I am so sorry for the late notice- this time of year gets crazy, as you all know! We are finishing up a lesson in 1st grade today. We've been learning about coping skills, or how to deal with difficult emotions in a healthy way.
All of us are going to feel angry, sad, or upset sometimes- it's part of life. It is very important for young children to start learning positive coping skills that make them feel better but do not hurt themselves or other people, break things, or make their situation worse. This is a skill they'll need for the rest of their lives, to keep them safe and resilient.
In our lesson we'll talk briefly about how emotions are like a roller coaster: you have ups and downs, but no matter how bad you're feeling you can always look forward to the track going back up soon and know that your sadness will not last forever.
Then the students will work in small groups to unscramble a number of different healthy coping skills that they can choose from in real life, like playing outside, drawing or coloring, talking to someone, reading a book, getting a hug, playing with a pet, listening to music, starting a project, doing something kind for someone else, building a block tower and knocking it down, dancing, singing, etc. Look for your 1st grader to bring home a half-page list of 36 positive ideas for handling difficult feelings. You and your family might find it helpful to keep the list in a handy place for those times when people find themselves angry, sad, or upset at home! Of course you and your child also might want to add your personal favorite ideas to the list, since most of mine are general. If you come up with new ones that aren't on my list, please share them with me! I am always looking for good ideas to help kids cope!
I'll do this lesson today with Bosch and Junkin's classes. All other 1st grade classes took place last week or earlier this week. If you have any questions or comments (or if you don't have a 1st grader, but would like me to send a copy of the coping skills list home to you), please let me know!
Showing posts with label helping kids cope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label helping kids cope. Show all posts
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Thursday, April 4, 2013
2nd Grade Lesson: Bullying
Yesterday we started a new lesson in 2nd grade. You've probably heard of our topic, because it seems to be a current buzzword nationally. It is BULLYING, part of our county-wide 2nd grade counseling curriculum.
For our lesson, we'll read a book called "One." It is a beautiful, simple story in which colors and numbers represent people. One of the main ideas is that if one person stands up and says that bully behavior is not okay, then several other people can join with him or her in saying "No" to the bully behavior. When several people stand together respectfully and assertively like that, they are more powerful than the bully. If we all stay separated and let the bullying happen, the bullying gets stronger and stronger and it is difficult for one person to stop. But if we band together, we are strong enough to change what is happening.
The other main point of the book is that if everyone is included and welcome to join the larger group, there is less bullying for two reasons. First, the students who are likely to be victims have people to play with and be around so they are not as at risk. Secondly, the children who have been doing the bullying can be included in the group too (if they are willing to act respectfully), and then they are less likely to bully because they have friends and feel accepted.
In our lesson I'll also teach the kids a definition of bullying: when someone hurts someone else on purpose over and over again. They will learn that bullying can mean hurting people's bodies, feelings, property, or friendships. (There has been more and more talk about this last type, "relational" or "social" bullying in the media lately.) And I will stress that the best way to stop bullying is to include everyone, especially kids who are likely to be victims. This seems to be the most effective, least risky way to end bullying, and all our kids are capable of doing it. It does not require them to put their personal safety at risk by actually going up to a bully and saying "No!" and it is not as intimidating as confronting bullying head-on.
Your second grader will bring home a half-page called "How To Deal With Bullies and Teasers," in which I've compiled the best ideas I've seen for handling these sorts of problems. If you have any questions about the material, please let me know! And if you do not have a 2nd grader but would like me to send the idea sheet home in your K or 1st child's backpack, please let me know.
I'm seeing Myrick, Singley, Patterson, Whitehead, Johnson, and Frith's classes this week. All other second grade classes will take place next week.
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
For our lesson, we'll read a book called "One." It is a beautiful, simple story in which colors and numbers represent people. One of the main ideas is that if one person stands up and says that bully behavior is not okay, then several other people can join with him or her in saying "No" to the bully behavior. When several people stand together respectfully and assertively like that, they are more powerful than the bully. If we all stay separated and let the bullying happen, the bullying gets stronger and stronger and it is difficult for one person to stop. But if we band together, we are strong enough to change what is happening.
