Teacher's & Principal's Page

This page has all the information listed under the "For Teachers & Principal's" title on the Site Link bar to the left.  You will find a wealth of information on each topic.  The right side of the page is filled with links by topic for additional study.

Teacher's  Links

Listed below are TIPS on the various topics listed for Parents.  There are ADDITIONAL LINKS provided as well for your research.

Informational Links

The FBI's child page

National Association of Teachers

Safety in the classroom

Lets face it, the time when class rooms were totally safe and students harmless has long since passed.  There are many things that a teacher can do to make the classroom safe. when it comes to violence against children, you as a teacher are the the front line soldiers.  Teachers find more child abuse than all others.  Why?  Because you are the one that sees them the most.

When it comes to kids that are violent, you must be aware.  If you have kids at your school that don't fit in, that stand out and make it known they hate you and the school, be aware.  If they make comments about violence or act violently, they are a threat to you and every child in the school. Take every comment or action seriously.

The best thing that you can do to make your classroom safe is know the school procedures for safety. Research and learn what safety measures you feel should be implemented at the school. Get involved with your administration make the school safe.

What to Look for:

1. Lack of interest in school

2. Absence of age-appropriate anger control skills

3. Seeing self as always the victim

4. Persistent disregard for or refusal to follow rules

5. Cruelty to pets or other animals

6. Artwork or writing that is bleak or violent or that depicts isolation or anger

7. Talking constantly about weapons or violence

8. Obsessions with things like violent games and TV shows

9. Depression or mood swings

10. Bringing a weapon (any weapon) to school

11. History of bullying

12. Misplaced or unwarranted jealousy

13. Involvement with or interest in gangs

14. Self-isolation from family and friends

15. Talking about bringing weapons to school

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ADDITIONAL LINKS

National School Safety Center

Keep Schools Safe

Parent-Teachers Association

TIPS: School Safety

Teachers

1. Report to the principal   any threats, signs of or discussions of weapons.

2. Set norms for behavior in your classroom. .

3. Regularly invite parents to talk with you about their children's progress.

4. Learn how to recognize the warning signs of child violence.

5. Encourage and sponsor   programs ranging from peer education to teen courts.

6. Serve on a team to implement a Safe School Plan.

7. Enforce school policies that reduce the risk of violence.

8. Insist that students not resort to name-calling or teasing.

9. Teach with enthusiasm.

10. Learn and teach conflict resolution and anger management skills. H

11. Incorporate discussions on violence and its prevention into the subject matter.

12. Encourage students to report crimes or activities that make them suspicious.

Sexual Abuse Symptoms

Typical symptoms of children exposed to sexual abuse vary but include the following:

1. Stomachaches, headaches, changes in appetite.

2. Difficulty sleeping, nightmares, flashbacks, moodswings, phobias and depression.

3. Avoidance of school, declining grades, increased peer fighting, and fear of adults.

4. abusive language, sexualized language, suicide attempts, sexual activity with same sex children or animals and younger children.

5. Lying, stealing and sexually aggresive behavior.

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ADDITIONAL LINKS

NCMEC Library Resources

Best Child Protection site I found

School Admin issues

If you are a school administrator you are not viewed as a teacher by parents.  Honestly, you are not viewed as a teacher by your school resource officer either.That puts you in a tough place.   Most of them don't really understand  your function, responsibilities or authority. Many parents view school administrators as people who make lots of rules that are inconvienent and not understood.

When it comes to child violence at school, however, you will be the one that is held responsible and to blame if anyone is hurt. It won't matter how many years you taught. It won't matter how many letters you have after your name or how many masters or doctorates you have.  Most of all it won't matter how hard you have worked.  To them you will be the one who ignored the signs, no matter how slight. You will be the one that didn't see the 20/20 hindsight version of the obvious.

The worst part about all is that you won't be able to forgive yourself for everything they blame you for because one or more of your students was killed or injured.

Now, if you can read this without being affected at all, you need to find another job. If it bothered you or made you re-access your knowledge of school violence, then get in the books, get a safety survey for your school from a qualified person and make a gigantic effort to communicate, who you are and what you do, to your students' parents.

Lastly, communicate your safety rules to all parents and explain each in detail so they understand why they are needed.

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TIPS: School Safety

Administrators

1. Give school floor plans to police, fire department and EMTs.

2. Perform regular emergency drills for school shootings and fires.

3. Form an off campus meeting place for parents so they don't rush the school during a crisis.

4. Provide intervention for troubled kids.

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ADDITIONAL LINKS

NCMEC Library Resources

Best Child Protection site I found

National School Safety Center

Keep Schools Safe

Parent-Teachers Association

TIPS: School Safety

Administrators

1. Establish "zero tolerance" policies for weapons and violence. Spell out penalties in advance.

2. Establish a faculty-student-staff committee to develop a Safe School Plan. Invite law enforcement officers to be part of your team.

3. Develop a memorandum of understanding with law enforcement on access to the school building, reporting of crimes, arrests, and other key issues.

4. Offer training in anger management, stress relief, mediation, and related violence prevention skills to staff and teachers.

5. Keep lines of communication open to all kinds of student groups and cliques.

6. Provide lists of volunteer opportunities; ask parents to organize phone trees; hold events on weekends as well as week nights.

