Bullying is a very important issue
that is affecting children of all ages. It is also a topic that is very dear to
my heart, from being bullied as a child to being accused of being a bully in
high school. I have also had to witness the early stages of bullying in the
classroom and in places like a summer camp. Schools all over the world have
implemented anti-bullying policies. But does this always work? Most of these
programs only come into effect once an instance of bullying has already
occurred.
I recently finished my research for my
scholar’s project which is on this topic. I found that one of the biggest
influences could in fact be to teach children empathy, kindness and compassion
at a young age. Some of the ways of doing this could be encouraging generosity,
fostering play, allowing for problem solving, active service, and exploring
other’s perspectives. One of the ways of teaching empathy is through children’s
books. This is what I focused on in my project. I wrote a book called
“Superheroes: Defenders of the Heart” which teaches children that they are all
different and unique and should not pick on someone just for being different.
It also allows for them to think about what they would do if they saw someone
being bullied. Attached is a link to my website where there is a PDF copy of my
book.
My Question for you is:
What would you do to stop bullying before it happens?
Great book! I think that books are a great way to indirectly stop bullying before it happens. Books allow students to see the problem and relate to the character. I would definitely use a book like yours in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteI think the key to stopping bullying is implementing a strong classroom management plan. A plan that relies on more than just rules, but respect. For my Pre-K endorsement I had to create a thematic unit and in this unit I needed to have a classroom management plan. My lesson was based on the book ," Have you filled a bucket today?" and this book talks about how we should all aim to be bucket fillers. I remember starting my lesson by squeezing out toothpaste and then asking my students to put in back in the tube, a task that is impossible. I then used this as an example of what happens when we say rude things, we can't take them back. For the entire day all of my students had buckets, and each time they were caught being nice I gave them a pom pom. When they did something wrong, I took it away. At the end of the day I allowed students to fill their own buckets. I asked them as a group if they felt good when their buckets were full.I think students need to see how they are hurting someone when they say rude things. I think some of the schools focus so much on punishment that they tend to forget the real lesson we are trying to teach. Don't threaten students with punishment, do not even allow bullying to be an option. Teach them how they can be good friends, or say kind words.
I really enjoyed your book! I agree a lot with what Theresa said. I also believe that books are a great tool to teaching just about anything. I also agree that as a teacher you should have a strong classroom management plan in order to help stop bullying before it happens. the only problem is that even if you have great classroom management, that does not mean that bullying at recess or outside of class will not happen. I also think that role play is a good way to help stop bullying before it happens but I am not sure how it would go. For example, I was thinking that the students could role play about one person being the bully and the other the victim and each person will get a chance to be either one. I thought that this would help both parties see how each one makes the other feel or even how the bully looks.If a student sees how a bully looks then maybe if they see one in the hallway they can tell a teacher. It could even go as far as if a student recognizes the signs that someone is being bullied then they can help that student out. I know this is a little far fetched and could be hard to implement or even backfire completely but I've always wondered if it would work. Kids respond well to visual things and feelings so if they feel how a victim feels or if they see what a bully looks like then maybe, just maybe, they would be less inclined to do it themselves.
ReplyDeleteYour book is great! I think that children should learn at an early age to respect each other an to know that all people are different. Children love to listen to books especially ones that they can relate to.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love your book Colleen! I think it is a unique approach that will catch student's attention and keep them engaged. I agree with Bridget that children should learn at an early age about respecting others. Using a book as a tool to educate students on bullying is a great idea!
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