I admit to having been ...

... a tad emotional this morning.

It's all to do with the policeman who was knifed in the neck, PC Jon Henry.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/6743301.stm

He just looks like such a lovely man, and now his wife is a widow and his little girl will never even remember her daddy. And that just upsets me.

The death of police officers always gets me and I don't understand why. Maybe it's because I don't expect the job of a police officer to be such a dangerous one. Firemen enter blazing buildings, people in the military expect to be involved with violence and conflict. But a police officer? I don't expect them to be killed in the line of duty. They're there to catch burglars and murderers and rapists - not to be stabbed in the neck by some loony.

Perhaps it's because I can empathise with their vulnerability. What happened to PC Henry could happen to any teacher. I've taught some criminal and violent people and it just makes me realise how vulnerable we are.

Later today I'm meeting one such student. He's been up in court for violent acts. I can't remember what - I prefer not to think about what he's done, and prefer to think about him as a person, an individual. I feel a strong sense of responsibility towards him as I know other members of staff - and in particular his personal tutor - have been trying to get rid of him for the past two years. Purely on the basis of his personality, although I know that would be denied.

He has a natural aptitude for my subject specialism and, as such, we have formed a very good working relationship. he knows he can trust me. All I can hope for is that I can help make a difference to him, and perhaps that'll mean one less needless violent death in the future.

Para xxx