1. Announce Drills in Advance

Predictability lowers anxiety.

Children and staff should know when a drill is happening. Predictability lowers anxiety.

Young children rely heavily on predictability to feel secure. When a drill is announced ahead of time, it allows students’ nervous systems to remain regulated. Surprise drills, particularly for early learners, can activate stress responses that interfere with learning and memory.

NASP and other school safety experts recommend that elementary drills be communicated clearly in advance to both staff and families.

Educator Takeaways:

• • Include drill dates in staff communications and, when appropriate, family newsletters.

• • Remind students the morning of the drill in simple, calm language.

• • Avoid framing the drill as a “test.” Frame it as “practice.”

• • Maintain your normal tone and schedule as much as possible before and after.

Predictability communicates safety. When children know what’s coming, they can focus on learning the routine, not reacting to fear.

2. Use Calm, Neutral Language

Language shapes emotional response.

The words we choose matter deeply in elementary settings. Terms like “bad guy,” “shooter,” or graphic explanations are not developmentally necessary for young children to follow procedures. Avoid that kind of inflammatory language.

Instead, best practice encourages neutral, procedural language that emphasizes action and safety rather than threat.

Examples include:

• • “We are practicing staying safe.”

• • “We are going to move to our safe spot.”

• • “We are practicing being quiet and listening carefully.”

Educator Takeaways:

• • Keep explanations short and concrete.

• • Focus on what students do, not why danger exists.

• • Use the same phrasing each time to build familiarity.

• • Avoid hypotheticals or “what if” scenarios during elementary drills.

When children hear consistent, calm language, they build a clear mental script. Clarity increases compliance. Emotional escalation decreases it.

3. Avoid Sensory Shock

No simulated gunfire. No actors. No surprise scenarios.

I know this shouldn’t even have to be mentioned but unfortunately there are still professionals that believe this is the way to shape behavior. Thankfully, in recent years, many districts have intentionally moved away from high-intensity simulations for elementary students. Professional organizations caution that simulated gunshots, yelling, or staged intruders can cause unnecessary distress and are not required for effective learning at young ages.

Research in child development consistently shows that heightened stress impairs memory consolidation. In other words, panic does not improve performance.

Educator Takeaways:

• • Keep drills procedural and low-stimulation.

• • Practice quietly moving to the designated area and following instructions.

• • Avoid adding realism beyond what is developmentally appropriate.

• • Ensure all staff are aligned in maintaining a calm tone throughout the drill.

Children do not need to feel fear to learn a routine. They need repetition in a safe environment.

4. Pre-Brief and Debrief

Connection strengthens understanding.

Before a drill, briefly explain:

• • What will happen

• • What students will do

• • That adults are there to help

Afterward, allow space for questions. Even a five-minute debrief can significantly reduce lingering anxiety.

The National Association of School Psychologists emphasizes that processing time helps children integrate the experience in a healthy way.

Educator Takeaways:

• • Begin with reassurance: “This is practice.”

• • Normalize questions.

• • Correct misinformation gently and factually.

• • End on a steady note: “You did a great job practicing.”

Debriefing communicates that drills are structured and controlled — not chaotic events.

Explain the purpose before the drill and allow time afterward for questions and reassurance.

5. Prioritize Adult Preparedness

The burden of complexity belongs to adults — not children.

Federal safety guidance consistently underscores that comprehensive threat assessment, crisis response coordination, and tactical planning are adult responsibilities.

Elementary students need simple, repeatable actions:

• • Move to the safe spot.

• • Stay quiet.

• • Listen to the teacher.

They do not need layered tactical explanations.

Educator Takeaways:

• • Ensure staff receive in-depth professional development separately from student drills.

• • Collaborate with School Resource Officers ahead of time to align messaging.

• • Clarify adult roles internally so children experience confident leadership.

• • Remember: regulated adults create regulated students.

Prepared adults reduce the emotional weight placed on children.

Adults should train in depth. Children should practice routines. The burden of tactical complexity does not belong on elementary students.

These recommendations align beautifully with trauma-informed practice: regulate first, teach second.

Regulate First. Teach Second.

These five best practices share a common thread: emotional safety enhances physical safety.

When children are calm:

• • They process information more effectively.

• • They remember routines more accurately.

• • They respond to adult direction more reliably.

Trauma-informed practice does not mean eliminating preparedness. It means delivering it in a way that supports development.

For elementary schools, that means:

• • Predictability over surprise

• • Procedure over simulation

• • Reassurance over intensity

• • Adult readiness over child burden

Preparedness should and can feel steady.
Practice should and can feel routine.
Safety should and can feel supported.

When we approach lockdown drills with care, we protect more than buildings — we protect the emotional climate of the classroom.

And that matters.