7. Create safe corridors for travel to and from school; even older students will stay home rather than face a bully or some other threat of violence.

8. Insist that your faculty and staff treat each other and students the way they want to be treated.

9. Make sure that teachers, counselors, coaches, and other adults in the school know how to connect a needy student with available resources.

10. Ensure that students learn violence prevention techniques throughout their school experience.

11. Consider establishing policies for mandatory storage of coats in lockers, mesh or clear backpacks and duffle bags and limited entry access to the building.

Weapons at School

Your worst nightmare has to be facing down a gun in your classroom, school hall way or parking lot.  If you are like most teachers, you became one to make a difference in the lives of kids.  That never included dealing with drug dealers, outcast killers and gang bangers.  Well, the dream is over.  Schools are not safe places.  Even if you work in the most expensive, elite, private school you are not imune to being faced deadly force. 

What do you do about guns at school? You pay attention and ge to know all the students.  The ones that seem aggresive and dangerous should be passively watched even closer.  If they make threats to other kids, it should be reported to the administrative head of the school in writing.  No matter how close you think you are to your prinicpal, you must make it clear that you expect any and all issues involving guns and kids to be taken seriously and done so immediately.

Above all else, get involved with the administration.  Form a School Violence Committee and encourage the other teacher to participate.  This forum can be very important to parents and they will support you.

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TIPS: School Safety

Guns and School

1. Establish "zero tolerance" policies for weapons and violence in your class. Spell out penalties in advance.

2. Establish a faculty-student-staff committee to develop a Safe School Plan. Invite other teachers, and parents to be part of your team.

3. Work into your lesson plans, some training for your students in anger management, stress relief, mediation, and related violence prevention skills.

4. Keep lines of communication open to all kinds of student groups and cliques.

5. Encourage students who stay home rather than face a bully or some other threat of violence, to report it.

6. Insist that your student treat each other and you the way you want to be treated.

TIPS: Shots are being fired.

What do you when the shots go off.

1. Remember, you cannot panic.   Your kids are depending on you.

2. Staying in the classroom has not proved to be wise. Getting out of the classroom to the outside and running to safety is the best option.

3. Make a phone call on your classroom phone to 911. Otherwise use your cell phone. Let someone know where you are and what you are doing.

4. Once out of the room, get to the outside and stay together.
   

Alcohol & Drugs

This one is simple.  If you have a student that is using alcohol or drugs, report the student.  You might be the one that saves me or some other police officer from responding to the fatal DUI-accident.  If you know one of your students is selling drugs, report, the student.  You will be saving all of his or her future drug buyers from a life of addiction.

Simple, pay attention, and do what is right.  Let the cops do the rest.

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TIPS: Drugs and Booze

Simple

1. You know what to do!

Field Trips

If you have any of your hair left after a field trip, you must have slept through the whole day.  I am simply amazed that a teacher can take 20 to 30 kids out of the school, go to a public place, see the sights, and get back with everybody. 

The biggest issue with field trips is making sure that you communicate to ALL of the parents of your students IN ADVANCE what the rules are.

Make sure that the parents that accompany you know all the rules about field trips backwards and forwards.

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TIPS: Field Trips

Rules

1. Have an established procedure for scheduling field trips.

2. Only parents that have been approved can drive and no substitutes on the day of the trip.

3. Assign students to each car or van and make sure they have appropriate carseats, booster seats, etc. Remember the airbags!

4. No moving kids around. Once the plan is made, it is in stone.

5. The approved list of each car's occupants should be made with appropriate Emergency contacts listed. A copy should be left in the school office in case of emergency.

6. Roll call should be made at the field trip location both before and after  the event.

7. All the rules should be given in advance to all parents of students in the class, preferably at the beginning of the year.

School Emergencies

When a emergency takes place at a school. parents expect one thing from you as teachers and administrators.  They want to be told the truth.

They expect that plans and procedures are in place and that the staff is trained and proficient.

That means training for staff in all areas of emergency preparedness and response.  Fire drills, school shooting drills, storm drills and if appropriate, earth quake drills. 

They expect that in an emergency, that there should be a place they can go to get information.

They expect that you have provided the Police, Sheriff's Office, Fire Department and National Emergency Management Agency have copies of school floor plans, student rosters, emergency contact numbers of parents, current list of student that are absent, etc.

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TIPS: School Emergencies

Being Prepared

1. Have a plan for every emergency and communicate it in writing to all parents, staff and law enforcement.

2. Communicate and train all employees and students each year.

3. Install phones in classrooms, have siren with distincly different sound for different emergencies.

4. Teach the students just like the teachers, they pay attention and remember stuff like this better.

5. Expect an emergency and you won't be suprised.

6. Give floor plan diagrams to all law enforcement, fire departments and NEMA.

7. Keep current absentee rosters, student emergency contact lists, student rosters.

8. Meet with all local law enforcement officials, Fire officials and tell them about your plans.

9. Let the SWAT team practice in your school.  They need to know your school inside and out if they have to come do their job there.

Please feel free to contact us if you would like to host a workshop or seminar:

Childviolence.com
P.O. Box 4437
Cordova, TN 38088-4437

EMAIL
john@childviolence.com

God Bless America