Teacher worn out from worrying about violence at school

Q: Watching the news, you’d think the entire educational system is broken, and that’s simply not true. As a high school biology teacher, I can assure you that students are still learning, even doing labs. But it seems like every day, I’ll hear something along the lines of “a kid brought in a knife” or “a kid told someone he wants to shoot up the school,” or “security just broke up another fight in the bathroom.” I’m scared of what might happen next because many students are teetering on the edge. I feel like anybody could explode at any time, and on top of that, we’re understaffed. I try to compartmentalize my sense of dread or try not to think at all, but I’m worn down by the effort. After years of reassuring students that they’re more-or-less safe, I think I could use some reassurance myself. I don’t want to walk into the building feeling like this every day. It’s exhausting. I know you can’t promise me that a shooting won’t happen in my school any more than I can promise the kids that, but there’s got to be a way I can work without constantly waiting for something terrible to happen. Do you have any tips for me?