With the recent tragedy in Connecticut affecting our nation, as a teacher it raised a lot of questions for me about my classroom safety. Of course the school has procedures in place for a campus emergency, but how safe are we really? A more passive educator stated at lunch the day the tragedy occurred that maybe now the government would re-look at gun issues. I stated yes, wouldn't it be nice if we were armed for a change. He actually looked stunned. I nicely explained to him that I could protect myself just about anywhere I go, until I come on a school campus, and then I'm defenseless. What if select teachers were trained for such an emergency situation? It need not be EVERY teacher, and it need not be anything other teachers know about. Much like what was done in churches when gunmen were storming in and shooting parishioners, much like that plain closed air marshal on a plane protecting you when you fly. Maybe this is the wrong line of thinking, but would this help to protect more innocent children from dying? Obviously I'm an advocate for gun rights.
Since I know that guns are not allowed in schools, I began looking at my classroom safety next. I can say without a doubt the first thing I did was lock my door so that anyone from the outside couldn't just walk in. We are far away from Connecticut, but it really makes you think, what if. I know when I did make it home that day I was hugging my own kids, and before I made it home that day my colleagues and I discussed what we could do to make our kids in our classrooms safer. Some of the teachers blessed with huge supply closets immediately started cleaning them out after school so they could hold as many students as possible. I don't have this luxury however. I am on a ground floor, with a bank of windows, and my classroom door is half a window. I'm also one of the first room accessible when you walk into the school building. I don't have a huge bookshelf near my door to block anyone's way in.
The more I sat and thought, the more I prayed. I know that I cannot live on what-if's. I know that following procedures on campus is going to be the first step in protecting my students. I know the second step is going to be hiding them as best as possible, and possibly giving them a good escape route. I pray that a tragedy like this never occurs in another school anywhere. That life is held sacred, and that our government allows God back into our schools. I'm blessed to be at a school where my students can pray before class and that we can talk about God, but many children in our country don't have that opportunity. I find solace in prayer. I find solace in God. I hope that all of the communities in our nation come together to support this community who has lost so many lives in such a senseless tragedy.
Has this tragedy changed how you look at classroom safety? What are your thoughts?
Since I know that guns are not allowed in schools, I began looking at my classroom safety next. I can say without a doubt the first thing I did was lock my door so that anyone from the outside couldn't just walk in. We are far away from Connecticut, but it really makes you think, what if. I know when I did make it home that day I was hugging my own kids, and before I made it home that day my colleagues and I discussed what we could do to make our kids in our classrooms safer. Some of the teachers blessed with huge supply closets immediately started cleaning them out after school so they could hold as many students as possible. I don't have this luxury however. I am on a ground floor, with a bank of windows, and my classroom door is half a window. I'm also one of the first room accessible when you walk into the school building. I don't have a huge bookshelf near my door to block anyone's way in.
The more I sat and thought, the more I prayed. I know that I cannot live on what-if's. I know that following procedures on campus is going to be the first step in protecting my students. I know the second step is going to be hiding them as best as possible, and possibly giving them a good escape route. I pray that a tragedy like this never occurs in another school anywhere. That life is held sacred, and that our government allows God back into our schools. I'm blessed to be at a school where my students can pray before class and that we can talk about God, but many children in our country don't have that opportunity. I find solace in prayer. I find solace in God. I hope that all of the communities in our nation come together to support this community who has lost so many lives in such a senseless tragedy.
Has this tragedy changed how you look at classroom safety? What are your thoughts?
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