A friend, Liz in Los Angeles, who used to teach third grade in Compton, reflected in her blog today on the code yellow drills she used to do with her class. Students had to lie on the floor in case a gunman were at the school, and teachers had to shut their doors and not open them again under any circumstances until the all-clear bells rang. This was commonplace in the eyes of the students, who at first reassured Liz about the difference between a code yellow and a fire drill, and went through the motions, recounting for her all the violence they’d seen in their lives. From the post:
Those code yellow drills repeated themselves regularly over the years I taught in Compton. Those drills, and what I knew people thought and expected of my students, were a reminder of why I needed to work so hard as a teacher, why my students deserved the same education as kids in wealthy areas.
So, I learned to lay on the floor and continue the lesson I’d been teaching. I’d ask my students comprehension questions about the story we were reading. I’d give them math problems to work out in their heads.
We’d also talk about college and how it was a wonderful place to go. I’d tell them about how colleges have beautiful green grassy lawns where you can relax and be whoever you want to be. I’d tell them how you get to live in a dorm and listen to loud music and go to great parties and stay up all night without parents there to supervise.
I’d tell them that they could go to class and learn about whatever they wanted to learn about and not have to worry about people shooting up the neighborhood or coming on campus with a gun.
One time a student asked if there were really no code yellows in college. I confidently rolled my eyes and replied, "No, there aren’t code yellow drills in college! People don’t shoot each other at college."
Liz goes on to say that this isn’t the case anymore. "Truly, there is no safe space anymore in the United States," she says.
