For many years I have helped in school classrooms as a
parent volunteer and a guest art teacher.
In the fall of 2017, I began substitute teaching as well. Part of the process of becoming a substitute teacher
is A.L.I.C.E. training. This is an
active shooter response and the acronym means Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter,
Evacuate.
When I go into a classroom to teach, before I even look for a
instructor’s notes, I am ALERT. I check
that doors can lock, that windows can open.
I check to see if the drop from those windows is a few feet or a couple
of floors. I look for closets that can be secured and walls that can hide
little students. I look for the
emergency room packet or backpack, and only then can I begin to think of teaching.
I've been present in classrooms while small children try
to be very quiet, very still during LOCKDOWN drills. Once as a parent volunteer, I was alone
in the hallway as a drill began and the school secretary pulled me quickly
into the office, locked the door and turned out the lights.
I know that when I teach I can use the walkie-talkie at my
belt to INFORM the school secretary and other teachers the location of a
shooter. I know that the secretary can
inform the entire school via intercom which hallways and doors are currently
safe choices for escape.
I know that in many cases the safest choice is to EVACUATE
out the windows or doors if a shooter is inside the school. I know I will have
to help the students get out quickly.
Because of A.L.I.C.E. training I know that if a shooter has
gotten inside the room we must COUNTER.
We can throw books, backpacks, and chairs to distract and potentially
disarm a shooter. Teachers and older
students have even been taught to swarm.
We have been taught to run at the shooter and take them down to the
floor. It is very hard to shoot a moving
target and we have a chance to stop this before more people are harmed.
High school students and teachers have been taught this
lesson for years.
So why are folks surprised that we are marching tomorrow in
DC? Marching for those students that
died in Florida and so many other places.
You taught us to counter.
You taught us to swarm.
You taught us our actions could save lives.
Tomorrow we act.
