Teachers Worry About Potential Violence In Classroom

Math teacher Carol Lloyd remembers one student who scared her.

"I did have a student some years ago that I really felt like would stab me in the back and never think twice about it," Lloyd said.

Fortunately, she was lucky. She said no student has ever attacked her in 26 years, but not everyone can relate. At Erwin Elementary School, police say a fifth-grader punched a teacher in the face, sending her to a hospital. Teachers said there is not much they can do to protect themselves.

"Calling for help is really about all you can do," Lloyd said. "You can defend yourself. You can try to restrain the student appropriately."

As a result, administrators work with teachers on controlling the classroom.

"We try to do proactive things to prevent there from being any major disruptions within a classroom and try to develop strategies with the teachers that will engage the students in learning," principal Donna Hancock said.

Some schools offer special classes for teachers on controlling potentially violent situations. Educators tell WRAL it also helps having school resource officers around.