Think back to when you were in school. Do you remember those monthly fire drills? Meant to prepare you for what to do in the event of a real fire. Your teachers would practice lining you up, walking out of the classroom (after turning off lights and doors, of course), and walking outside. There, your teacher took attendance and asked you to wait quietly in line, until the principal gave the signal that you could return to class.

Today, those fire drills are still part of school life. Unfortunately, there is also a need for other types of drills and classroom safety tips. That include what to do during severe weather emergencies, lockdowns for emergency situations happening outside of (but close to) the school itself, and active shooter situations.

October 5th is World Teachers’ Day, and this is the “occasion to mark progress and reflect on ways to counter the remaining challenges for the promotion of the teaching profession.”  With this in mind, it is worthwhile to consider the risks teachers face in the teaching profession & safety challenges their students face each day.

Sadly, the seemingly endless news stories of school shootings can strike fear into the heart of even the most confident parent, teacher, or student. Having to practice sheltering in place in the classroom, huddled with classmates in a corner, so a potential shooter could not anyone inside the classroom. That certainly makes teachers and students consider the worst-case scenarios. And while practicing through drills can increase one’s chances of staying alive during an active shooter event. There are also additional safety tips for teachers and school safety tips for students. You can follow those tips to keep everyone safe, proactively and during an emergency.

Read on to learn more about the following classroom safety tips.

• Follow preventive safety measures at school

From the front office to the classroom, school districts have implemented safety measures, policies, and emergency safety tips to keep everyone safe. Many schools require visitors to buzz in. Some of them even go one step further by having technology that requires a valid ID. The valid id use in order to generate a visitor’s pass/sticker to enter the building.. Once a visitor enters the office, there are sign-ins, to note the time someone enters and exits the building, as well as the location that indicates where the visitor plans to go. Another security measure districts take is to only allow access to the building from the main entrance. They need to keep other exterior doors locked at all times.

Many schools today also require teachers to keep classroom doors locked, for greater control and security as to who can enter each classroom. By observing these rules and following the procedures, you’re already positioning the school to remain a safe place. And if someone isn’t following these measures and policies, don’t ignore it. Is someone keeping a door propped open in the hallway? Close it. Do you notice a parent walking through the hall, unescorted and without a visitor badge? Politely ask him or her to return to the office to sign in and get the appropriate pass.

• Treat drills seriously

Although it’s only a drill, the more teachers and students treat it as if it were a true emergency. The better-equipped everyone will be to know what to do in a real crisis. If students don’t pay attention to exit routes, remain quiet during the drill, etc., it is unlikely that they will suddenly act differently during an emergency. On the contrary; if students are scared and panicking, it will be more difficult than ever to maintain a sense of composure – and to think clearly. These drills allow the protocols to become second-nature, eliminating the need to think during the “real thing.” Instead, everyone will automatically know what to do, where to go, etc.

• Get Silent Beacon

The Silent Beacon is one of the best safety tips for teachers. This lightweight, portable safety device makes getting help at a moment’s notice a snap. With the press of a button on the Bluetooth-enabled device, help is on the way. That’s because the Silent Beacon, when paired with the free app, sends an alert to the user’s seven contacts. Those contacts are friends, family, and emergency personnel. Pressing the button triggers alerts to those contacts via text message, phone call, email, or all three. Best of all, once emergency contacts receive the alert, the GPS enables first responders to immediately pinpoint the user’s location. It save the precious minutes… when time matters most.

For teachers, this device can be life-saving. In the event of a classroom emergency, the teacher can press the button to let others know that he or she is in danger. And with the two-way communication feature enabled, it is possible to talk to contacts while waiting for help to arrive. Of course, in a school, most alert systems contact the police and fire department. However, in unfortunate cases where the front office staff is rendered helpless, teachers who are armed with Silent Beacons can still summon help. Even They can used it if they’re in lockdown with their students.

The Silent Beacon is affordable, too. Priced at $99, this one-time fee is all you need to get started. You don’t need to sign on for any recurring charges, and there are no irritating start-up or cancellation fees, either. Plus, the app is free, so once you purchase the Beacon, you can pair the device with the app and you’re prepared for any situation.

Teachers’ and students’ safety should not be taken lightly. So on this World Teacher’s Day, consider sharing these school safety tips. Purchase a Silent Beacon safety device for the teachers in your life on this day. To learn more, visit https://business.silentbeacon.com.