Lecture on School Lockdown Experiences

Introduction

• Focus on engaging students in writing.
• Narrator recalls a vivid memory from two years ago related to a school lockdown.

Personal Experience in High School

Setting

• Nearing the end of the school year in history class.
• Dislikes the class and teacher, leading to a decision to skip class.
• Hides in a secluded bathroom stall at the back of the school.

Lockdown Situation

• Principal announces a lockdown over the intercom, urging adherence to procedures.
• Initially disregarded due to it being perceived as a drill.
• Power outage adds to the tension.
• Learns from a friend via text that the lockdown is real due to an armed student in the school.

Encounter

• Sound of footsteps and someone entering the stall next to the narrator.
• Brief conversation reveals the other student is also hiding due to the lockdown.
• Principal instructs students to exit the school orderly; narrator leaves but notices the other student stays.

Aftermath

• Learns from a friend that the armed student was hiding in the same bathroom.
• Reports the incident to the police; the armed student escapes through a window.
• Reflects on the danger of being next to the person they were hiding from.

Experience as a Teacher

Early Career

• First year teaching first grade in a public elementary school.
• Finds the job stressful and chaotic due to inexperience.

Lockdown Situation

• During a spelling worksheet assignment, a sudden lockdown is announced.
• Unaware if it's a drill or real but follows protocol: locks the door, turns off lights, and gathers students.

Tension

• Hears banging on doors and an intruder trying to enter the classroom.
• A student cries, alerting the intruder who attempts to break in.
• Police intervene with warning shots, apprehending the intruders.

Aftermath

• Intruders identified as high school students; motives unclear but suspected to be serious.
• Classes resume; bullet holes in the hallway serve as a reminder of the incident.

Middle School Incident

Last Day of Middle School

• During a field day unable to participate due to a concussion.
• Alone in a classroom playing a DS, with teachers in meetings nearby.

Intruder Encounter

• A man enters the classroom, indicates he has a gun, and threatens the narrator.
• Attempted abduction thwarted by lockdown alarm, causing the intruder to flee.

Resolution

• Narrator provides information to police about the intruder.
• Intruder later admits to attempting to kidnap students.
• Reflects on the timely activation of the school's alarm system.

Conclusion

• These experiences highlight the importance of lockdown procedures and readiness in schools.
• The narrator's personal accounts underline the serious implications and emotional impact of such events.