Looking Inside the Locked Doors is an Answer That Can Reduce School Violence!

FORT WORTH, TX, UNITED STATES, September 15, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- With a shortage of teachers across the US and higher teacher to student ratios in classrooms this school year, educators are under extreme pressure. Many students are disengaged or feeling isolated, which increases the risks of ill-discipline and disruptive behavior, or worse, more school shootings. Yesterday, there was another active shooter in Waco, Texas. In May, 21 people were killed. There have been 29 US school shootings in 2022. We usually ask ourselves the same questions after yet another school shooting:

Why did he do it?

Did he have a broken family?

What kinds of profiling are we going to have to do now to figure out who to watch for and get rid of before this happens again?

How much more money do we need for mental health counselors so that we can identify the kids who might do something and keep an eye on them? When we identify them, what do we do with them?

None of these questions and ideas are helpful. They are all problem focused questions and thus far, have led to no solutions at all, 29 more times this year.

Instead of asking students, staff and parents: “What kind of school do we need to create where school shootings never occur?” we stay problem focused on why shootings happen and lose. We lock more doors, get clear backpacks and then people die again, and again.

School has started again and teachers are holding their breath each day. There are more police officers and vigilant administrators waiting to profile and observe students of question. Teachers are even more scared of challenging, “scary” students and will probably quickly ignore and disengage them, not knowing what to do. Those students will react with disrespect and then teachers will demand that they are thrown out of their classrooms. That happens all of the time. Other students will be afraid of going to school and will be more anxious than they are now. More counselors will be needed. They will become overwhelmed. The same climate where the school shooters evolved from will prevail.

Is anyone scared yet?

"The good news is that I believe that educators join the field because they love kids. I also think many of them feel helpless given the many personal issues that affect their students. Teachers are not mental health professionals, and they should not be! They are there to teach, and reach kids. But to make our school safe, really safe, they must get new skills," says Dr. Linda Metcalf

• Skills that help teachers to learn how to look beyond family issues at a kid who somehow got to school in spite of poverty, domestic violence or a fatherless home and engage that student so she begins to believe in herself.


• Patience and skills that push teachers to engage with and get to know the most troubled students of all, like no one else has ever done before, giving them hope. In fact, pursuing such students until a relationship develops, never giving up.


*. An ability to see an expert in every student, not just misbehavior and disrespect and once seen, letting that student know that he/she has potential.


“Schools that implement the solution focused approach, described above transform into safer schools with no discipline issues,” says Dr Metcalf. "The solution focused approach is an evidence based, well-researched model that when implemented, drastically changes the school climate.

In those schools students and teachers work through their challenges together; there is reduced conflict because previously disengaged students start engaging; students become responsible leaders; and there is great pride in the school’s academic success.”

By the way, schools that implement the solution focused approach reduce discipline referrals and increase their academic success rates. They are safer without focusing on security. In fact, there are no discipline issues. None.

In the United States there are over 3.7 million teachers. Imagine, six months from now, if those 3.7 million teachers were equipped with the skills that I describe above and a few more, and engage every single kid in their class, no matter what the kid looked like or acted like.

Would you be as scared then?

The Solution Focused Schools Conference will be held on October 28-29 with speakers from solution focused schools around the world. Attendees will learn all they need to know to start becoming a solution focused school and be safe for everyone.

Linda S Metcalf
Solution Focused Schools Unlimited
+1 817-690-2229
email us here
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