Teachers react day after Texas school shooting

_{By Anna Brand}

(NBC) - Teachers around the country woke up on a school day the morning after the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. 

One sat in her classroom during lunch in tears. Another watched students “like a hawk” every time the door creaked open. And a teacher of 40 years now thinks of his school as a war zone. 

Responsible for far more than the education of their students, educators across the country are once again on the front lines of crisis. 

We asked teachers in the U.S.: What do you want to say in the wake of the Uvalde shooting? Here’s what they wrote to us. (Some of the submissions have been edited for space and clarity.)

This morning when I arrived at work I heard a distinct difference in the sound of children's voices and laughter coming from our school's playground and field. I remained outside the building for a few extra minutes to prepare myself for what I knew would be a difficult day ahead.

^{— Karen Chappell / Saddle Brooke, N.J.}

Check on your teacher friends. We are not okay. Getting shot should not be an "occupational hazard" for teachers, and definitely not for students. We aren't even paid a livable wage, yet every single one of us goes above and beyond for these kids every day, and I guarantee every single teacher would lay down their life for their students if it came down to it.

^{— Laura G. / Dallas}

I sat in my classroom during my lunch break and cried. I’m both a first grade teacher at my school and a parent of two students in elementary school. I’m so emotionally exhausted from feeling afraid of sending my own kids to school, let alone teaching at a school, too. The worst part for me is knowing we were all just holding our collective breath, waiting for this to happen again, and hoping we weren’t the unlucky ones.

^{— Anna McDonnell / Honolulu}

More reactions and the original article can be read on NBCnews.com