Tuesday, March 24, 2015

How do we knock out BULLYING at YOKA?

How can we PREVENT it? What are some activities that you have done previously to COMBAT or ADDRESS bullying in your classroom? What do you think is the biggest REASON for bullying?

32 comments:

  1. Knocking out bullying is something that's difficult to deal midway through the year since we are up and rolling.
    Every now and them I remind the classes to put themselves in other people's shoes.
    The biggest reason why we have bullying is students wanting attention.

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    1. I can appreciate your response. Wanting attention. I wonder what would be some ways to give our students more positive attention?

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  2. Bullying... Talking about it during class (Advisory) helps. For warm-ups I always give my girls a writing prompt on bullying and we discuss after. The main reason in my classes are due to one person not being friends with another.

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  3. From day one I make sure that my students know what the consequences are if you decide to take part in bullying. When I see something happening or I'm told of an incident I take time from the days lessons to address the consequences and make any referrals that maybe necessary. At time I ask Saldana to swing by my room and re-enforce what i've about consequences etc. I also talk about ways to communicate with teachers, for example approaching after school if they are scared of being caught telling. Overall it's a constant reminder that it's not ok. and it doesn't matter if it happens in my room or not, I'm willing to help out.

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    1. I use Saldana too. He gives great pep talks. Every so often I have a specific period that needs a little reminder about what appropriate behavior looks like and Saldana will always stop in if I ask him

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    2. You have been a very active teacher in regards to bullying. Thank you for addressing the event immediately when it has happened. What a great learning moment or reflective tool.

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  4. I think we need whole school awareness and discussions. Who and when are we talking about these issues with the students. Is it consistent?

    Many things go on and many teachers are not informed. We need to know what situations are occurring and omit names so we are not invading any privacy.
    I have heard a lot of bullying and sexting going on.

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  5. I believe students take it as game that times it gets out of hand, I think we should have informative assemblies to bring awareness in a monthly fashion until we see a diminished in action.

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  6. I think kids turn to bullying and negative behaviors because they have nothing else fun/interesting/productive to do. Extra curricular activities, fun contests, sports, other interests. Maybe more structures options at lunch may help? Left on their own to socialize they seem to gravitate towards gossip and fights. They need to see that there is more to everyday life than who is cool or not cool.

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    1. That is a very good point. Replacement behaviors or activities would work well. It is hard to eliminate a behavior without replacing it with a better option.

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  7. I think we need to give kids the benefit of the doubt more. If we always assume negative intentions before we listen, that's what the kids will show us. I had a student tell me last week that she acts out because she's going to get treated like a "bad kid" anyway so she might as well be one. Compassion, kindness, and the expectation of positive interactions need to come from and be modeled by us first. Self fulfilling prophecies are all too common.

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  8. I have the following books and DVDs about bullying. Let me know if you want to borrow any...

    Barcode Title Author Copy Status Call #
    38064X00002234 Bullied : A student, a school and a case that made history. Brummel, Bill. Available DVD 302.3 BUL
    38064Y00000346 Bullied : A student, a school and a case that made history. Brummel, Bill. Available DVD 302.3 BUL
    38064AV0100018 Bullies not cool World Educational Media. Available 302.3 BUL
    38064000122860 The bully Langan, Paul. Available FIC LAN
    38064Y00000122 The bully Langan, Paul. Available FIC LAN
    38064000105581 Bully the Weinstein Company and Where We Live Films present ; produced by Lee Hirsch, Cynthia Lowen ; directed by Lee Hirsch. Available DVD 302.34 BUL
    38064X00002117 The bully free classroom : over 100 tips and strategies for teachers K-8 Beane, Allan L., 1950- Available P 371.102 BEA
    38064AV0100275 The bully smart series producer/director, Mark Mazzarella ; written by Cassandra Morris ; produced by Mazzarella Bros. Productions, Inc. Available 302.3 BUL
    38064000102220 Bullying Mattern, Joanne, 1963- Available 302.3 MAT
    38064000123825 Bullying Raum, Elizabeth. Available 302.3 Rau
    38064M00060024 Dear bully : seventy authors tell their stories Hall, Megan. Available 302.3 Hal
    38064000101085 Good-bye bully machine Fox, Debbie. Available 371.5 FOX
    38064000105573 How I survived bullies, broccoli, and Snake Hill Patterson, James, 1947- Due: 4/27/2015 Fic Pat
    38064Y00000370 How I survived bullies, broccoli, and Snake Hill Patterson, James, 1947- Due: 4/7/2015 FIC PAT
    38064000123180 Jake Drake, bully buster Clements, Andrew, 1949- Available FIC CLE
    38064000104522 Jay McGraw's life strategies for dealing with bullies McGraw, Jay. Available 302.3 MCG
    38064M00060159 Keep cliques and bullies from invading your school : six roads teachers can take to drive out a culture of cruelty Giannetti, Charlene C. Available 371.78 Gia
    38064000105710 A smart kid's guide to online bullying Jakubiak, David J. Available 302.3 Jak
    38064000101244 Take a stand! : what you can do about bullying Golus, Carrie, 1969- Available 302.3 GOL

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  9. I have had class discussions where we go over bullying and how it affects people. I have also called parents to help prevent bullying from the kids that are known to bully.

