Today I was teaching away, much like any other day. We just started our sex ed unit, so it is a pretty fun time in my classroom. It was 5th period (the end of my day) and there was about 5 minutes or so left. I was up in the front, reading and answering question box questions when a girl in the front of the room falls out of her chair. The class kind of giggles, and I look down and realize she is not moving.
I ask if she is okay, and then the class gets silent. She still isn't moving. At that moment about a million things flew through my mind.
*Let me remind you all that my classroom is not inside the regular building. I am in a trailer building in the back of the parking lot*
I have a class of 32 kids looking at me, and one girl not moving, face down on the floor. At first I think we should get the teacher next door, but I decide that there isn't much she could do. I then hear the voice of our school police officer ringing through my head "In an emergency, your job is to keep your students safe and to keep them calm." After I tap on her shoulder, I ask again if she is okay. I see her back is moving (she was breathing.) I quietly ask one student to get me the phone from the back of the room, and ask the rest of the class to go outside. (At this point she had started to move a bit and I was concerned she was having a seizure and would wet herself in front of everyone.) As the kids leave, and I call the main office. The girl starts to sit up (thank the Lord!)
It turns out she hadn't eaten lunch or breakfast. She said she had eaten some dinner the night before. I made her eat a Cliff bar that I had brought for my after school snack. Luckily, my prep period is 6th period, because I don't know how I would have taught the next class. I was so shaky from the adrenaline!
I had always wondered what I would do in an emergency, and it turns out I did pretty well, however, I hope I never have to do anything like that again!
Have you ever had to deal with an emergency?
6 comments:
Oh goodness, that had to be terrifying. I am so glad that she is okay and that you kept yourself, her and the other students safe.
Oh dear! That is terrifying. I'm glad you were able to keep her and everyone else safe.
Wow, what an awful experience! You just never know how you'll react to something like that until it happens to you. Sounds like you did an awesome job keeping everyone calm!
I think as teachers we are all bound to experience some kind of emergency. I have found that in most situations I am surprisingly calm. One time, a student teacher in my school slipped and fell in the classroom right before the kids starting coming in to school. We heard her scream, and while her cooperating teacher dealt with her, I just calmly ushered her students in to my classroom. She was astounded at how calm I was. Me too!
I'm glad your student was ok, and I hope she's sure to eat breakfast and lunch in the future!
You rock. Nicely done :) I would like to think that I would react somewhat similarly, but I haven't been in a situation anywhere near that.
Oh my god so scary!!! glad she adn you are ok!
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