The high school went into lockdown this morning when drug-sniffing dogs were brought in to sweep the school. It was interesting to see the students' faces when this announcement was made. As expected, the learning process was interrupted as students eagerly voiced their opinions on what was happening.
One student went on a bit of a rant about how the school was getting ridiculous...threatening to tow their vehicles for parking on campus without parking tags, giving detentions for not wearing their student ids while in the building, and now bringing the dogs into the school. She was quick to point out that none of this was going on just a couple years ago; more than likely her attempt to place blame on the new administration. Although slightly in agreement, the student sitting next to her made this comment, "We also weren't receiving regular bomb threats two years ago."
There are moments in teaching when you have to throw out the lesson plan (for awhile anyway) and use what is handed to you. Drug-sniffing dogs allowed us to discuss how education is different today than it was just a couple years ago, that rules (whether they agree with them or not) will be enforced upon them throughout their lives, and that all decisions (big, small, deliberate, or accidental) have consequences, positive and negative.
While I love teaching literature and writing, it is because of these moments that I remain in teaching (and here you thought it was because of the money!). Today's lesson allowed all learners to take part, no matter their academic levels, and in all honesty, it's lessons and discussions like these that will impact their lives more than practicing constructed response questions for the MAP test.
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