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  10. I honestly believe that bullying cannot be prevented. There are so many differences and identity markers in society that I feel it is not a realistic goal to aim for completely void our school or society of bullying. It seems a more practical approach is to train students about empathy and how to understand differences. This seems like a more realistic goal that students can own themselves.

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  12. Leading by example and showing how to treat others with respect, honesty, and equity. Having clear expectations and consequences that are followed through with. Students are very adept at seeing injustice and how some people are given more leeway when it comes to what's expected of them and the consequences they receive.

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  13. We can prevent bullying by discussing it with students. I often tell my students stories about bullying and the long-term effect it has on both the bully and the one being bullied.

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  14. I definitely think that it is important to report all incidents of bullying on MISIS.

    Sometimes i'll make a comment to the students that laugh with the bully, "i don't want to hear you laughing at these kinds of comments or your name will be added to the report I submit" - it makes them realize that they are making the situation worse by enabling the Bully and it also lets them know they might get in trouble too.

    I think one of the reasons for bullying is that students don't know how to interact in a positive manner. They need to learn these social skills more. I am definitely trying to practice the Kagan structures that help students with these interactions (giving each other positive feedback, disagreeing respectfully, giving praise...etc)

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    1. Group activities and interactions are a tremendous way to model and discuss group norms and expectations. What is interacting in a positive manner with friends versus adults and colleagues at work? What targeted social skills could we engage our students with and discuss why they are successful or not?

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  15. I had a serious conversation with my advisory students about bullying in the beginning of the year and we come back to it time and time again. I try to get students to see each student as someone's son/daughter , a brother/sister and I remind them that each of them are valued by others in some form or another and we need to do the same with one another. I ask them questions like what would you do if your younger brother or sister was being bullied and get them to sympathize with bullied students. This conversation tends to really hit students to the heart.

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  16. First, we need to model appropriate social interactions with students and our peers. Also, we need a clear and transparent set of guidelines for appropriate behavior and consequences for not following them. If there is bullying, activities revolving around empathy can help. A quick example is having students put themselves in other's shoes - how would they feel if somebody said something equally as offensive?
    Ferrel

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  17. During advisory, I've shown both news articles and youtube news pieces about how bullying can affect students their age. The types of news stories that I show the students are about how kids their age ended up committing suicide due to a variety of types of bullying. While some of the subject matter may be difficult to watch, the impact they can have can be immense. They often don't understand that bullying comprises much more than just physical abuse, and the subsequent discussion that centers around the news clips are intense and very respectful.

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  18. I'm no sure how to knock out or prevent the bullying that goes on at this age. In the classroom, circulating among the students and strategic seating are some obvious way to put a damper on bullying, but we can't monitor what we can't see.

    I assume that the bullying that is being done by certain students is a response to some bullying they themselves are receiving. I guess once we identify and confront the bully students, it would be helpful to find the genesis of their own bully issues, and support hem in changing behavior.

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  19. I share the Mayan poem, In Lak'ech, which overall translates to "you are my other me." There are lines about when I disrespect you, I disrespect myself. I have this poem on one of the walls and refer to it sometimes when I see bullying going on in my class. I think next year I will make a point to refer to it much more and make it a part of my classroom norms.

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  20. I’m not sure how we can prevent it, but I think there are various activities out there that can be done to create a positive environment in the classroom and school wide that can help lessen it.

    There is quite a few students who tend to always get into alterations, which I think might lead to bullying. When that happens I try and have conversation with the whole class and with individuals about respect and the way we should be treating others.

    I think the biggest reason for bullying is problems at home or in some area of the student’s life, whether that be a negative or neglectful relationship with adults at home.

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  21. I try to create a zero tolerance policy for bullying in my classroom. Students behavior is addressed immediately and they realize their actions are tied to consequences. The consistency on the follow through is important for students to understand that the issue is not a one time thing rather has longevity.

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  22. I speak to them very seriously at the beginning of the year and address it throughout the year. I tell them that bullying can lead to people committing suicide and people have gotten into legal trouble by thinking that they are funny. I also tell them that bullying hurts people and it is not a correct thing to do.

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  23. Talking about bullying with advisory students is one way of preventing bullying. My advisory girls spent about two weeks discussing about bullying and how it can be prevented during the first semester. This PD blog made me realize that talking about bullying once is not enough. My advisory girls and I should talk about it again this semester, reflecting on what we talked about before and how we've been preventing bullying.

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  24. I don't allow any foul language, teasing, or any intimidating comments in class. I use the "POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT" slogan everyday. I believe in caring for the students as if they are my own sons. Thus, I always talk to them about their successes and inappropriateness. I always will address any inappropriateness even if the student is NOT my own, because I tell them YOKA should be a safe place to be in.

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    1. What a powerful message and level of expectation you have set in your classroom!

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  25. I had my students address this issue today. I believe our kids can be instrumental to combating bullying. Ribbons, Anti-bullying Rally, Commitment contracts, mentoring program and big siblings little siblings team building activities between grade levels.

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  26. Lead by example, students need to hear our voice that hate talk and all bullying is NOT ok! Equally important as staff and teachers OUR silence in the class when sexist, racist and homophobic are said is equally the WRONG message. Be sure to call it out. WE know that we cannot control what occurs outside of class or n the media but when we set HIGH expectations consistently about safe schools the student will RISE!

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