The other main point of the book is that if everyone is included and welcome to join the larger group, there is less bullying for two reasons. First, the students who are likely to be victims have people to play with and be around so they are not as at risk. Secondly, the children who have been doing the bullying can be included in the group too (if they are willing to act respectfully), and then they are less likely to bully because they have friends and feel accepted.
In our lesson I'll also teach the kids a definition of bullying: when someone hurts someone else on purpose over and over again. They will learn that bullying can mean hurting people's bodies, feelings, property, or friendships. (There has been more and more talk about this last type, "relational" or "social" bullying in the media lately.) And I will stress that the best way to stop bullying is to include everyone, especially kids who are likely to be victims. This seems to be the most effective, least risky way to end bullying, and all our kids are capable of doing it. It does not require them to put their personal safety at risk by actually going up to a bully and saying "No!" and it is not as intimidating as confronting bullying head-on.
Your second grader will bring home a half-page called "How To Deal With Bullies and Teasers," in which I've compiled the best ideas I've seen for handling these sorts of problems. If you have any questions about the material, please let me know! And if you do not have a 2nd grader but would like me to send the idea sheet home in your K or 1st child's backpack, please let me know.
I'm seeing Myrick, Singley, Patterson, Whitehead, Johnson, and Frith's classes this week. All other second grade classes will take place next week.
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Anger Lesson in Kindergarten
We started a new kindergarten lesson yesterday that focuses on what to do when we're angry. We'll read the book Mouse Was Mad. (It was purchased for our counseling program last year by a donor at donorschoose.org!) Throughout the story, other animals stomp, jump, roll on the ground, and scream when they are mad. Mouse tries all those things, but they just end up making his problem worse instead of better. Finally he tries standing very, very still, and taking slow breaths. It works! He feels better! The other animals try, but they cannot get it quite right- Mouse is the expert and all the animals admire his helpful skill for feeling better.
Then, as a class, we'll sort out helpful and hurtful ways to handle anger. Helpful coping strategies are those that make us feel better without hurting people or things with our words, hands, or feet. Some ideas we'll talk about are playing outside, playing a game, drawing or coloring, taking slow breaths, getting a cool drink of water, doing jumping jacks until we get tired, squeezing our muscles tight and then loosening them like a cooked spaghetti noodle, etc. Look for your child to bring home a paper with a few more ideas listed on it, and if you would like a list with even more coping strategies, just let me know and I'll send one home with your child.
We'll also use a balloon to talk about how it is easiest to get control of our anger if we start calming down when we're just a tiny bit angry. Once we start getting really angry, it is more difficult to calm ourselves back down. I will blow up the balloon a little bit at a time to represent several different things making us angry over the course of a day... if we don't do anything to relax, pretty soon we have a huge balloon-sized anger inside us! That is when it is easy to lose control and hard to compose ourselves. If we start making an effort to calm down after just one or two angry incidents, it is usually easier to make it through the rest of the day.
The paper your student brings home will also have The Anger Rule on it: It is OK to feel mad, but it is not OK to act bad! I learned that little rhyme at a conference a year or so ago. Sometimes kids think that feeling mad neccessarily equals hurting people or things, that the two are tied together and there are not other choices when we're angry. I will try to convey in the lesson that feeling mad does not automatically mean hurting people or things. It is perfectly OK to feel mad and everyone does at one time or another, but that doesn't mean we get a free pass to be disrespectful or aggressive. We can feel mad and make respectful, assertive choices to feel better instead of acting "bad."
I'll see D. Mitchell, Sullivan, Henry, Miller, Henderson, Curry, and Tindle's classes this week- everyone else will have their lesson next week. If you have any questions, just let me know!
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Then, as a class, we'll sort out helpful and hurtful ways to handle anger. Helpful coping strategies are those that make us feel better without hurting people or things with our words, hands, or feet. Some ideas we'll talk about are playing outside, playing a game, drawing or coloring, taking slow breaths, getting a cool drink of water, doing jumping jacks until we get tired, squeezing our muscles tight and then loosening them like a cooked spaghetti noodle, etc. Look for your child to bring home a paper with a few more ideas listed on it, and if you would like a list with even more coping strategies, just let me know and I'll send one home with your child.
