It was the day after Columbine, and a student asked what I would do if a gunman entered our school. My answer was that I would try to get my students out safely – even at the cost of taking a bullet myself.

Needless to say, I hoped (and still hope) I never face such a choice.

But one teacher did face it yesterday in Germany – and I honor her choice and her sacrifice.

"Suddenly there were police standing in front of me and told us to run outside quickly," Luisa Santonastaso, 16, said. "At first we didn't know what to do. So first we went to the class and picked up some of our classmates and ran out.

"Then we heard that someone was inside shooting. Then we also saw a teacher who had blood on his hands because he wanted to help a female teacher who sacrificed herself for a student -- she stood in front of a student to protect her," the girl told CNN by phone from Germany.

I hope we learn more about this unnamed teacher in the days to come – and that she is given the sort of honor and respect she deserves for placing her student first.