lockdown drill

[Penny]

We did the dreaded lockdown drill today. Our classrooms have no windows and middle school kids in complete darkness is really not fun--especially with the struggle to keep them quiet.

While explaining procedures one of my students mentioned he thought the drill was pointless. "There are 850 students in this school. If someone did come in with a gun, do you really think he'd wonder where we went?"

Have to say, the kid has a point.

 

[BN]

Circling helicopters and lock downs.

Penny, Your student's remark reminded me of my own experiences with lockdowns. I know this is serious business but it does seem surreal at times.
I worked at a school where there were two banks across the road.And of course everytime there was a bank robbery we went into lock down.We would have at least two real lockdowns a year.The principal would tell us not to tell the students what the lock down was about not wanting to alarm them.This was middle school and they all knew. The kids would say-- Oh, another bank was hit. We would have the sheriff's helicopter flying overhead. The kids got a kick out of the copter. They all wanted to watch it circle and look for the robber and we had to keep the shades down and the kids away from the windows.It was not easy but these are the times we live in.

Picture this scenario--
I'm at home and I'm asked--And how was your day?

My reply-- Oh, fine. I sat for 50 minutes in a locked dark room with 28 kids listening to a sheriff's helicopter circling above. Other than that it was uneventful. And how was you day?

And some people think teaching can be boring. Never! BN

 

[Penny]

Wow!

I can just picture trying to keep all the kids away from the window and quiet while there was excitement going on across the street. That would be so frustrating.

We didn't start lockdown drills until Columbine happened. At that time I worked in a school with lots of windows, portables, and outside hallways. No one had a classroom phone. We could never come up with a good lockdown plan because the hallways were accessible to everyone and there was no corner away from the windows big enough to hide 20 kids. Columbine had made us all skitish and we lost sleep worrying about what we would do in that school if something would happen.

Yes, it's the times we live in.

 

[BN]

Building designs with security

Hey Penny,

I wonder what they were thinking when these schools were designed.This was a middle school and it was an open campus type design. Seven different buildings with connecting sidewalks. Some sidewalks were covered some were not-- great in the rain. Everything was in a separate building. The Admin and library in one building, caferteria and related arts in another, gym in yet another and classrooms in three other buildings.Every time I needed to copy something I had to walk to another building. And if the copier was down you had to go to a building even farther away to find a working copier.My classroom was the fartherest room from everything. I mean I was out in the hinterlands.There was a teacher next to me and it was a joke because we were so far away from everything.You couldn't even see the office building.We were in an older building and all the classrooms open outside to the sidewalk. There were no lav. for the students. We did have lavs. a few doors down but they opened to the outside so they had to be locked for security reasons. Admin didn't want outside people using the lavs. So, the kids and teachers had to walk to another building to use a restroom.I taught seventh grade math. All the teams in seventh grade were in the old buildings with the rooms on the outside.The eighth grade and the sixth grade had new buildings with a carpeted hallway. Everything was inside in the newer buildings.The 8 and 6 th grade buildings had a boys and girls lav., a teacher workroom with a copier, a sink , refrig, a teachers' lav and a phone in every room. It was so nice especially if you came in from the hinterlands. Seventh grade didn't have a workroom. We did have one phone for every four classrooms.Because our doors opened to the outside we had to keep the doors closed and locked at all times.
I really didn't like the planning or arrangement of this school.It's hard enough teaching without the inconvenience of having to walk quite far to get a copy or go to the rest room.Well, you can tell from the lay out that this is not a secure place. The reason we always went into lock down is the concerned that if a bank robber ran across the street he could find so many places at the school to enter and hide.Plus there was a large wooded area next to the playing fields.So the helicopter would be circling the whole area.Fortunately for me I didn't stay at this school for long. I eventually went to a quiet little country school with no bank in the area just one stop sign and a post office.

I just read in the local newspaper that school district is going to build a new middle school in a new location and tear down the old one and sell the land. According to the article the buildings are older and the campus is not secure and it would be cheaper to build a whole new school instead of remodeling that one.Hey, any teacher could have told them that years ago.
Ahh, the times we live in. BN

 

[natnclay]

I don't know what kind of neighborhood you are in, but we were in lockdown 6 times last year. Two involved irrate parents, one with a gun. One involved a police vs. gang member shooting outside our yard during recess. After schooting at police, the guy threw the gun into our playground and the police shot him. Luckily the kids knew to hit the deck and then run inside.
It might be helpful to remind your students that lockdowns aren't just to protect them from fellow students, but from the outside world. It is to make sure that our schools can be a safe place for our children.
Middle school students in the dark doesn't sound fun, but if it makes it any easier you can think of me with 20 kindergarteners and NO bathroom for two hours! We have to use a trashcan in the coat closet. Fun times!
We should get paid more!