We'll also use a balloon to talk about how it is easiest to get control of our anger if we start calming down when we're just a tiny bit angry. Once we start getting really angry, it is more difficult to calm ourselves back down. I will blow up the balloon a little bit at a time to represent several different things making us angry over the course of a day... if we don't do anything to relax, pretty soon we have a huge balloon-sized anger inside us! That is when it is easy to lose control and hard to compose ourselves. If we start making an effort to calm down after just one or two angry incidents, it is usually easier to make it through the rest of the day.
The paper your student brings home will also have The Anger Rule on it: It is OK to feel mad, but it is not OK to act bad! I learned that little rhyme at a conference a year or so ago. Sometimes kids think that feeling mad neccessarily equals hurting people or things, that the two are tied together and there are not other choices when we're angry. I will try to convey in the lesson that feeling mad does not automatically mean hurting people or things. It is perfectly OK to feel mad and everyone does at one time or another, but that doesn't mean we get a free pass to be disrespectful or aggressive. We can feel mad and make respectful, assertive choices to feel better instead of acting "bad."
I'll see D. Mitchell, Sullivan, Henry, Miller, Henderson, Curry, and Tindle's classes this week- everyone else will have their lesson next week. If you have any questions, just let me know!
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Children, Stress, and Exercise
I came across this interesting article about children, stress, and exercise. In short, it suggests that children who are more active throughout the day are less prone to anxiety in difficult situations. Children who are less active appear to be less able to cope with stressful life events. You can read more at the link below!
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/08/exercise-may-help-protect-children-from-stress/
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/08/exercise-may-help-protect-children-from-stress/
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Monday, March 4, 2013
1st Grade Assertiveness Lesson
We've had in change in plans for our 1st grade lessons. As I mentioned in a letter sent home to you several weeks ago, I'd intended to teach the Safe Child curriculum through April. However, unfortunately, the organization that runs Safe Child ran out of funding, and needed to suspend the program!
Most classes had their lesson with the organization's Safe Child educator before this happened, but a few did not. All first graders will receive safety materials that you can review with them at home. These are great resources, and especially valuable before summer when children will be out and about more often!
Instead of my follow-up Safe Child sessions, I'm currently teaching the first graders the same lesson about anger and assertiveness that I just facilitated in 2nd grade. It is from an awesome curriculum called "Be Cool." You can read more about that lesson by scrolling down the page to the second grade description. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to let me know!
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Happiness Boosts Learning
Welcome back to school, TPS families! I hope you had an enjoyable and restful break.
My brother shared this speech with me, and I think it has great relevance for our families and students as well. It is only 12 minutes long, and the researcher is lighthearted and amusing. In short, he says that when we are happy, our brains learn better, have more energy, and are 30% more productive than when we feel neutral or unhappy. 30%!
My favorite part is how the speaker gives 5 simple, concrete actions to help our brains be happier. It only takes 21 consecutive days of these practices to significantly boost your happiness levels and start training your brain to see positives instead of negatives. I think he even says it could just take a couple of minutes each day, not a big time commitment.
I know I have spoken with some of you before about bedtime routines and dinner table conversations and other types of daily "traditions" or "rituals" that you encourage for your family and children. These first 3 seem like they'd be very easy to incorporate into conversation during the car ride home from school, dinner, or bedtime.
5 Practices to Train Your Brain to Be Happy and Boost Learning
- write down 3 things you are grateful for everyday
- journal about one positive thing that happened every 24 hours
- do an act of kindness for another person
- exercise
- meditate
Of course, this psychologist is not talking about our kids being happy because we let them do everything they want to and play video games all day. :) He is talking about training our brains to emphasize positives instead of negatives, and create a happy state of mind separate from our external circumstances and life situation.
I hope you like this as much as I did! I, for one, am definitely planning to start a gratitude journal. :)
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Monday, October 8, 2012
K Kelso Lesson
The Kelso's Choices curriculum that I told you about a couple of weeks ago comes to our kindergarten classes this week and next! During the first lesson that starts today, we'll discuss small and big problems, briefly review the 9 strategies, and watch a short DVD segment giving an overview of how these strategies work in real life. In a future lesson, we will learn about the choices more in depth and practice choosing appropriate ones for different problems.
