Teach your students in special education about emergencies! Having a fire alarm unexpectedly ring in the middle of your teaching is the worst. If you happen to teach students who are on the Autism spectrum it can be so disruptive the day may not recover.
This is how I prepare my students with special needs to deal with emergencies.
Emergencies & Special Education
Emergencies of all kinds can put students on edge, or even terrify them. Fire alarms, in particular, can flush students with so much anxiety that it takes away from a student's ability to participate in the classroom and school community.
Over the years, I've encountered students with difficulties with trusting police officers, determining what is poisonous, and more. It's a lot to process. Then, there are the social rules involved in trying to determine what is or is not a true emergency. They are complicated. So… as a teacher, what can you do? The truth is, I don’t know. I certainly never figured it out as a first-year teacher. But, over the years I have taken some steps towards normalizing fire alarms and other emergencies for my students.
Layer it into your Teaching
I start my social groups at the beginning of each school year with a week spent on Unexpected and Expected behaviors. I use the Zones of Regulation curriculum by Michelle Garcia. Once the vocabulary has been established, I weave lessons on emergencies into our weekly routines. It is a tricky way to depersonalize topics that can be intimidating.
We practice by reading detailed social stories that explain exactly what students can expect in specific emergency situations. These help students know what your exact expectations are for them.
For example, “When the fire alarm goes off it will be loud and lights will flash. I will stand up and walk to the classroom door. I will walk with my hands by my side silently behind my teacher. We will leave the building through the front door.” Stories written in the first person present tense are the most effective in my experience.
Expose Students to the Routines
You can physically walk exit routes. Show examples of poison labels on a bottle. Role-play scenarios where the student may be asked to quickly crawl under a desk or demonstrate what would happen if 911 had to be called. This practice in a controlled, small environment will set students up for success. It may still be scary in the moment but, at least some of the chaos will be reduced.
Watch YouTube videos for kids. Read mentor texts on the topics. And… the secret weapon… ask your student leadership team to make positive behavior intervention support videos demonstrating school-wide expectations for dealing with specific emergencies. These are school-specific and of high interest. So valuable!
Lastly, if you do have an emergency at school don’t let the teaching opportunity pass! Teach through every second of it. When it is over, re-teach by talking through the expected and unexpected points.
Resources for teaching about Emergencies
I layer my curriculum with as many real-life lessons as possible. I created this emergencies reading comprehension workbook for my students. It has ten topics that can be divided into five separate lessons on reading, vocabulary, comprehension, summarizing, and problem-solving.
The topics included are: earthquakes, preparedness, safe people, ambulance, firefighters, security, fire alarm, calling 911, poison, and police officers. Like all of my Life Skills Reading Comprehension Workbooks, the passages are written with content for older students who are reading at a lower level.
I have had success with this workbook. Mostly, it starts the conversations that help me identify early on which students need additional support. I take what I learn and individualize lessons for each student from there.
For some students, the lessons end with the completion of this workbook. But for many, we circle back through these topics all year long. I would love to hear about the creative ways you prepare your students for emergencies.