As I surfed the web this evening I came across this article in the New York Times. It brings up the fear that lock down drills can cause in children. It is something that has been weighing on my mind as of late.
Thankfully, lock down drills are announced in advance to the teachers in our district. This gives us time to prepare our students and discuss that is only practice. The principal announces it as a "practice lockdown." When I write "thankfully", I truly am thankful that we avoid the unnecessary alarm and fear that occurred in the East Harlem School. Lock down drills are important steps we need to take to prepare and protect our students, but even with preparation and careful conversations, they cause anxiety and fear in children. This is a challenge in teaching that I never thought I would have to face.
We were told by our guidance counselor to end conversations with students regarding this matter on a positive note. As teachers, part of our job is to remind that we will do everything we can to protect them and will everything we can to reduce their anxiety while at school.
What have you found helpful in this regard?
In the comments please share how you have helped reduce fear during lockdown practice.
Thanks for sharing!
That's so scary! I totally agree about not having expected this to be part of my elementary teaching practices! Let's hope we can make the kids feel safe and prepared without making them scared!
ReplyDeleteI hope we can make them feel safe too! Sometimes the hardest part of my day is when a student has question about a tragedy he or she saw on the news. It is scary.
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