Caught up in it

This week I got caught up in an assignment. It took over every spare thought and seemed to work its way into every conversation outside of school.

But it wasn't a pleasant assignment to get lost in.

For the past two months, I've been in an class on conflict resolution that has been enlightening and stretching in very interesting ways. I knew going into it that it wouldn't be the most pleasant of learning experiences, because much like praying for patience, working on conflict skills requires conflicts to practice them on.

And I can handle that.

I can deal with conflict that involves me.

But the hypotheticals...those are dangerous territory.

The assignment this week was to look at the Virginia Tech shooting that took place on April 16, 2007, and analyze it to pieces. I read in depth reports, looked at laws that changed, focused on the flaws, and read more about the shooter than I needed to.

I can't help but wonder what kind of relationships he had with teachers...

...where he went to think...

...what would have made it end differently.

That's the thing about education...you can't look back and think about what ifs...there are too many variables and too much that can and will iron itself out...

...except when it doesn't.

I'm thankful to be done with this project, but it's lit a new fire in me.

A fire for the students that find themselves hiding in the margins.

A fire for the students who feel lost and don't know how to navigate it all on their own.

What exactly this fire means and where exactly it will lead, I don't know.  But it's there.

And now to start on another project...oh the life of a life-long learner.