I'll see Curry, Miller, Henry, Mitchell, Sullivan, and Tindle this week. All other kindergarten classes will take place next week.
Thank you for reading! We are glad you are here!
I'll see Curry, Miller, Henry, Mitchell, Sullivan, and Tindle this week. All other kindergarten classes will take place next week.
Thank you for reading! We are glad you are here!
Friday, September 28, 2012
Building Self-Esteem
I was talking with a parent about self-esteem yesterday, and I thought it might be a valuable topic to post about here. Self-esteem is a big buzzword, and lots of experts have lots of different things to say about it!
One thing that I think has been counterintuitive for me is that praise and compliments do not build self-esteem. In fact, in kids with very low self-concept, those kinds of words can actually cause them to feel uncomfortable and distrust us! They do not match the child's deeply held beliefs about herself, so they sound inauthentic, false, manipulative, and upsetting.
I won't go into a whole bunch of details today, but in the Parenting with Love and Logic book, Foster Cline and Jim Fay describe what they call the "three-legged table" of self-concept. They think that three important implied messages our kids get from us are what create a strong sense of self in them.
The three messages are:
1. I am loved unconditionally by the important people in my life.
2. I have the skills I need to make it.
3. I am capable of taking control of my life.
The Love and Logic folks firmly believe that positive self-esteem comes from accomplishment, and that kids get the most out of what they accomplish for themselves... even if it isn't "right" or perfect the first time they try.
Like I said, I will try to keep my thoughts pretty brief, since obviously this is a topic that could go on for pages! If you are interested in hearing more about self-esteem, just let me know and I will do another post or two to follow- up on this one. In the meantime, I'll leave you with an email I got recently from the Love and Logic listserve.
Shaping Self-Concept, one of our most popular audios, teaches a very special type of love. It's the type that allows our kids to struggle…lets them work through their trials…and guides them toward independence instead of insecurity.
This love can be expressed daily by:
In Shaping Self-Concept you'll hear even more tips for helping your kids develop the type of unselfish and humble confidence required to enjoy success in life. You'll also hear how this confidence dramatically increases a child's motivation to do well in school.
Isn't it ironic that our kids have to face some tough times in order to live confident, joyful lives?
Dr. Charles Fay
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
One thing that I think has been counterintuitive for me is that praise and compliments do not build self-esteem. In fact, in kids with very low self-concept, those kinds of words can actually cause them to feel uncomfortable and distrust us! They do not match the child's deeply held beliefs about herself, so they sound inauthentic, false, manipulative, and upsetting.
I won't go into a whole bunch of details today, but in the Parenting with Love and Logic book, Foster Cline and Jim Fay describe what they call the "three-legged table" of self-concept. They think that three important implied messages our kids get from us are what create a strong sense of self in them.
The three messages are:
1. I am loved unconditionally by the important people in my life.
2. I have the skills I need to make it.
3. I am capable of taking control of my life.
The Love and Logic folks firmly believe that positive self-esteem comes from accomplishment, and that kids get the most out of what they accomplish for themselves... even if it isn't "right" or perfect the first time they try.
Like I said, I will try to keep my thoughts pretty brief, since obviously this is a topic that could go on for pages! If you are interested in hearing more about self-esteem, just let me know and I will do another post or two to follow- up on this one. In the meantime, I'll leave you with an email I got recently from the Love and Logic listserve.
Shaping Self-Concept, one of our most popular audios, teaches a very special type of love. It's the type that allows our kids to struggle…lets them work through their trials…and guides them toward independence instead of insecurity.
This love can be expressed daily by:
- Allowing kids to wrestle with tying their shoes…instead of automatically jumping in and doing it for them.
- Letting them dress themselves…even if the clothes they choose don't match.
- Teaching them how to talk to their teachers about problems at school…rather than always doing it for them.
- Expecting that they speak up and order meals for themselves…instead of ordering for them.
- Having them call the insurance company and arrange for their own car insurance…instead of doing it all for them.
- Letting them do most of the work required to fill out their college applications…rather than preparing all of the paperwork for them.
