And we'll all go together...

I received an e-mail from my principal this morning. Basically the idea is that we will be on a modified lock down for the remainder of the school year. My classroom doors are to be closed and locked at all times. Students are not allowed to open the door without my permission first. Students are not allowed to be on campus without an adult escort.

This means that I may not send a student to the nurse without someone going with them. I can no longer send two or three kids to the library. We all go together. Everywhere. All of the time.

Now this really isn't that different than what we are doing most days. Students already use the buddy system everywhere that they go. There is a chain link fence around my school and all gates are pad locked closed during school hours. I walk them to and from classes and the like but it's just that little bit more of freedom that we are taking away.

Some of us live in fear of what could happen. I do not feel like we should totally ignore the life that is going on around us. This world is a scary place but I do not feel that we need to live in fear every moment of our lives.

How much of our lives are we willing to give away to feel safe? When do we cross this line?