Vulnerability is not comfortable

One student finally wrote his name last week. It was on a small chalkboard and documented with the digital camera issued by the early childhood department. Another student who struggles with fine motor tasks built a tower with twelve cubes. Documented on the same camera. Sometime after documenting these significant milestones and the beginning of this week, the camera was stolen.

The camera is usually hidden inside of my desk. I was out sick Thursday and Friday last week. I went in on Monday and wanted to photograph a group of children working together on an art project. I went to reach for inside of the desk and it was gone. Odd, but no big deal, perhaps I just misplaced it. So after school yesterday I looked through everything in the entire classroom, double checked my work bag and my house when I got home and still no camera. So that means that someone stole it. My students are pretty good about not going near the desk unless they have permission so they are not responsible. Who knows who took it.

What I do know is that the camera was hidden out of sight and inside a desk. That means that someone specifically looked through my desk. They took the camera. Not the cord that connects it to the computer, not the photo printer, and not the case. Most importantly, the memory card that I had purchased, that held countless photographs documenting student progress, was in that camera. All of this has left me feeling quite vulnerable. Someone went through my desk. That makes me feel very vulnerable. I spend a lot of time at school, and want to feel safe when I am there.

I took my concerns to my principal and the early childhood couch. Both seemed relatively unfazed by the theft. They both shrugged their shoulders and concluded that "these things happen". I understand that they cant do anything about it because whats done is done. But is there anything that can be done to ensure my future safety and the safety of the few valuable things we have for resources?

I am also feeling vulnerable for my students. The camera with the memory stick is out there, somewhere. Not everyone has the best interests of my students in mind. I really hope that whoever took the camera returns this but I don't think this is likely. I hope whoever took it really needed it. I hope that person erases everything that's on the memory stick and that my students are in no way harmed by this incident.

Personally, all of this makes it difficult for me to want to get up and go to work. I tell my kids that school is a safe place. I want to be able to mean what I say.