The John Lennon Peace Wall | Prague 2010

The John Lennon Peace Wall | Prague 2010
John Lennon Peace Wall | Prague 2010 | Photo by Deborah S. Greenhut

About Me

United States
Deborah S. Greenhut, PhD, is a playwright, arts documentarian, and educator who began teaching in a one-room school house in rural New England during 1970. These days you can find me collaborating with urban educators and students, seeking new ways to make education artful. I have consulted on management skills and communication arts in 44 of the United States and 5 provinces in Canada. I believe that people learn more effectively through drama-assisted instruction, and I exploit the Internet to deliver it. The views expressed here are entirely mine and not those of any other institution or organization.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Discrepancies: The Teaching Life & School Safety

A video offers a caveat to those who think that teachers or children have an easy life:

Mexican Teacher of a kindergarten calms her young students in the middle of a shootout.

When interviewed, the teacher explained that all teachers receive training in how to handle these incidents. So, it's just part of the day, right?

We can soothe ourselves by saying it's not in our country, but our schools offer similar training and there are requirements or wishes for school safety, as reported, for example, in New York...New Jersey...California...Arizona, too. Managing weapons is very much a part of the school day. But that doesn't mean that it's all good. According to School Safety News, "Most schools have a lockdown plan. However not many schools have a good lockdown plan."

This is just one issue in a teacher's day. Try singing these lyrics the next time you're in lockdown, and do the math for school and teacher budgets while you go through the motions.

Everyone wants to feel safe. It's interesting that we put this burden on teachers and students with so few resources to support them. She was just doing her job, she said. "War, children, it's just a shot away" ...What is our job?

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