According to the US Department of Justice, 1 out of 4 students will be abused by another youth and 160,000 students in the US miss school every day out of fear of being bullied. Here are some of my top bullying resources and tips!
Power of Our Words
My favorite activity to teach students about bullying and the power of their words only requires a pencil, paper, and an eraser. I ask students to write (school appropriate) words or phrases that they have heard used when someone is being bullied or teased-- maybe they have even used some of them. Students have 3 minutes to write these words and try to fill up the entire space. At the end of 3 minutes, students then are given an eraser and asked to erase everything they have written. Students soon realize that the words cannot be completely erased or removed from the paper. I ask them to relate this to bullying and students are able to articulate that even if they apologize, words are powerful and can negatively impact classmates.
You are Valuable
When I am working with a student who has been the victim of bullying, I hope to help them understand that they are valuable and the bullying experience doesn't take that away! Students respond well to a metaphor I like to use with a $5 (or $1, $10, or $20) bill. I will show a student a pristine bill and ask if how much it is worth and if they student would take it if it was offered to them. Then, I crumple it, throw it, step on it, and crumple it some more. I ask the student once again how much it is worth and if they student would take it if it was offered to them. Students are able to understand that the value of the bill stays the same even if it is crumpled or stepped on. I make sure to end by letting the student know that they are worth WAY more than any dollar bill!
Resources
In addition to these activities, I love using books and videos to teach students about bullying. Here are some of my favorites.
Bullying Books and Videos
- Bullies Never Win by Margery Cuyler
- Don't Laugh at Me by Steven Seskin and Allen Shamblin
- Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
- Bully B.E.A.N.S. by Julia Cook
- Bullied [Documentary] (order a free copy and resource kit from Teaching Tolerance
- Bully [Motion Picture]
Online Resources:
Next Friday, I have an opportunity to attend a seminar by Developmental Resources called "Mean Girls" where I hope to learn strategies and interventions to address relational aggression. I will be sure to share my new learning and resources after the informative session.
No comments:
Post a Comment