Do you know how to pee in a bucket?

We had a lock down two days in a row. Thursday it was a drill which only lasted maybe 10 minutes....but on Friday, when they called over the intercom to say we were in lock down, I knew it was real.

#1...they never have drills two days in a row
#2...it never lasts 30-45 minutes

Unlike a fire drill, when you need to get the kids OUT....when we are in "lock down" it means there is a is an "issue" outside and we need to keep the kids locked in the classrooms. We have to lock the doors and no one can come in or out, stay away from windows, turn off the lights and there is no talking.

We have only had a "real issue" three times in the 21 years I have been teaching. One was when a VERY YOUNG DAD brought a gun, tucked into the band of his pants, to drop his daughter off after a dentist appointment. His shirt was covering it, but a student saw it and reported it to the teacher, who informed the office. The guy took off running down the street when he knew someone had seen it. We knew who he was, so it wasn't too hard for the cops to track him down. They found out it was unloaded and his reason for carrying it was, "protection." Give me a break. I don't work in the safest neighborhood, but as the gossip flew around the school and the kids found out, they even asked how an unloaded gun was suppose to "protect" him.

The second time was when the P.E. teacher heard shots fired, while she was teaching on the field. I was absent that day, but after the cops checked the neighborhood they found nothing. Probably some idiot firing his gun into the air to "celebrate" something. We get that a lot out here around New Years and The 4th of July.

Time number three was Friday. After the dust settled and we went to lunch, 1/2 hour late, we found out that there was a SWATT situation about 3 blocks away. Anytime the cops have their guns drawn, near a school, they have to lock them down.

I'm all for safety, but it really messed up the schedule. My classes from 11:00 a.m. on basically got nothing done and the kids were hyper the rest of the day.

We had to turn out the lights and not talk, so I couldn't expect them to accomplish anything. After about 15 minutes, I turned on the overhead for a little light. I know...against the rules, but I had to keep the kids calm and they started to figure out that this was real. The kids were really quiet and they spent the time coloring their data notebook covers and snapping pages into place. Then we played HANG MAN. They were starting to get "squirrelly" and I had to keep their minds off the fact that many of them probably had to pee.

That is a whole other issue. We are out in a portable building. Some are lucky enough to have bathrooms, but we are not. Even the classrooms in the building are not allowed to let kids leave for the bathroom, SO, those of us without bathrooms, were each given a large bucket...

....that has a toilet seat and emergency supplies in it. On Monday I am going to explain to my kids how to use it...duh...I know...I should have already done this, but like I said...when a "real" lock down has only happened 3 times in 21 years, it's not the first thing on my priority list.

Anyway....I also found out that one of my coworkers, who is also in a portable, had 4 of her students who needed to use it. Lucky for us, we have a little entrance way, with an extra door, that we can close.

This same teacher had two kids wait too long and ended up having "accidents." This is a whole other post. If your child had a weak bladder, wouldn't you let the teacher know this right away?

We managed to get though it and we are all safe and sound.