Class Safety
So in most school you can not 100% say you have set up a full safety plan but as a teacher you have control of your classroom. Planing is a very big thing you need to make sure you have thought of almost everything. If you see your school has a weakness bring it up in a meeting and document that you have stated weakness. This help you legally if anything should happen. Work with Addmistration, School Safety Teams, Offices to help make you plan work. Here are some of my suggestions for setting up a safe classroom.
Before the school Year
1. I check all windows and doors locks: making sure they can open and lock without hesitation
2. Power outlets and Lights: checking to make sure wires are not in reach and students could not be shocked
3. Drills & Routes: I take the routes and drills myself first to make sure nothing is in the way and also to have a back up plan just in case our route is blocked. This includes all school drills & routes even any route taken when leaving our class to other parts of the school.
4. Locker Check: I check lockers to make sure there are no hiding spots and for lockers that may be hard to get into.
5. Restroom Check: I check the restroom to make sure it is safe for all students
During the Year
1. Questions: I ask questions during Key Red Ribbon Week that give me information I need to know about students home life with out raising red flags like "Some Family have protection Plan who has that ?, What about a gun in the house for safety?, Is it locked up and out of reach?, Who here has been bullied? " Questions are posted as group discussions so students freely talk and communicate.
2. Check Restroom & Lockers Year Round
3. Have one on one discussions with students who seem to have on-going behavior problems or randomly acting out.
4. Document EVERYTHING!
5. Take an interest : Talk to my students everyday not just about school but life and how they are doing.
6. Practice Drills & Routes
7. Check with Parents: keeping and open line of communication with parents even the difficult one; because at the end of the day the student is who matters the most.
8. Reality Check: I remind my self daily that as a teacher I am responsible for each child in my class and if I am a great teacher (which I am and sure you are too) I know that means I am really responsible for every child in my School!
These are just a few I use in my classroom; I hope they help you have a safe Classroom this year!
