Have you got weapons in your classroom in case of an assailant?

[noblegiraffe]

I just read this thread on twitter asking if teachers have considered what to use as a weapon in their classroom in case of an attack. Teacher after teacher saying they have baseball bats, heavy objects, things to break windows with, throw at a shooter. Teachers planning which cupboards to hide children in, trained to create barricades.

twitter.com/pernilleripp/status/963947498036449280

It’s just heartbreaking. I suppose I’ve idly thought ‘I’d lock the door and get the kids to hide in the far corner’ but this is something that those teachers have to seriously be prepared for. There have been 8 school shootings so far in the US in 2018 and we’re only halfway through February.

Reading that thread and feeling the fear I can see this heading towards the call for teachers to be armed and some teachers wanting that.

Those poor children. Their poor teachers. And how these events affect all teachers and children over there.

Yes, I’ve seen various calls for teacher strikes in the USA, and - potentially even more effective - pupil strikes.

No but I have thought about it because our school has a public path leading right through it.

The locking school gates and fences came in after nikki conroy was killed at hall garth school.

That’s where gun control comes in though- a madman with a knife killed one student. A madman with a gun killed 16.

Although I imagine some students would be worried, I think that most - particularly at secondary school are aware of the theoretical risk and at least they know what to do when that alarm rings rather than teachers having to try to remember from an inset day 3 years ago. The children are all briefed beforehand that it is a drill and know what to do. Mine have found it no more stressful than a fire drill, in fact they say it is better than a fire drill because they don't need to go out in the cold and get to hide in places they might not normally go in. They know from first hand experience how useful it is to know what to do in a fire and not to panic. They know that the risks are small but they are prepared.

Simples - no Americans in the classroom

Generally as an untrained person you do NOT want weapons around. It just increases the chance they will be used on you.

Do not intend to play the hero in a violent incident. First protocol should be to run/evacuate - use fire alarm procedure if nothing else. If that is not possible then hide/stay quiet. Only if you have no other option should you attempt to fight and then it's advised not to try and attack the person directly, but distract - make noise, throw things, set off anything which will reduce visibility such as a fire extinguisher.

People are terrible at imagining how they would react in a high pressure situation - we all think of movie star scenarios but movies are not real, and real life police/army/terrorist specialists are highly trained (as are the terrorists themselves). If you're not trained your self preservation instincts will override any sense of heroism.

As far as I know we don't have a lockdown procedure, but I will check. According to news reports, our town has been increasing mentioned as a terrorist target so it would make sense for us to had a lockdown drill. I would get all of my students into the cupboard and barricade them in. My department has 2 classroom so connected with a smaller room between them. I have the keys for all of the doors, although one of the internal ones doesn't have a handle so I'd leave that one open otherwise we'd be stuck. It's an art department so I've got enough sharp knives for every student to be armed and a cupboard full of chemicals I could chuck. Also plenty of large drawing boards (A2 size pieces of wood) that would work as shields / something to whack somebody with. Frankly there's a lot of stuff to whack someone with in our department!

In that case Bertie I'll break out the many industrial-sized tubs of poster paint and set the photography lights to strobe!

Haha, that would do it!

My ds’s secondary/high school have just had lockdown training and a lockdown drill. I am an exam invigilator at the school and part of our training was lockdown and how to evacuate/protect the students.

Sad times. But also- we must be prepared for even the minutest possibility because panic/ ineffective practice could make it worse in the event of an emergency.,

My sons school has a lockdown procedure. They have had a gunman in the area making threats previously and numerous bomb threats.
The kids have evacuated the school a number of times. They do regular drills incase of gunmen. The kids are taught to get under the tables.

I worked for an Academy Trust until a few months ago and we ensured each of our schools had a lockdown procedure in place, and monitored the practice runs. Local police will put you in contact with specialists who will visit to give a FREE session on anti terrorism and lockdown, scary session but so worth it.

My youngest would be a sitting duck, we had parents evening in the classroom last week and the door opens inwards,they have masses of windows with no blinds and no way of barricading the door. However, the journey to and from school is far more dangerous so don't think about it really.

DDs (large) school has had parents who have had their kids removed turn up trying to gain entry and have successfully kept them out AND away from earshot of other kids who might find the scene distressing so I think they probably have a plan invade one actually gets in. It held up pick up time once.

Attended a middle school in Florida for a year (roughly 9 years ago) and campus was a closed off campus with security gates and everything. If you weren't a student, you weren't allowed on campus without one of the ID badges given out by reception. I remember one specific incident where one of the kid's dads had been coming to visit the school for a meeting or something and had parked at the back of school however had some way managed to come in through a back entrance instead of the front entrance where the ID badges are picked up. The security guards spotted him on cctv walking around campus and having no idea who he was or what he was there for with no ID badge, the whole school (roughly 2000 kids) got put on lock down until police arrived to find out who he was. We had to hide under our desks, they locked the classroom doors, pulled the storm shutters down over the windows and put blackout posters over the windows in the doorways and stay really quiet until the PA said the alarm was over and to resume studies. It was a silent alarm too: lights flashed but no noise, teacher must have been drilled on what to do. Always imagined the police surrounding this very confused very lost dad in the middle of campus wondering why it was all so quiet

This article is depressing www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/16/17016382/school-shooting-drills-training

About 95% of US schools have lockdown drills, and 6 states require active shooter drills specifically to practise what to do in the event of someone coming into a school with the intention of killing.

How terrifying. I really hope some action is taken after this latest killing spree.

It won't be noble because dear Donald now has the convenient excuse of his loathed FBI to blame.

He has to earn his NRA money somehow. I bet the FBI are regretting handing him the election.

We have lockdown drills at my school, prep school in Surrey. I’m SLT and they have always been when i’m not teaching. The kids quite like it, they get to sit on the floor and baricade the door with the desks! We have blinds that can come down over any windows and doors with glass in classrooms. The reality is that some of the buildings are so flimsy (portacabins or wood shack type 60s affair that anyone with a gun could shoot through quite easily!

One time the Latin teacher didn’t hear the all clear and they carried on having a Latin lesson in the dark on the floor for a good 40min!

Why trinity? Is there a specific threat of guns they makes it necessary?

We would fail our group safeguarding inspection if we didn’t have them. Groupwide policy.