Emptying school cupboards to hide kids: Teachers prepare for the worst in TikTok videos
In the wake of the deadliest U.S. school shooting since 2012, teachers around the nation are doing more than grieving – some are preparing to fight active shooters and hide children in new ways.
Kelsey Vidal is a first-grade teacher at Los Medanos Elementary in Pittsburg, California. She has has a cubby in her classroom with a door defense system, complete with a bar that locks into place to keep outsiders from entering the room.
Vidal also has a backpack that turns into a bulletproof vest and posted a video that walks social media users through using each item.
The door bar sits on the door frame and the handle, she said in a demonstration video posted on TikTok.
"This stays in the cubby next to my door. I would literally only put this on in case there was ever a true emergency," she said in the video.
@mrsvidal6 The barracuda door bar in action!! I store this next to my door in a cubby that is easily accessible. It’s not perfect, but it works for now because it’s quick! #teacher #teachersoftiktok #teacherlife #schoolsafety #school #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachertok ♬ original sound - Kelsey Vidal
Vidal recalled training during her first year teaching, but she didn't feel prepared.
"I hope to see change within our country, but for the time being, I am making my classroom a little safer," she told USA TODAY.
Taylor Mora, who taught at Garner Middle School in San Antonio during the 2021-2022 school year, said in a TikTok video that she keeps her cupboard "cleared and accessible" so she can hide in case of an emergency.
Another TikToker, Erica Baker, teaches fourth grade at R. V. Daniels Elementary School in Jacksonville.
She has been encouraging educators to:
Lock doors at all times
Use red tape to show students where to stand so they can't be seen
Know rules and escape routes for emergencies and lockdowns
Keep a walkie-talkie on hand at all times
@ericaappelo1 I forgot to add jumping every time the intercom comes on 😵💫 #teacher #teachersoftiktok #schoolsafety ♬ the joke is on you. icarly - Kate
The numbers: School shootings are on the rise. More kids are dying from gunfire outside of school, too.
Shootings across the nation: It's not just Uvalde, Texas – gunfire on school grounds is at historic high in the US
There's also April Llano, who's studying to be a teacher and has worked as an assistant teacher and substitute for the North Carolina Leadership Academy in Kernersville, North Carolina.
She made her own video after seeing some online. For teachers who switch classrooms often, she recommends portable door locks.
"This will not work for doors that open out towards the hallway," she wrote in the comments. "Also it’s for someone who doesn’t have a key to lock the classroom door they’re in."
@abril_llanoo Search “Portable door lock” on Amazon it’s now $12. Also check out @kristenkraftsandeats video to see the tool she has for her classroom. #classroomsafety #teachers #door ♬ original sound - Abril Llano
Some teachers have taken things a step further and offered advice on preventing shooters from getting into schools, like TikToker and music teacher Aimee Grissmeyer, who taught in the Columbus School District in Columbus, Wisconsin from 2006 to 2010.
Her advice?
"You need to have one main entrance for your school," she said. "Every other entrance needs to have an alarm on it. If that door is opened for any reason, an alarm needs to go off."
She also encourages schools to have a designated person keep track of who is coming in and out of the school.
She recommends that schools hire a security guard to sit in the front of the building. That way, when someone wants to come into the school, they have to walk up to the guard and show identification.
"They should see these people long before they get up to the door," she said.
Lastly, and most importantly, she said, schools need to "stop it with the code words."
"If there is an active shooter in your school, you need to get on that PA and say 'There is an active shooter in the gymnasium right now,'" she said.
What school safety experts are saying
Kim Simon is the school resource officer and school security officer training and program coordinator at the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. She recommends that schools work with their local first responders to develop plans and follow best practices based on their own unique circumstances, needs and laws.
In Virginia, Simon said, there is legislation that requires critical incident and crisis response planning for schools, behavioral threat assessment for schools and training for school safety personnel, school administrators and law enforcement officers assigned to schools as school resource officers.
Those wanting information on resources and training can go to www.schoolsafety.gov.
Nicholas Filipas from the California Department of Education also said some of the tips mentioned online may be considered in certain situations, but may not apply to all.
He said there are resources online teachers can check out to prepare, such as the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center (REMS TA) website from the U.S. Department of Education.
"School districts and charters may also want to contact and collaborate with their local law enforcement and first responders to coordinate active shooter and active assailant training, or other drills as deemed appropriate," Filipas said.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia and loves all things horror, witches, Christmas and food.
Saleen Martin, sdmartin@usatoday.com, Twitter: @Saleen_Martin
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Viral TikTok videos show teachers preparing for a school shooting
