We hit a bump in the road here at The Mailbox on Monday. The power went out and stayed that way. Such situations call for levelheadedness, calm, order, and a good sense of humor. We have those things in triplicate around here. Everyone knew I was kidding when I said, “When in trouble, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout!”
By the time students reach the upper grades, they think they’re savvy and act like such things as fire drills and other classroom interruptions are just a day at the beach. Even so, those instances of school security lockdowns and unexpected disasters are a reality for far too many of you. The responsibility we have as teachers to keep our students safe is tremendous and one of the many things people outside of education fail to see as part of our difficult routines.
The Mailbox is a wonderful place to go to find teaching solutions, ideas, and resources for the more traditional aspects of school. We have the resources that help you perform better as a teacher and help you help your students achieve success.
But what are the tips and ideas you’ve gathered during practice (or real) security lockdowns? If you’ve been through a school-based crisis—or you know someone who has—what information would you like to share with other teachers to help them through it? What have you learned? What are your fears?
I urge you to contribute to this discussion. It’s an important one that, perhaps, we don’t have enough. The Mailbox is generally known as a very positive and creative resource and, while I know this is a different sort of topic for us, I believe The Mailbox teachers have the tips and insights that need to be shared with fellow teachers.
Speak up.