False Alarm

Wow.

I could have been on Punk'd or Candid Camera today.

While the kids were quietly starting a new writing prompt this afternoon ... the room started to shake.

At first it started out real quite.

But got louder and louder.

When I looked up towards our ceiling, I noticed our hanging lights and fans were vibrating & shaking.

I was sitting on the ground at the time, and the ground seemed to shake as well.

I'm not gonna lie ...

... my heart started racing.

I thought, "Oh man ... WE'RE HAVING AN EARTHQUAKE ... and I really don't want the kids to freak out!"

All the training scenarios flashed through my mind: get the kids safe, get them under their desk, get away from windows, do a head-count, call the office, etc.

But as my ears perked, I noticed that no other students in neighboring classrooms where loud.

In fact, my students were deathly quite.

Eyes bulging.

Looking at me.

Wondering what to do.

Most of them had a look of panic on their faces.

Some of them were already under their desks.

I went next door to our neighboring 1st grade classroom.

Everyone was sitting quietly doing there work.

Then ... I noticed that their classroom wasn't shaking as bad.

I said, "I think we're having an earth quake."

One of the boys immediately started crying and shouted, "WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

Oops.

I returned to my classroom while mouthing the word "sorry" to Ms. Phan and came back to a classroom of 21 ducking-and-covering students.

Ah ... so proud.

Everyone doing what they should.

Then it his me ... if we were having an earth quake, someone would have come over the intercom already announcing it.

I had the sneaking suspicion to call the 6th grade classroom directly upstairs from us to see if any funny business had been going on.

Student: Mrs. L's room, student speaking.

Me: May I please talk to Mrs. L?

Student: One moment please. (so polite and well trained!)

Mrs. L: Hello

Me: Hey, it's Lisa. Are you guys doing anything loud of up there?

Mrs. L: (pause). No. Why?

Me: Because my classroom was shaking a few minutes ago. Did you feel that earth quake?

Mrs. L: (confused) No. Well ... we were just doing math and the kids were getting squirmy so I had everyone do 50 jumping jacks!?!

Me: (pause) Ah .... well ... will you warn me next time? I have 21 kids ducking-and-covering and a kid in Ms. Phan's class in tears.

Mrs. L: (laughing) Oops ... sorry!

Morals of the story

• Don't announce your inner thoughts to 7 year-olds when they involve large natural disasters
• Always call upstairs first before suspecting anything fishy going on

Lessons learned, my friends.

Lessons learned.