Keywords
reflective writing, writing practice, classroom writing, classroom experience
Submission Type
Research
Preview
'Teachers and students, we need all of you to immediately go into lockdown procedures. Again, please begin lockdown procedures."
That announcement had interrupted our freshman English class nearly two hours earlier, and yet the only updates we had were frantic texts and social media updates from friends and family members regarding a report of someone with a weapon on Provo High's campus. As I huddled in the book corner surrounded by my fifth period class, a million different thoughts rushed through my head. More than fear, all I could think about were the logistics. What if the culprit came to my classroom? How long would we be stuck here? As a first year teacher at the beginning of the school year, I didn't know the standard procedures for a lockdown drill, let alone a real lockdown. I went on instinct and locked doors, turned off lights, and herded my squirrely students to the most hidden corner of the room. Our anxiety rose as students received updates from friends who were being evacuated and searched for possible weapons. This intensified when armed SWAT officers pounded on our own door searching for the perpetrator, and entered the classroom with flashlights and firearms. After hours of chaos and increasing anxiety, the violator was found, and we were able to go home.
Recommended Citation
Smedley, Kaylee
(2023)
"Combatting the Inevitable: Reflective Writing in Response to Student Struggles,"
The Utah English Journal: Vol. 51, Article 6.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/uej/vol51/iss1/6