Safety in Mind
On May 24, 2022, Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, suffered a horrible tragedy. Almost two dozen killed, regardless of age, and many others wounded.
At the time of writing this, we have had around 246 mass shootings here in America in this year alone, and it’s barely even halfway through. This was not our first mass shooting. This wasn’t even our first school shooting. Last I checked, attacking a school, or any civilian infrastructure, is considered a war crime, and yet we have civilians doing just that.
My supervisor sent us an Instagram video that sums up where we are in this situation. I’ve linked the video Here.
As a teacher, it breaks my heart that we need to have these talks with our students. Instead of planning out the next birthday party, we have to discuss what to do if an armed intruder enters the premises.
The expectations for school safety have changed greatly over the years. Back then, the school I attended (and now work at) rarely had to deal with external threats. Aside from the occasional wildlife, most we had were unruly students or a disgruntled parent (although I could include that one road-rager from when I did morning traffic).
Now, we’ve had to increase the number of lockdown and evacuation drills. Security guards are an added comfort, but we still have to have those tough conversations with the kids. Barricade the door. Let no one into the room you’re hiding in. Scissors and pencils make for last-minute self-defense weapons. Use a tube sock for triage.
There are plenty of talks about gun regulations already. That’s a discussion for another day. The part that does irk me, though, is that some people have proposed a rather ludicrous solution:
“Let’s just arm the teachers.”
How about a resounding NO.
If arming teachers is not a viable solution to this need for school safety, what can we do?
As an educator, there are some things I think we can take into account aside from just increasing the number of safety drills we practice. Don’t get me wrong, the constant practice makes us all prepared for what might happen. However, there are still some things we can look into.
Catching early warning signs is something parents and teachers alike can bear in mind. Families and faculty need to work together when it comes to raising the kids right. Prevent the shooting far in advance. Most of these school gunmen are troubled youth and young adults. There is often some very telling behavior early on. Sometimes it’s the quiet kid that puts up folders to hide himself during lunch. Other times, it’s a child’s sudden bouts of aggression without being able to pull her emotions down. The most alarming case I’ve come across in my seven years of teaching? Finding pill bugs skewered by toothpicks on the playground.
Noticing these signs, accepting that there’s something going on, and taking the steps to help, is paramount for child growth. There’s no shame in therapy. It’s not a poor reflection on your child’s development, nor your ability to be a parent. I had to see a therapist to reign in my ADHD as a kid. It’s like going to the doctor for medication or the dentist for a filling. If we want our kids to succeed in the future, we need to take care of them now.
Within the same vein comes the next suggestion: employ a school counselor. Having someone on site who’s ready, willing, and qualified to sit with these kids and help them work through their problems can make a huge difference. The need becomes exponentially greater when you consider what COVID and Social Distancing have done to our youth. There’s this strange disconnect with how they interact with each other, like they’ve forgotten how to be kind and considerate to those around them. Some were stuck at home for so long, by the time they came back, they had forgotten how to get along with other children.
I’ve picked up on some tips and tricks throughout my teaching career, but unfortunately, I am not a qualified counselor. I have a degree in film production, not child psychology. At times, I wish I did. I’ve watched kids wrestle with their drama and emotions and have been unable to effectively help them because of my lack of knowhow. Having someone who does have the information and the knowledge of how to use it would be very beneficial.
So, we should be good now, right? Increasing security, practicing drills with the kids, prioritizing the students’ mental health; our kids will be safe at school, right?
Sadly…no.
With all that’s been happening in the world lately, there is no real guarantee of one hundred percent safety. Red behavior flags can still be missed, a security guard can be overpowered, and a panicking child could run further into a burning building instead of outside. We can take every precaution in the book and then some, and we still don’t have that guarantee.
However, we can change our mindset on the situation.
My mom shared a story with me about a time shortly after my brother was born. You know how new mothers are with their firstborn child. You’ve got to protect that baby from everything. My mom was no different.
There came a day when a major earthquake hit, and when I say major, I mean major by Californian standards. My mom jumped straight into guardian mode and made sure my brother was covered. She had trouble sleeping for days after the earthquake, plagued with thoughts about protecting my brother at all costs.
Sometime later, when one of my aunts came by to visit, the topic of the earthquake came up. My aunt shared a story about one of her coworkers. During the same earthquake, his wife had covered their baby in an act of protection. However, it was a futile attempt. The baby died, while the mother lived.
For my mom, this was a wake up call. Even with all her protective instinct, there was still a chance that her efforts would be in vain.
Some people reading that will no doubt be left shaken. How could we have any hope for our kids if we can’t keep them safe at all times?
The answer to that question is simple in concept, but so hard to put into practice: Have Faith.
Have faith in your kids that they’ll make wise decisions.
Have faith in their teachers that they’ll take care of your kids.
Have faith in yourself and your parenting skills.
Most importantly, have faith in God’s plan for you and your family.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
Much of my come-what-may personality and slow-boil temperament comes from this fact. God has much better control over my life than I do. I don’t have to worry about what’s coming next because I know He’s got my back.
That doesn’t mean my anxieties are always kept in check, of course. I still have bouts of doubt. After hearing about what happened at Robb Elementary, I’ve been casting wary glances across the parking lot, just in case I spot something unusual.
The next time you feel your anxieties rise in any given situation, try this: Write down everything that’s got you worried. Once you’ve made your list, cross out everything that you don’t have immediate control over. Everything that’s uncrossed, go ahead and take care of them. Everything that’s been crossed out, put them in God’s hands and leave them there.
We do live in chaotic times. However, faith grounds us. We can make detailed preparations, sure, but it’s faith that holds us steady even in the most violent earthquake. Much like that particular emergency drill, we need to drop what we’re doing, cover ourselves in faith, and hold on to God’s plan and promises.