Today, we had a containment drill.  Sadly, my students and I just go on about our business as soon as we hear the announcement.  I made sure the door was locked and just kept teaching.  Luckily, I was teaching one of my Essential Studies classes, so we were able to finish up our work and then kids started asking questions about the containment.   It was nearing the end of the class period, so they were eager to know if they got to stay in my room or if they had to go to the next class.   I took a deep breath and we had some conversations.  They had fabulous questions.  “Do I stay here?”   “Will we be marked tardy?” “What if the fire alarm goes off now too?”  “What’s the difference between a containment and a lockdown?” “Has Jackson ever had to go down into a real lockdown?”  Then, the announcement was made that the school was now under lockdown.  (Staff had been “warned” this may happen sometime soon.)  So, off went the lights; my kids left their work stations and crawled under my tables.  I closed the window covering on my door and closed my window blinds.    The room was only lit by the light of our projector screen…

and then it hit.

Like a ton of bricks.

I looked around my classroom.

These images stopped me dead in my tracks.

What the hell are we doing?  These are kids!  When did this become normal and part of their daily school lives?   My kids were playing math games, setting up dominoes, and working on Google presentations one minute and the next minute, they are under a table in total silence.

Just sickened me the rest of the day.

My own 2 children have never known school life without these sorts of drills.  When did it become ok to talk about active shooters, guns, attacks, and life saving measures with our students?  This is not ok.

As the day goes on and more news comes out about the horrific shooting in CA earlier today, I am sickened.  I am scared.

Scared to send my kids to school.

Scared to send them to a movie theater.

Scared to go to a store.

Scared to go grocery shopping.

Scared to go to church.

Scared to play out in the yard.

Scared to send them off to college one day.

Scared to keep teaching them all about LOVE and how we treat ALL people.

Scared to live like this.

Scared that our own kids no longer live in a safe world.  We don’t live in a safe world.  And why? Because of the almighty dollar and politics.

So, we as teachers and parents try to be brave.  We think about these things and we try our best to protect our kids…and other people’s kids.  We know we can’t be scared… our kids are watching us.

Gun control has to be strengthened.  We are better than this!

Mental Health is a PROBLEM and it isn’t going away!

GUNS are a problem in the hands of the wrong people!  Now is the time for us to stand and to BE the change!

“Thoughts and prayers” are not enough.

THIS HAS TO STOP.