Teaching isn't for the faint of heart.

Another one of my kids died. They found him in the back of his truck dead. As of right now, I don't know what happened, etc.

Dave has this happen frequently. You could say that he is used to it and, to some degree, has unfortunately come to see it as normal. Not me. I worked with inner-city kids and NEVER had anything like this happen. I had to come to suburbia. A lot of people think that teaching in the burbs is easier...less headaches, trouble, better kids, yada-yada-yada. They are wrong. I exchanged weed for pills, absentee parents (because of working) for absentee parents (because of drinking, etc.), gangs (actually identified) for cliques (similar characterstics only not viewed as negatively).

This is the second kid I have had die in the past six months. I don't know what to say. It hurts me. I love my kids like they were my own and to know that one day they are here and the next they aren't bothers me. Then I see teachers who don't care. Who are indifferent about things like this. I can't even imagine. I keep replaying interactions with this kid. Was I nice to him? Did he feel welcome in my classroom? Comfortable? Did he learn? Was he happy? You get the point.

I guess I needed to get this off of my chest.