Sweet Mrs. B and I frequently observe that when my teaching pilgrimage began in the 90’s, we considered education one of the safest possible occupations. What could possibly be less dangerous than teaching?
How times change!
Today’s focus for our last day of preplanning was preparation for the unthinkable. I am really proud of the way our administration holds sacred our school parents’ trust that we will protect their children. We take safety seriously, and today we practiced several scenarios.
Practice revealed important insights to me. First, I considered the idea that emergencies do not have to be unplanned. Today I discovered that my response bag was missing two important items. Had we not practiced, I might have been left unprepared in an emergency. I also noticed that the David in my imagination reacts much more calmly under pressure than does the David in reality. When adrenalin kicked in and I heard the sounds of practice-disaster erupt, my heart pounded as though the events were a surprise. I felt a chill come over me – nothing like the calm that always surfaces in my imagination. Less like Harrison Ford and more like Don Knotts. Can you say, Shakiest teacher in the West? Frankly, at some points the drill was a bit unnerving. But that’s why we drill.
My highlight was a short discussion with an upcoming ninth grader who was one of the “victims.” As I applied pressure to the reddened “injury” on his shoulder, we talked about the importance of always being prepared, even (especially) for worst-case scenarios.
Today I was reminded yet again of why I love Christian education. We are never more than an arm’s length away from painting life’s most compelling artistry upon the canvas of young lives, and we can solidify our work within the frame of certainty. Even as we prepare against the backdrop of unsettling twenty-first century realties, we place our confidence in the One who sets our sail and charts our course.
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