In Case of Emergency
Most of your teaching days will be fairly normal. You might have a few disruptions occur each day, but there will not be many incidents that completely stop education in your classroom or the school for extended periods of time. This is a blessing because major disruptions or emergencies can take a great deal of recovery time. Students often find it quite difficult to focus on mundane schoolwork after a three-hour jaunt to the stadium because of a bomb threat.
However, large disruptions will occur. They can range from the harmless to the severe, and can include the following:
Surprise fire and tornado drills
Actual fires and tornadoes
Bomb threats and scares
Classroom and school-wide power outages
Incidents of school violence
Tragic loss of a student or teacher
Tragic world events that affect the students
School pranks and vandalism
This list is not meant to scare you. However, it is good to be aware of situations that might occur and to have an idea of how you should react. Most schools have established plans to deal with many of these issues. Make sure you have your attendance and grade book readily available because it will be a necessity during emergencies.
As a new teacher, you can look at the unexpected as a scary proposition or as a challenge waiting to be met. Your attitude will carry over into your day-to-day teaching. More importantly, it will influence your students in ways you cannot even imagine.
