Entries Tagged as 'No Bully Club'
BE A HERO AND SAY SOMETHING!
I heard a story of a girl who was being teased in class. The two bullies wouldn’t let up till she cried out for help. A young man who was late for class walked in during the heat of the conflict and shouted, “STOP IT!” The two bullies went silent and the victim fell to the floor weeping. The boy sat next to her and told her he would stay with her till the social worker arrived. After walking her to the office the young hero went back into his class and asked the teacher if he could say a few words to his classmates. She agreed and he started reminding them how wrong it is to bully and how stupid they all are for teasing that young lady. He asked, “how would you like it if someone was teasing you like that?”
Here is a perfect example of how students and teachers need to get involved. Bullying is wrong, if we sit back watching someone being teased and fail to step in and say something then we are as bad as the bully.
Michigan Schools there is Grant Money for my Programs!
Since the program was reopened in January, the Michigan Humanities Council received 22 applications to fund $13,462 in support of Arts & Humanities Touring Program grants in communities across the state.
And, the Council is still accepting grant applications for programs between April 1 and September 30, 2010. The grants will be awarded as part of Michigan’s Arts and Humanities Touring Program, which consists of an online, juried directory of some of the state’s best cultural offerings including dance, music, storytellers, theatre, tradition bearers, exhibits, and visual artists. Grants of up to 40 percent of the cost of performances are awarded to schools, libraries, cultural centers, and nonprofit organizations to support presentations of those listed in the directory.
Where does bullying happen?
According to (Hoover,Oliver and Hazler 1992) most of the bullying happens at school and on the school bus to and from school. I know most of the bullying for me in grade school happened to and from school. In my case one of the safety boys who was suppose to be our friend was really a bully.
I have talked to students who have said that they have been bullied in the classroom when the teacher isn’t looking.
This is why we have to continue to look for signs in our children.
If they are upset all the time or are not eating or don’t want to go on the bus or go to school this is when you have to step in and find out what is going on. Think when you were a kid and how you didn’t want to be the kid that was the cry baby and then take the appropriate action.
Please share a comment with our readers…..
Empower your Students
The Godfather of Anti-bullying, Dr. Dan Olweus who has researched bully victim problems for more than 20 years found “the single most effective deterrent to bullying is adult authority.” But acceding to Ginette Isenber who is one of the founders of School Lane Charter School, “We cannot impose a sense of safety or attachment on students. We have to empower them and create it with them.” Many schools agree with and have put together strategies to promote respect and understanding throughout their schools. They have also promoted teacher/student involvement to help the victims and defuse the bullying. So in a sense there is still adult authority but the students are also part of the chain of command.
Create a Bully Free Culture in Your School
I presented a program for the Henry Ford Health System for their School Health Network. They called the event R.A.P. City- Resources Are Plentiful “Building Character- Create a Bully Free Culture in Your School.” The event was geared for school social workers, teachers, principals and it was open to several districts in the area.
They had several awesome presenters at the event. Roberta Davis, Injury Prevention Educator, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Peter Lundgren, President of the Bucket Fillers for Life, Sugarbush Elementary School Health Team presenting their own Character Counts, School wide anti-bullying program and Assistant Principal Pat Donahue of Chippewa Valley Schools presenting his own high school program that his team has created entitled Heros in the Hallway. It was a very enlightening event and I plan to contact each of these presenters in the next few months to record an interview so they can personally share their programs with you.
I was asked to present our Eliminating the Bullying program that I offer for both teacher and parent groups. We share tips and tools for both the victim and the bully. The last part of the program I discuss working as a team to stifle the bully. I break them up into three groups 1) a student group, 2) A safety group 3) school staff group.
The student group are instructed to offer ideas that students can actually implement in the school to end the bullying problem. The group at the R.A.P. City event offered these suggestions:
1) Use the bucket filler concept where you do for other and you will also be rewarded.
2) Continue to reinforce the bullying programs and or implement the school policies when need to help their fellow students.
The safety group consists of bus drivers, safety squad, crossing guards and parents in the community. The group at the R.A.P. City event offered these suggestions:
1) Monitor the bullying on computers (Parents need to be proactive)
2) Document poor behavior on the bus or outside the school
3) Praise positive behavior
4) Have a parent volunteer on the buses to monitor activities
The staff group consists of teachers, secretarial, custodians, lunchtime personal etc.
The group at the R.A.P. City offered these suggestions:
1) Be more accessible, proactive and have an open line of communication
2) Listen more to the students
3) Don’t jump to conclusions when listening to parents
4) Staff needs to use the same language when communicating to possible bully students
5) Ask parents to be volunteer eyes and ears at school events and on the bus
6) CIA Agent students to secretly document and give information on a bullying situation.
If you have other ideas you want to share please send a comment or email me at Richard@richardpaul.com
Make the Right Decision to Be Respectful and Kind
I had the opportunity to present my Diversity program to Hallowell Elementary in Horsham PA and the principal Steven Glaize was awesome. He even bought me lunch, a Hoagie and it was delicious. Steve and I talked about how schools and parents need to keep reinforcing respect and tolerance. We both agreed that if we keep reminding students to respect, understand and be nice to one another over and over again it will eventually sink in. When they are just about to say or do the wrong thing hopefully they will remember a word or phrase someone said that reminds them to choose respect over disrespect, kindness over bullying .
As Mr. Glaize so gracefully put it to his student, ”you are all awesome students, we have learned so much about diversity and respect for each other but now i’s up to you to do it. When you are in class and on the playground make the right decision to be respectful and kind.”
I look forward to returning to Hallowell Elementary, the students and staff are not only awesome but they are proactive when it comes to respecting and caring for each other including me.
Why Bullies Bully
There has been many who have tried to figure out why bullies bully other kids.
Here is a email from a client:
“Understanding “why bullies bully. I explain to to my students that bullies are actually very scared people and unhappy with themselves inside. That something has happened or is happening to them that has made them unhappy and scared inside. So I tell my students when they are being bullied to look at the person and tell them that you are sorry they are not very happy inside. Also I tell my students to “USE THE WALL” and imagine an invisible thick wall around yourself that only lets the good word in and the bad stuff can’t penetrate. Finally I talk to them alot about not giving the bully any power over them to get them upset, which is what the bully wants to ge…. power over them.
Keep up the good work,
Mr. Kim Noxhall
Elementary Character/P.E. Teacher, Fairfield, Ohio
Navigation
-
Recent Posts
Blogroll
-
Categories
Archives
Admin