'What do I do?' Educators make plans for when students walk out of the classroom or building
Educators use the term 'eloping' to describe a student who leaves the classroom or building without permission.
Educators use the term 'eloping' to describe a student who leaves the classroom or building without permission.
Educators use the term 'eloping' to describe a student who leaves the classroom or building without permission.
Educators call it "eloping" — when students leave the classroom, or even the building, without permission.
Nebraska's Educational Service Unit 7 covers all or parts of seven counties around Columbus. Educators there see students, mostly in elementary school, eloping more often.
When a student runs out of a classroom, educators also have to be quick on their feet. Teachers and behavior specialists at ESU 7 said they have to be prepared for when a student elopes, and have individualized plans in place to keep students safe.
"All of a sudden you find yourself chasing after a student outside the building, and you're by yourself. So you're like, ‘what do I do?’" said Brandy Rose, a school psychologist with ESU 7. "If the student's leaving the building, we do not always know exactly what's going to happen. It's so unpredictable."
Rose has seen students walk into streets.
"We've had to have people bring their car just to make sure to block other cars from coming in," Rose said.
Teachers at ESU 7’s learning academy are trained to handle this kind of situation, as they work with students who have intellectual disabilities. But teachers at public schools may not have the same resources.
Teacher Anne Baptiste emphasized that most students do not want to cause harm, but are in fight or flight mode when they walk out.
"Even though school is safe, they truly have a feeling that they need to escape,” Baptiste said. “And just remembering trying to support someone that is in crisis."
Teachers also have to be on the lookout for their own safety.
"The main thing is just trying to come up with that plan,” Rose said. “Get everybody on board, say this is what it might look like, if so-and-so leaves the building."
Although this phenomenon is an additional stressor for special education teachers, Baptiste said the good parts of her job outweigh the bad.
"The job is really hard,” Baptiste said. “But I also get to see some pretty magical moments."
In data collected by Rose at ESU 7, 20% of educators said they do not feel well-equipped to handle eloping students. When students make it out of the building, it is standard protocol to call law enforcement. Ideally, however, she said an adult the student trusts can help guide them back to the classroom.
"Everyone right now in education is needing a lot of grace and understanding," Baptiste said.