Episodes of school violence, including mass shootings, have left educators with unique challenges in providing for students’ physical and emotional safety. They’ve also left parents with the added challenge of explaining these events and creating a sense of safety for children who sometimes feel unsafe at school.

Each day teachers and students enter their work and learning environments with a certain amount of stress and anxiety. Active shooter drills and school lockdowns are necessary safety precautions; however, they often add to this stress. As parents, we can support schools in their efforts to keep students physically and emotionally safe by attuning with our children’s social-emotional health before and after active shooter drills, lockdowns and other disturbing events.

Listen as high school student Hannah Mercer and her mother, Nicole Mercer, share their experiences with active shooter situations and lockdown drills.

Essential Takeaways

• Communicating and practicing procedures with students before lockdown situations is essential to reducing panic and anxiety during these events.

• Adults must practice self-calming first, and then support children in doing the same during lockdowns.

• Once the lockdown or drill is over, make extra time for connection and for students to talk about their experiences.

Steps for Tomorrow – from the student perspective

• Teachers, talk with your students about lockdown procedures and walk through them before the actual drill takes place.

• Teachers, practice self-calming when directing students during drills and while providing information to let know students know they are safe.

• When drills are over, offer deep breathing activities and reassurance that students are safe. Utilize the day for review rather than teaching new content.

Steps for Tomorrow – from the student perspective

• Learn about the school’s lockdown procedures so you can reflect and talk with your children before and after these experiences happen at school.

• On the same day of the event, create time at home for children to share their thoughts and feelings about lockdown situations.

Important Links

www.ConsciousDiscipline.com

Products

• Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Classrooms

https://consciousdiscipline.com/e-learning/online-courses/

• Link to trauma webinars

https://consciousdiscipline.com/webinar-series-understanding-trauma/

• Feeling Buddies for Home Toolkit

https://shop.consciousdiscipline.com/products/feeling-buddies-basic-toolkit-for-classrooms

Show Outline

:20 What is Conscious Discipline?

2:54 Introduction of student guest Hannah Mercer

3:42 Hannah’s experience of first school lockdown

8:37 Returning to school activities after lockdown

11:53 Managing subsequent lockdowns

15:34 Returning to school after an active shooter situation

17:26 What could teachers do to be helpful before, during and after a lockdown?

23:32 Introduction of parent guest Nicole Mercer

25:17 Bringing Conscious Discipline home

26:04 Story of responding from an old skillset vs. the Conscious Discipline skillset

28:48 Responding to siblings during conflict

30:40 Parent reactions during school lockdown

34:19 What happens when you reconnect with your child after a lockdown?

37:50 Reflecting on the impact of lockdowns for your child

40:30 Do you worry about your child going to school?

41:25 Recommendations for parents

46:10 What’s Becky up to