Lockdown

Yesterday was our last day of school before Spring Break and was supposed to be a half day, releasing the hooligans at 11:45. One of my classes was finishing up taking a test and I had given them permission to bring chips and salsa to share afterwards (even though their class was from 9:15-9:45 on our early release schedule). So at 9:30, one of my student's mom came in to bring the chips and salsa. I was in the middle of thanking her when the principal came on over the PA system and announced a "code red" lockdown. The first words she said was "you've got to freaking be kidding me" (which was what i was thinking, but of course didn't voice in front of my students). I really didn't want her locked in my classroom so I told her thanks again and pushed her out the door and locked it. While we were waiting for the lock down to be lifted in "semi-silence" with the doors locked, lights off, windows closed, and blinds down (did I mention my school isn't air-conditioned?) it occurred to us that maybe the parent was the reason for the lockdown. (all the doors to the school are locked, so you have to be buzzed in and go to the office to sign in, and if you don't...) Then we get a call from the office asking if the mom left her keys in the classroom because she can't find them (she didn't). When the code red hadn't been lifted after another 10 minutes, we realized that it wasn't mom that set off the alarm. In fact it wasn't for over 30 minutes that we finally heard that there was a '"situation" in the community and that the police felt it was best to secure the school.' A lovely lovely three hours later I'm freaking out because I was planning on leaving at noon to hang out with Sara and Chris (who had arrived last night for a spring break visit) and it didn't look like we were going anywhere. And my reaction was nothing compared to the students locked in my room who felt like we were doing this to personally torture them on their last day before vacation. Seriously belligerent student had to be escorted out of my room by the Special Resource Officer (read: cop) because he refused to sit in his seat, be quiet, and threw an i'm-going-to act-like-a-two-year-old-because-this-is-stupid-and-i-want-to-leave-and-you-can't-keep-me-here-so-f-u type of fit. belligerent.

Lunch time rolls around and I escort everyone down to the cafeteria for the quickest ten minute silent lunch ever and we return to the room with a sense of dread (at least I did). Who knew how long we'd have to be locked back in that room?

the answer: 30 minutes.

The hostage situation in the community was resolved and the police let the lockdown be lifted so everyone could go home! hooray!

Just another day in the life of a middle school teacher, right?