In Shaping Self-Concept you'll hear even more tips for helping your kids develop the type of unselfish and humble confidence required to enjoy success in life. You'll also hear how this confidence dramatically increases a child's motivation to do well in school.
Isn't it ironic that our kids have to face some tough times in order to live confident, joyful lives?
Dr. Charles Fay
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Monday, September 24, 2012
1st Grade Kelso's Choices Lesson
Kelso's goal is to teach students several positive ways to deal with small problems that arise from normal disagreements among children. His 9 strategies are listed below, and also appear on a half-page note that will come home to you when I do the lesson in your child's classroom.
Kelso's 9 Choices
1. Talk it out
2. Share and take turns
3. Ignore it
4. Walk away
5. Tell them to stop
6. Apologize
7. Make a deal (compromise)
8. Wait and cool off
9. Go to another game
We'll learn that kids are smart enough and strong enough to use these choices to handle "kid-sized" or small problems, such as another child taking their crayon or making annoying noises. If they try 3 strategies and the problem still isn't solved, they should get help from an adult. Kelso also teaches that big problems (those that are scary, dangerous, or can result in someone getting hurt) should be taken to an adult immediately.
In our lesson this year, we'll play a whole-class game of tic-tac-toe that requires students to think about which problems are big and which are small, and practice choosing appropriate actions for different problems.
Please feel free to put the note up on your fridge and start using these ideas at home too! We'd love your support in reinforcing them, and hopefully you'll find that they help settle disagreements and discourage fighting among siblings or friends as well. The more practice kids get, the better equipped they’ll be to use these problem-solving and conflict-management skills when they need them... in primary school and many years to come!
This week I'll see Childers, Ray, Dockery, Thomas, L. Foster, Durrett, Brown, and Turner's classes. All other 1st grade classes will take place next week.
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Friday, September 14, 2012
Grief "Camp" and Christmas
Y'all, I'm sorry to bombard you with so much information right at the beginning of the year! Hopefully once we get beyond all these sort of obligatory announcements we'll be more in our pattern of informative articles, resources, and lesson topics!
First, has your child suffered the loss of a loved one? The wonderful Sunrise Center at the Hospice of West Alabama is hosting their one-day "bereavement camp" for children ages 6-13 on Saturday, October 6. Counselors will work with kids on fun, therapeutic, and active skills to help them deal with their grief and successfully adapt to life after their loss. The day camp runs from 9am - 12pm. It is free (!), but pre-registration is necessary. If you would like me to send a flier home with your child so you'll have more details, just let me know.
Secondly, Christmas letters and fliers went home with every child earlier this week. If you did not receive them and would like the information, please let me know so I can send home a second copy. The fliers give details on exactly when and where the Salvation Army and Toys for Tots are taking sign-ups next week, the week of September 24, and the week of October 1. If you need assistance with Christmas, please be sure to sign up with one of these organizations!
For those of you who are Christmas "angels," if your family, church, or business is interested in donating time, funds, or gifts to families in need for the holidays, you might consider funneling your generosity through these two great organizations. They take on the huge task of creating a master list of which children are being served in our city, and try to make sure everyone in need is helped, but no one is double-helped. They could definitely use the support of the community with that enormous undertaking! For more information, you can call 553-1600.
Thank you for reading. We are glad you are here! Have a great weekend.
First, has your child suffered the loss of a loved one? The wonderful Sunrise Center at the Hospice of West Alabama is hosting their one-day "bereavement camp" for children ages 6-13 on Saturday, October 6. Counselors will work with kids on fun, therapeutic, and active skills to help them deal with their grief and successfully adapt to life after their loss. The day camp runs from 9am - 12pm. It is free (!), but pre-registration is necessary. If you would like me to send a flier home with your child so you'll have more details, just let me know.
Secondly, Christmas letters and fliers went home with every child earlier this week. If you did not receive them and would like the information, please let me know so I can send home a second copy. The fliers give details on exactly when and where the Salvation Army and Toys for Tots are taking sign-ups next week, the week of September 24, and the week of October 1. If you need assistance with Christmas, please be sure to sign up with one of these organizations!
