Fire
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In case of a fire, exit Ms. Shanafelt's room and head through the double doors.
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Head to the football field to get as far away form the school as possible.
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Stay with the students from your class and walk calmly and quietly.
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Continue to stay near your class and listen for directions. Ms. Shanafelt will take attendance to ensure everyone from our class made it to the field.
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If you are not in the classroom when the fire alarm sounds, exit the building through the closest door and head to the football field. If you see your class, head to them, however if you do not sit near other students and alert a teacher of your attendance and the room you were supposed to be in.
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If the fire alarm were to sound during passing periods, listen for instruction for teachers if they are near. Otherwise, head out of the building through the closest door. Once on the football field, look for your class or teacher to take role.
Tornado
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In case of a tornado, exit the classroom and head towards the locker area.
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Ms. Shanafelt's class lines up again the far west lockers near the band room.
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Stay quiet and move quickly and calmly to get to the locker area.
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Once you are in the locker area, crouch down, facing the lockers, and cover your head and neck.
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Sit closely together.
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Stay quiet until you hear the "all clear."
Other Emergency
In case of other emergency...
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Always listen to Ms. Shanafelt to determine the right response
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Intruder: students should move to the designated area within the classroom.
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This is the corner on the same wall as the door. Students closest to the window should unhook the blinds.
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Ms. Shanafelt will shut the lights off and protect the door.
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Students should stay quiet and sit closely together.
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Students should stay in this position unless directed otherwise.
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In certain scenarios, students may be asked to leave the classroom through the window.
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In case of an earthquake, students should get under their desks and protect their heads.
Rationale
I explained this information as if my classroom was on the first floor of the building. Of course, this information may change from year to year as more information is discovered. These are the basic non-negotiable rules for students and teachers to follow when emergency situations arise. In event of a tornado, the safest area is one with no windows and no exterior walls. For the 8th grade wing, this is the locker area. Keeping safety in mind, during a fire the furthest area we can get to is the football field. This big area will allow for teachers to get a good count on their students and also have a safe place to wait until further instruction. Lastly, for other emergencies, there are protocols in place, but the best process is to listen to instructions as there are so many variables for each emergency.
What to do if there is no adult in the room?
If there is no adult present in the room and an emergency arises, follow the information on the safety posters on the bulletin board. One student grab the emergency backpack. In case of a tornado or fire, ask the teacher in the room next door or across the hall for further guidance. If the emergency is about an intruder, follow the same instructions that are on the sheet and were shared at the beginning of the year: make sure the lights are off, sit quietly, and shut/lock the door.
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If there is no adult in the room and there is not a current emergency. Students are expected to continue working on the assignment at hand. Students should continue to be respectful and quiet. If students were not assigned work, then they should free read or write until an adult enters the classroom.
Rationale
In this category, I was able to explain how students should react if there was no teacher during an emergency as well as no teacher on a normal day. This way, students are aware of what they are expected to do in both settings. It is unlikely that teachers or adults will be out of the classroom for a long time or without an assignment to work on. However, there is always an exception that this may happen.
Items that are OFF LIMITS for students
Students should not go in the file cabinets or the storage closet. Students should also not sit at, sit under, or touch Ms. Shanafelt's desk.
Rationale
These are the items that are off-limits for students to touch. The paper cutter and the laminator machine are both off limits for students because they are dangerous and could result in injury. The file cabinet has critical information about students as well as the assignments students will be completing throughout the year, so those are off limits. The teacher work desk as well as computer are not to be touched by the students either because of the information stored there. This is also an invasion of privacy and as a teacher, I will ensure that a common practice in my classroom is respect; for yourself and for others. Lastly, the supply closed will be off limits for students, however at certain times during the class day students may be told to retrieve an item from the cabinet. However, without permission students should not mess with the storage cabinet.