Gun in One Hand, Chalk in the Other – A Threat or a Symbol of Protection? A police officer on a peacekeeping mission steps into a classroom to teach because the regular teachers are absent due to conflict. He holds onto his weapon while teaching. Some people argue that the presence of the gun will intimidate students and make it difficult for them to concentrate. Others suggest that he should have placed the weapon elsewhere before teaching. I totally disagree. I once thought students would be distracted if a teacher set up a camera to record a lesson. But after 30 seconds, everyone—including the teacher—completely forgets about the camera. The same applies to having a supervisor in the classroom. At first, learners are hyper-aware of their presence, but once the lesson starts and they get engaged, they return to their normal behavior. The same principle applies here. If the lesson is engaging, the weapon becomes just another object in the room—just like a security camera in a bank or a fire extinguisher in