For those of you who are Christmas "angels," if your family, church, or business is interested in donating time, funds, or gifts to families in need for the holidays, you might consider funneling your generosity through these two great organizations. They take on the huge task of creating a master list of which children are being served in our city, and try to make sure everyone in need is helped, but no one is double-helped. They could definitely use the support of the community with that enormous undertaking! For more information, you can call 553-1600.
Thank you for reading. We are glad you are here! Have a great weekend.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Bully Self-Defense Summer Class
One more summer opportunity! We got word from a TPS parent about a Cobra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class focused on "bully self-defense" this summer. I don't have many details, but it looks like it is for kids ages 7-12, and that it will be held at 3740 Resource Drive; Tuscaloosa 35403.
For more information, you can call 345-3535, visit www.headhunterscrossfit.com, or email headhuntersgym@comcast.net.
Have a wonderful summer! Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here.
For more information, you can call 345-3535, visit www.headhunterscrossfit.com, or email headhuntersgym@comcast.net.
Have a wonderful summer! Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Perfectionism & Underachieving
I received this email yesterday from the Love and Logic listserve, and thought it was pretty interesting. Dr. Fay starts off talking about gifted students who are underachievers, but really I think the 4 quick tips are relevant to many children struggling with perfectionism, difficulty making mistakes, or not wanting to try. I hope you find them helpful!
Do you know any gifted kids who are super capable but just will not apply themselves in school? Some take the path of least resistance by completing only the work they find simple and easy. Others simply shut down altogether.
The common denominator with many underachieving kids is deep-seated perfectionism. That's right! As strange as it may sound, many kids who do poorly in school desire to do perfectly in school. As they grow, they become more and more imprisoned by the belief that it's better to avoid trying than to appear less than perfect in any way.
Sadly, many of these perfect underachievers are misdiagnosed as lazy or uncaring. Actually, fear…rather than apathy…drives their poor performance.
In my book, From Bad Grades to a Great Life!, I teach a variety of strategies for helping perfectionists gain the courage to achieve. Listed below are some quick hints:
Model learning from making mistakes. Kids need to see us trying new things, making mistakes, learning from these mistakes, and trying again.
Love your children for who they are. When humans feel loved and accepted for who they are, they're more likely to take the healthy risks required to become all they can be.
Respond to their mistakes with empathy…rather than anger. Obviously, it's best to avoid flying off the handle when they blow it. Remember: Empathy opens the heart and the mind to learning.
Focus on effort rather than IQ. Parents who constantly praise, "You are so smart!" often raise kids who avoid trying anything that they can't complete perfectly.
Perfectionism can be a curse. If you suffer from it, intentionally mess up at least once per week. That's right. Pick something small and mess it up. Then see if the earth stops spinning around the sun. Being a recovering perfectionist, it's been comforting to see that life goes on even when I make a mistake!
Dr. Charles Fay
Love and Logic
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Do you know any gifted kids who are super capable but just will not apply themselves in school? Some take the path of least resistance by completing only the work they find simple and easy. Others simply shut down altogether.
The common denominator with many underachieving kids is deep-seated perfectionism. That's right! As strange as it may sound, many kids who do poorly in school desire to do perfectly in school. As they grow, they become more and more imprisoned by the belief that it's better to avoid trying than to appear less than perfect in any way.
Sadly, many of these perfect underachievers are misdiagnosed as lazy or uncaring. Actually, fear…rather than apathy…drives their poor performance.
In my book, From Bad Grades to a Great Life!, I teach a variety of strategies for helping perfectionists gain the courage to achieve. Listed below are some quick hints:
Model learning from making mistakes. Kids need to see us trying new things, making mistakes, learning from these mistakes, and trying again.
Love your children for who they are. When humans feel loved and accepted for who they are, they're more likely to take the healthy risks required to become all they can be.
Respond to their mistakes with empathy…rather than anger. Obviously, it's best to avoid flying off the handle when they blow it. Remember: Empathy opens the heart and the mind to learning.
Focus on effort rather than IQ. Parents who constantly praise, "You are so smart!" often raise kids who avoid trying anything that they can't complete perfectly.
