Hi Everyone,
I am wondering if I could get some feedback about what you think is appropriate to tell/say to PreK (4-5 year olds) students regarding Lockdown/Code Red drills. This is my first year teaching, and I could really use some advice in this area. The students totally understand the fire drills and tornado drills and the reasons for them. I teach in an Early Childhood Center and most of my students moved up to my classroom from the Preschool (3 year olds) classroom, and are used to doing the drill. I have two students who came new to the school. I do not believe any of my students have ever had the purpose of the drill explained to them- they were too young before. I feel like I should give some type of explanation to them so they better understand. They all pretty much think it is a game when we turn out the lights and go in our bathroom, so they are pretty noisy. If the situation would ever really occur, they need to know the importance of being quiet. Since when they were younger it was taught as kind of a game, it is very hard to get them to be calm and quiet.
I do not, however, want to cause a lot of fear in my students. I want to reassure them that our school owner/administrator and office staff are handling the situation, and will let us know when it is safe to be loud and come out. What is appropriate to tell them? I did have one suggestion from a teacher who tells her students that their principal (she is at a public school) saw a person in the building on the cameras that had not gone and checked in at the office. She tells them that they are just going to be silent with the lights out, and stay in the bathroom while the principal finds this person and makes sure they are a safe person to be in the building. My dilemma is we do not have cameras throughout the inside of our building that are used during the day, because licensing says that is not okay. Otherwise, I like her idea of explaining to students that our owner/administrator is checking to make sure someone that is in our building is a safe person.
Does anyone else have any other, or further ideas? I would really love some advice. As I said, I think my PreK students need some type of explanation to help guide their behavior during the drill (or if it ever really occurred). Thank you for any ideas, and advice you can provide. I will be very grateful!
Heidi
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Heidi Van Amburg
PreK Teacher
Primrose School of St. Louis Park West
Crystal MN
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