I work in several schools throughout the school year, but one theme is universal. Bullying. It takes many different forms. The most common form that I've seen is the formation of cliques. And if you aren't one of the select few, you are out. Maybe you don't have the right clothing brands, the right hairstyle, or your parents don't make enough money. Either way you are excluded and made fun of if you aren't in an "in" group.
We hear on the news stories of kids and teens who are severely depressed and even end up participating in self-destructive behavior to deal with their pain.
If I see this behavior in a class I'm subbing in I do my best to quiet the teasing, if only for a little while. Of course I can't control what happens after school and the next day.
What is our role as teachers in this issue? For years I think many teachers have ignored it or brushed it off. However, I don't think this is something we should ignore.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this! I agree, bullying is a major problem in schools today! As a classroom teacher I am constantly finding ways to stop it in my classroom. It is harder to do when there are students out there who are silently being bullied and they don't tell the teacher. Keep up the good work! I enjoyed reading this!
ReplyDeleteOne lesson that I have learned is that we don't have a true concept on the relationships in our classrooms. I thought I was really in touch with who was friends and who weren't in my classroom while student teaching. It wasn't until I talked to a student away from school (at a track meet) that I realized how far off I really was. I guess I learned that the behavior inside the classroom is not necessarily the true behavior of the student. Some of the students that I was told were bullies I would have had no clue about. It was a real eye opener. I believe now that most who are bullied never tell.
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