US teacher shares video of active shooter prep and non-Americans' jaws have dropped

A US teacher's TikTok went viral after she shared her classroom's strategy against a potential active shooter.

The high school Spanish teacher, Carly Zacharias, revealed in the video she tapes a hockey puck to the underside of each student's chair so if there is ever an active shooter breaking into her classroom, students can throw the pucks.

"I thought, 'what can I give every single student just to prepare themselves' - a hockey puck", the teacher says in her video. "It can really hurt you, especially 30."

Like most US schools, Zacharias practices 'active shooter drills' so students and teachers may be prepared if an active shooter situation should happen. Zacharias' classroom has three plans in place. The first is to escape through a classroom window and seek safety, plan B is to hide in the classroom, and plan C is the hockey puck strategy.

"Obviously, it's just a deterrent but it makes us feel a little bit better", Zacharias says.

The video has over 2 million views with 6,000+ comments.

But most of the comments remind US students, teachers, and administrators that preparing for an active shooter, no less with hockey pucks, is not the norm across the globe.

"From a Canadian teacher, I am so sorry that is your experience," TikTok user, @yeehaw.with.lishaw, commented on the video.

"America is a third world country with a Gucci belt", the top comment by @ghost_cherry_ said.

"The way you said "you all know how it is" scares me, in Europe I have never had to have a way to defend myself in school" user @cindy.3442 commented.

Zacharias' hockey puck plan is a method she uses to make her students feel safe.

School safety has become a major issue for the US education system. According to EveryTown, a non-profit dedicated to gun safety, in 2021 there were 187 instances of gunfire on a school campus with 42 deaths and 113 injuries.

Until government intervention leads to more gun safety, teachers like Zacharias have to get creative in their methods to make students feel safe.