#63 Bullying
Most of us have been bullied at one time or another. As adults, we think back and remember how terrible it was. In my experience with parents, the ones who make the most noise about their child being bullied, has a child who bullies. Certainly not all the time, but sometimes. I once had a boy who called very young girls fat. I had the parent in for a conference and she said she has something to tell me first. She said her son was coming home and complaining some of the girls were calling him fat and she was concerned her son might develop a complex about it. Go figure. Of course she did not believe her Precious would call anyone names. She said she didn’t believe my story. I looked her in the eyes and said, ”Teachers do not tell stories. Teachers tell the truth.”I asked the mom if it would be all right if I sent her son to the principal if he teased anyone else. She reluctantly agreed.
Afterward we had a class meeting about teasing and name calling, and hurting other student’s feelings. I made it clear whoever teased would go to the principal’s office. Maybe two trips later to the principal and a couple of phone calls to mom put a stop to this.
I also had something called The Appreciation Board. When students came in and unpacked, they walked over to a pile of white 4 by 8 paper. On the paper was written I appreciate________________ because_____________________________. They would take it back to their seat and using crayons, wrote the name of a student and what was appreciated about the student. Afterword they would hang their picture up on the door. When it was time to go home, the child who wrote the picture would give the picture to the one who was written about. Encourage the students to write about a different student the next day. This is an activity that is kind and makes students feel appreciated. It is a nice way to begin school.