Every week should be “No Name Calling Week”, but the week of
January 19th is a great time to revisit this theme that was
introduced in October during National Bullying Prevention Month.
We will teach students to Blow the Whistle on Name
Calling. Here are some ways to make this theme come alive across the entire school.
Print Campaign: Use sports slogans to help students learn strategies to think before they speak and stand up to name calling. I used Staples custom posters to create low-cost posters to plaster throughout the building. Get creative-- the possibilities are endless with this theme!
Swag: Teachers will wear whistles around their necks throughout the week to further promote the theme, blow the whistle on name calling. Oriental Trading has whistles for only $5.00 per dozen! To take this theme to the next level, teachers and/or students can wear their favorite sports jersey or t-shirt on a designated day to show their support for standing up to name calling.
Chat and Chew: During lunches
through the week, introduce prompts for students to discuss related to No Name Calling Week. For example,
"No Take Backs" Demonstrations: Show students that they can't take back or erase hurtful words.
- Give students a blank piece of paper and have them write down hurtful words that have been said to them. After a set period of time, instruct students to take 30 seconds to erase everything they have written. Does the paper look brand new again?
- Cut out a red paper heart and read one of the books below. Each time something hurtful is said or done to the character, fold, crumple, or gently tear the heart. Discuss how the heart changed and teach students that a wrinkled heart is hard to fix.
- Pass around a tube of toothpaste and a plate. Have students share out times that hurtful words have been said to them and squeeze a small amount of toothpaste on the plate. Once the students have shared, have them try to put the toothpaste back into the tube.
Read Alouds: There are great books on this topic to engage students in discussion and teach them new strategies. Here are some of my favorites:
· No Bullies in the Huddle by DeSean Jackson: Cameron Matthews and his family relocate from Los Angeles to Philadelphia. He loves to play the game of football and his favorite player is Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver, DeSean Jackson. Shortly after arriving at his new school, Cameron has a confrontation with an older student who is jealous of his football talents and threatens to take his position on the football field.
Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network resources: GLSEN has wonderful FREE lessons, activities, and posters for No Name Calling Week. Here are some of my favorites from GLSEN.
· Poetic Reactions: This lesson plan from the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network allows students to explore their feelings about name calling by reflecting on poems written by students across the country.
· I was Just Kidding: This lesson plan from the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network asks students to discuss the difference between teasing and bullying by examining various scenarios.
Happy No Name Calling Week!