Perfectionism can be a curse. If you suffer from it, intentionally mess up at least once per week. That's right. Pick something small and mess it up. Then see if the earth stops spinning around the sun. Being a recovering perfectionist, it's been comforting to see that life goes on even when I make a mistake!
Dr. Charles Fay
Love and Logic
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Monday, April 2, 2012
2nd Grade Lesson: Bullying
Tomorrow we start a new lesson in 2nd grade. You've probably heard of our topic, because it seems to be a current buzzword nationally. It is BULLYING, part of our county-wide 2nd grade counseling curriculum.
For our lesson, we'll read a book called "One." It is a beautiful, simple story in which colors and numbers represent people. One of the main ideas is that if one person stands up and says that bully behavior is not okay, then several other people can join with him or her in saying "No" to the bully behavior. When several people stand together like that, they are more powerful than the bully. If we all stay separated and let the bullying happen, the bullying gets stronger and stronger and it is difficult for one person to stop. But if we band together, we are strong enough to change what is happening.
The other main point of the book is that if everyone is included and welcome to join the larger group, there is less bullying for two reasons. First, the students who are likely to be victims have people to play with and be around so they are not as at risk. Secondly, the children who have been doing the bullying can be included in the group too (if they are willing to act respectfully), and then they are less likely to bully because they have friends and feel accepted.
In our lesson I'll also teach the kids a definition of bullying: when someone hurts someone else on purpose over and over again. They will learn that bullying can mean hurting people's bodies, feelings, property, or friendships. (There has been more and more talk about this last type, "relational" or "social" bullying in the media lately.) And I will stress that the best way to stop bullying is to INCLUDE EVERYONE, especially kids who are likely to be victims. This seems to be the most effective, least risky way to end bullying, and all our kids are capable of doing it. It does not require them to put their personal safety at risk by actually going up to a bully and saying "No!" and it is not as intimidating as confronting bullying head-on.
Your second grader will bring home a half-page called "How To Deal With Bullies and Teasers," in which I've compiled the best ideas I've seen for handling these sorts of problems. If you have any questions about the material, please let me know! And if you do not have a 2nd grader but would like me to send the idea sheet home in your K or 1st child's backpack, please let me know.
I'll see Singley, Johnson, Frith, Horst, Ray, Smelly, Bowlin, Phillips, and Hamner's classes next week. All other second grade classes will take place next week.
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
For our lesson, we'll read a book called "One." It is a beautiful, simple story in which colors and numbers represent people. One of the main ideas is that if one person stands up and says that bully behavior is not okay, then several other people can join with him or her in saying "No" to the bully behavior. When several people stand together like that, they are more powerful than the bully. If we all stay separated and let the bullying happen, the bullying gets stronger and stronger and it is difficult for one person to stop. But if we band together, we are strong enough to change what is happening.
The other main point of the book is that if everyone is included and welcome to join the larger group, there is less bullying for two reasons. First, the students who are likely to be victims have people to play with and be around so they are not as at risk. Secondly, the children who have been doing the bullying can be included in the group too (if they are willing to act respectfully), and then they are less likely to bully because they have friends and feel accepted.
In our lesson I'll also teach the kids a definition of bullying: when someone hurts someone else on purpose over and over again. They will learn that bullying can mean hurting people's bodies, feelings, property, or friendships. (There has been more and more talk about this last type, "relational" or "social" bullying in the media lately.) And I will stress that the best way to stop bullying is to INCLUDE EVERYONE, especially kids who are likely to be victims. This seems to be the most effective, least risky way to end bullying, and all our kids are capable of doing it. It does not require them to put their personal safety at risk by actually going up to a bully and saying "No!" and it is not as intimidating as confronting bullying head-on.
Your second grader will bring home a half-page called "How To Deal With Bullies and Teasers," in which I've compiled the best ideas I've seen for handling these sorts of problems. If you have any questions about the material, please let me know! And if you do not have a 2nd grader but would like me to send the idea sheet home in your K or 1st child's backpack, please let me know.
I'll see Singley, Johnson, Frith, Horst, Ray, Smelly, Bowlin, Phillips, and Hamner's classes next week. All other second grade classes will take place next week.
