It’s 3:05 p.m., the students are anxious to leave and starting to line up at the door when we hear the announcement “Intruder on campus’. “Go back to your desks!” They crawl under their desk as if it’s earthquake drill. My door is open and I call out at parents I recognize that are waiting for their children to quickly get in to my classroom. “Did you lock the door Ms. Wood?” asked one of the students. Calmly I replied, “Yes, it’s just a lockdown. I’ve been through many of these. Twenty years of teaching and it’s all going to be fine.” I think to myself about what is really going on because you don’t have planned lockdowns at the end of the school day as I text my friend who has access to school security. But, they had already left. I have no idea. This worries me.
17 minutes. Today, I solemly watched schools locally and across the nation take a peaceful stand for making a difference regarding guns on campus. They were respecting those who died. They taught how to have a peaceful protest reminding me of when I taught my first graders about Martin Luther King, Jr. It takes the children to protest for anyone to hear them. People stop listening to adults because money and donations are louder than words. Meanwhile, there other schools in the United States that were under lockdown. The news even interviewed California student, “Getting a gun is easy as (he snapped his fingers”. The NRA thinks it’s about taking away the 2nd amendment. No dumb shits, no one wants to take away an amendment, they just want kids to have less access to guns and to be safe. Even Conodolize Rice doesn’t see the point to having regular citizens having military weapons at home. I agree, especially if you are living in the city. Really, can you see walking into your childs classroom and an AK47 is hanging on the wall in a gun case? It’s ridiculous.
17 minutes. Thinking back to my own K-8 school is was on lockdown about a month ago. They rang the bell, to let us know we can release our students and announce they need to let them out at the front gate and let them go home and said not to exit on a specific street. The lockdown was not long but it make me think. I moved my giant file cabinets next to the door so that if someone tried to get in to my classroom, I could shove them in front of the entry to use a deterrent. I made sure to bring my pepper spray. I much rather pepper spray the wrong person than shoot anyone any day. You have to think about people suing you too. They person shooting up people could still sue you. You can’t win these days. Anyway, Governor Brown made it against the law in California for teachers to have guns at school, so I don’t have to go into that debate.
17 minutes. My first year of teaching, a student brought in a bag of bullets for show and tell and that was 1998. This is not a new problem of children having access to guns. Bullying is not new. Being angry at someone and having a shitty life is not new. Think about Columbine almost 20 years ago. How students react to their issues is getting worse. Showing it on television advertises it and sometimes I think it gives power to those who think they might do the same thing. Is it evil? Is it depression? Is it an mental depression? I don’t know.
17 minutes is not enough time to save a classroom of children. It isn’t in my job description as many other things I already do and it would kill me if I lost any of my students. However, I am proud of those students who made a stand today because as I have been watching these students grow up, I have been worried about our future. I think our future might of just woke up and might have just discovered what they might want to focus their time on — Making a Difference.
17 minutes. What happened to my lockdown? Our intruder or guest as my principal liked to call it, marched in to the school during the time school was out. He came in saying people were after him. He barged his way to the campus. They tried to get him off the campus. Fortunately, he had no weapons but was afraid to leave the campus. Finally, our female counselor was done with his business and marched him off campus and the police came. There was nothing the police could do but give a no trespassing paperwork to him. As I left, police were speeding through the neighborhood looking for something. I rather not know. I can tell you, I got out of there in less that 17 minutes!
17 minutes. May your children be safe and know that schools are doing their best to keep your children safe as well as their teachers. I would give my life to save a child. Teach them about gun safety. Guns will not go away. If you have guns, and I don’t care because it’s your right, then please don’t let it be easy for your children to get to them. I never want to see a bag of bullets or hear about mom’s swinging their guns and drinking at night so the students sneaks out of their house because they think they are going to be shot every again.
17 minutes. Take that time to think what is like to be a student or a teacher.
