2026 Conference Archive

Beyond the All-Clear: Guiding School Teams Through Post-Lockdown Reflection and Recovery

First Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

M. Ed.

Year First Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2013

First Presenter's Field of Study

School Counseling

Institution Where First Presenter Received Highest Degree

University of West Georgia

First Presenter's Institution

Paulding County School District

First Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

Amanda serves the Paulding County School District as the Coordinator of Prevention and Intervention where she supports mental health initiatives and coordinates crisis response. She has extensive experience is staffing crisis teams, supporting students, staff, leadership teams and communities following loss and traumatic events. She focuses daily on a strengths-based approach to encourage students and staff mental well-being in the education setting and beyond. Amanda has worked in multiple capacities in education, beginning as a teacher, coach, and then, a school counselor. Her desire is to add value by supporting the mental and emotional well-being of educators.

Second Presenter's Institution

Michael Ruple

Second Presenter’s Email Address

mruple@paulding.k12.ga.us

Second Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

B.A.

Year Second Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2010

Second Presenter's Field of Study

Political Science

Institution Where Second Presenter Received Highest Degree

Auburn University

Second Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

Officer Ruple entered law enforcement in 2012 working with partners in fields that included narcotics, fugitives, and other specialized areas. He moved to the School Safety and Homeland Security units at GEMA in 2015 covering West and Northwest Georgia. Officer Ruple began working for Paulding County Schools in 2018 and he holds a number of advanced and instructor certifications.

Location

Scarbrough 3

Document Type

Individual Presentation

Primary Strand

School and District Leadership

Relevance to Primary Strand

The proposed topic gives school leadership insight to the psychological challenges following lockdowns. In educating leadership of these challenges, district and school leadership can communicate quickly and effectively with staff, students and communities, offer support to those directly and indirectly impacted, assess effectiveness of protocols, and educate staff on trauma response and secondary traumatic stress.

Alignment with School Improvement Plan Topics

Climate and Culture

Brief Program Description

It is crucial for school leadership to understand the importance of supporting staff after a lockdown. In today’s climate, lockdowns can heighten fear, stress, and emotional exhaustion. Staff are expected to remain calm, follow safety procedures, and comfort students even while managing their own anxiety. Providing emotional support, clear communication, and time to debrief helps staff recover, rebuild trust, and maintain their ability to lead students through future challenges with confidence and care.

Summary

In today’s educational landscape, school lockdowns—whether real or precautionary—have become an unfortunate reality. When an alarm sounds, teachers and staff must instantly shift into crisis mode, ensuring student safety while managing their own fear and anxiety. Once the immediate threat is resolved, the focus often turns to procedural review and student support; however, staff well-being is equally critical to maintaining a safe and resilient school community. This session will highlight the importance of post-lockdown protocols that prioritize psychological safety and emotional recovery for all school personnel.

Through a combination of research-based practices and real-world examples, this session will guide school leaders, counselors, and crisis teams through a structured approach to post-lockdown response. Participants will learn how to establish immediate and effective communication once the threat is cleared, how to access and utilize district and community mental health supports, and how to create space for staff to process their experiences through guided debriefs. Emphasis will also be placed on identifying signs of post-traumatic stress and implementing proactive wellness measures to prevent long-term emotional strain.

Attendees will walk away with a proven framework for supporting their staff after a lockdown, including tools for transparent communication with families and the broader school community. By prioritizing emotional recovery alongside physical safety, schools can cultivate a culture of trust, care, and resilience. This session will empower educational leaders to move beyond simple crisis response, embracing a comprehensive model that protects both hearts and minds in the wake of high-stress events.

Evidence

Lockdowns are, unfortunately, not new to educators. However, with the introduction of advanced alert systems and the growing concern over school violence in recent years, both responses and fears have intensified. Through reflection, feedback, and experience, our school district has developed a comprehensive approach to supporting staff after inadvertent lockdowns. This protocol prioritizes staff well-being, strengthens communication with both staff and the broader school community, and provides intentional time to process, debrief, and restore a sense of safety and stability within the school environment.

Learning Objective 1

Understand the emotional trauma lockdowns can cause school staff.

Learning Objective 2

Offer direct and indirect support to staff affected by emotional trauma of a lockdown.

Learning Objective 3

Communicate quickly and effectively with school staff and school communities.

Start Date

6-1-2026 3:45 PM

End Date

6-1-2026 4:45 PM

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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Jun 1st, 3:45 PM Jun 1st, 4:45 PM

Beyond the All-Clear: Guiding School Teams Through Post-Lockdown Reflection and Recovery

Scarbrough 3

In today’s educational landscape, school lockdowns—whether real or precautionary—have become an unfortunate reality. When an alarm sounds, teachers and staff must instantly shift into crisis mode, ensuring student safety while managing their own fear and anxiety. Once the immediate threat is resolved, the focus often turns to procedural review and student support; however, staff well-being is equally critical to maintaining a safe and resilient school community. This session will highlight the importance of post-lockdown protocols that prioritize psychological safety and emotional recovery for all school personnel.

Through a combination of research-based practices and real-world examples, this session will guide school leaders, counselors, and crisis teams through a structured approach to post-lockdown response. Participants will learn how to establish immediate and effective communication once the threat is cleared, how to access and utilize district and community mental health supports, and how to create space for staff to process their experiences through guided debriefs. Emphasis will also be placed on identifying signs of post-traumatic stress and implementing proactive wellness measures to prevent long-term emotional strain.

Attendees will walk away with a proven framework for supporting their staff after a lockdown, including tools for transparent communication with families and the broader school community. By prioritizing emotional recovery alongside physical safety, schools can cultivate a culture of trust, care, and resilience. This session will empower educational leaders to move beyond simple crisis response, embracing a comprehensive model that protects both hearts and minds in the wake of high-stress events.