not going to impart the same executive brain function to a six year old that I would to an adult. This kid was failed by whatever adults gave him access to a gun, as well as by the administrators who seemingly turned a blind eye to his having the gun at school. This is clearly a very troubled little guy who would have been better served with a prevention approach.
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IMO. It's learned behavior. Pointing a gun and pulling the trigger is NEVER portrayed in an innocent way. it ALWAYS is to get rid of the bad guy.

I sort of believe the kid is a 'victim', I dont believe he should be charged, but I do believe it wasnt an accident.


Children age 5-7: by 5 or 6, most children understand that death is irreversible. They are beginning to understand the non-functionality of death...
www.nationalgeographic.com

When Do Kids Understand Death?

Wednesday morning I went to the funeral of my husband's grandfather, who had lived 93 years. As a couple of dozen family members circled around his grave site, I couldn't help but think of how bizarre and disorienting death is.
www.nationalgeographic.com www.nationalgeographic.com
 
YepperBepper said:
Thank you for this post.

I'm curious...and hope you don't mind me asking; has it always been the expectation that you address disruptive and defiant students "in your classroom" or had that changed? If it has changed, when did you begin to notice it?
Click to expand...

Thanks for your question, @YepperBepper; it's a good question.

In the 40-50 elementary schools and at least 3 different districts (one quite large) where I have served as a licensed substitute teacher, the expectation has always been to "solve problems in your own classroom".

Never, ever, in my wildest imaginations when taking courses for my teaching license did it pop into my head that (one day far off for my "future self") I would have students -- lower elementary students, by the way -- picking up classroom chairs (or other objects), to throw at me and/or their classmates.

When one works as a guest teacher, one never gets information that a student has "issues" -- at least not in the regular teacher's lesson plans for that day. Sometimes other students may mention something in passing, but (and this is truly sad, IMO) many of the other students in a classroom with a student, or students, with behavior "issues" and/or violent tendencies are, unfortunately, so accustomed to those behaviors, that...they think of it as "normal".

For example, many lower elementary students learn in the first week of school about how to do a "room clear" -- when the entire group of students leaves the classroom for a safe(r) location -- the hallway immediately outside the classroom door, for example...

Calling a school office with a concern (or...honestly, a fear) is generally discouraged (sad, but true). And even when a student is acting out, the #1 key is to get the other students (and oneself, if possible) to safety.
 
PriorTheCreator said:
IMO. It's learned behavior. Pointing a gun and pulling the trigger is NEVER portrayed in an innocent way. it ALWAYS is to get rid of the bad guy.

I sort of believe the kid is a 'victim', I dont believe he should be charged, but I do believe it wasnt an accident.


Children age 5-7: by 5 or 6, most children understand that death is irreversible. They are beginning to understand the non-functionality of death...
www.nationalgeographic.com

When Do Kids Understand Death?

Wednesday morning I went to the funeral of my husband's grandfather, who had lived 93 years. As a couple of dozen family members circled around his grave site, I couldn't help but think of how bizarre and disorienting death is.
www.nationalgeographic.com www.nationalgeographic.com
Click to expand...



This child nearly took the life of his teacher despite warnings. These ignored warnings almost created a killer of a 6-year old.

If a child understands death at the age of 6, do you also think that child understands his/her responsibility for taking another human life??
 
fred&edna said:
This child nearly took the life of his teacher despite warnings. These ignored warnings almost created a killer of a 6-year old.

If a child understands death at the age of 6, do you also think that child understands his/her responsibility for taking another human life??
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I think in the simplest terms, he knows that shooting a gun makes a bad guy go away and I think in the moment he saw the teacher as a bad guy.

I think he likely knows what death is but didnt have a strong connection between shooting and death.

I think he felt he needed to defend himself from SOMETHING, and in the moment, the teacher became a bad guy so the kid shot like all heroes in the zeitgeist do.

Again, I think the kid is a victim. But I also think it was done with some intention.

Where that intention came from and why, is a HUGE question
 
PriorTheCreator said:
I think in the simplest terms, he knows that shooting a gun makes a bad guy go away and I think in the moment he saw the teacher as a bad guy.

I think he likely knows what death is but didnt have a strong connection between shooting and death.

I think he felt he needed to defend himself from SOMETHING, and in the moment, the teacher became a bad guy so the kid shot like all heroes in the zeitgeist do.

Again, I think the kid is a victim. But I also think it was done with some intention.

Where that intention came from and why, is a HUGE question
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Sometimes questions have the simplest answers. I think people close to the child know some of the answers. I’ll almost bet they do. And it just might be heartbreaking. IMO
 
YepperBepper said:
Exactly. Firing people, etc is essentially surface cleaning. Hiring new people and keeping the same policies changes nothing. If the district maintains the restorative justice policy, teachers will continue to be forced to have violent children in the classroom so, as the spokeswoman for the district pointed out, ALL students will be "citizen-ready". So, as long as this policy remains, the danger is there. That this teacher was shot only highlights the other issues that were occurring in the classroom with this student. Throwing furniture. Making threats. Barricading students and a teacher in the classroom. I would contend that this student is one of many that have similar issues. When staff was polled last year (AP Link above), more than 40 percent were not happy with the discipline policy. This policy is certainly not good for other students, as it puts them in danger. I'm really unsure how it's at all helpful for the student with issues? If there are no consequences for the situations involving him that I mentioned above, and there are no boundaries at all, how does he, or any other student learn that these things aren't acceptable? Who are we helping here? Is there any statistical evidence that these policies work...or are we just winging it? Imho

I get the concept. Stop the school to prison pipeline. But it's clear that is being done at the feet if normalcy and safety of everyone else involved. Smh. Imho
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How about hiring new people and changing policies?
 
x_files said:
Some kids thrive online vs in person but if we have teacher shortages we may have no choice really.
Either that or we start taking safety in schools seriously and that also means removing troubled violent children from public schools and into specialized schools.
After COVID and school shootings, all my friends quit teaching and it's not a popular field to go into now. Needs 4-8 years of college education and low pay.
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In the 90s and 00s, I met teachers who left education, often at a huge personal and financial cost, because of things like Common Core and No Child Left Behind. Some did go to private schools, because they didn't do these things, although competency testing was usually done there to make sure the school could be accredited or licensed (and I'm OK with that).

(I live in Iowa, which just passed a voucher program that most people oppose.)
 
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