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Monday, February 27, 2012
Ways to "Reset" When Kids Are Having a Tough Day
Do you ever wish your kids came with a reboot button? So that, like your computer, you could just start over when things seem to be heading in the wrong direction? If so, I have good news! Over the weekend I came across this list of ways to "reset" the family dynamic and change things up when your kids are having a tough day. There are 20 things for parents and kids to do together to try to get back on the right foot and move beyond the grumpiness.
I hope you like some of them! I think my favorites are #20 "Slow Down," #14 "Hold Hands," #7 "Music," and #6 "Play A Game." You can read the entire list at the link below. If you have any other ideas that work well in your family, please feel free to share them by adding a comment to this post!
http://andreaparentcoach.blogspot.com/2012/02/20-ways-to-reset-when-kids-are-having.html
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
I hope you like some of them! I think my favorites are #20 "Slow Down," #14 "Hold Hands," #7 "Music," and #6 "Play A Game." You can read the entire list at the link below. If you have any other ideas that work well in your family, please feel free to share them by adding a comment to this post!
http://andreaparentcoach.blogspot.com/2012/02/20-ways-to-reset-when-kids-are-having.html
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
K Lesson on Coping with Anger
We start a new kindergarten lesson today that focuses on what to do when we're angry. We'll read the book Mouse Was Mad. It is new (purchased for our counseling program by a donor at donorschoose.org!) and I really like it. Throughout the story, other animals stomp, jump, roll on the ground, and scream when they are mad. Mouse tries all those things, but they just end up making his problem worse instead of better. Finally he tries standing very, very still, and taking slow breaths. It works! He feels better! The other animals try, but they cannot get it quite right- Mouse is the expert and all the animals admire his helpful skill for feeling better.
Then, as a class, we'll sort out helpful and hurtful ways to handle anger. Helpful coping strategies are those that make us feel better without hurting people or things with our words, hands, or feet. Some ideas we'll talk about are playing outside, playing a game, drawing or coloring, taking slow breaths, getting a cool drink of water, doing jumping jacks until we get tired, squeezing our muscles tight and then loosening them like a cooked spaghetti noodle, etc. Look for your child to bring home a paper with a few more ideas listed on it, and if you would like a list with even more coping strategies, just let me know and I'll send one home with your child.
We'll also use a balloon to talk about how it is easiest to get control of our anger if we start calming down when we're just a tiny bit angry. Once we start getting really angry, it is more difficult to calm ourselves back down. I will blow up the balloon a little bit at a time to represent several different things making us angry over the course of a day... if we don't do anything to relax, pretty soon we have a huge balloon-sized anger inside us! That is when it is easy to lose control and hard to compose ourselves. If we start making an effort to calm down after just one or two angry incidents, it is usually easier to make it through the rest of the day.
The paper your student brings home will also have The Anger Rule on it: It is OK to feel mad, but it is not OK to act bad! I learned that little rhyme at a conference a year or so ago. Sometimes kids think that feeling mad equals hurting people or things, that the two are tied together and there are not other choices when we're angry. I will try to convey in the lesson that feeling mad does not automatically mean hurting people or things. It is perfectly OK to feel mad and everyone does at one time or another, but that doesn't mean we get a free pass to be disrespectful or aggressive. We can feel mad and make respectful, assertive choices to feel better instead of acting "bad."
I'll see Brown, Aldridge, and Childers' classes this week- everyone else will have their lesson next week. If you have any questions, just let me know!
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Then, as a class, we'll sort out helpful and hurtful ways to handle anger. Helpful coping strategies are those that make us feel better without hurting people or things with our words, hands, or feet. Some ideas we'll talk about are playing outside, playing a game, drawing or coloring, taking slow breaths, getting a cool drink of water, doing jumping jacks until we get tired, squeezing our muscles tight and then loosening them like a cooked spaghetti noodle, etc. Look for your child to bring home a paper with a few more ideas listed on it, and if you would like a list with even more coping strategies, just let me know and I'll send one home with your child.
We'll also use a balloon to talk about how it is easiest to get control of our anger if we start calming down when we're just a tiny bit angry. Once we start getting really angry, it is more difficult to calm ourselves back down. I will blow up the balloon a little bit at a time to represent several different things making us angry over the course of a day... if we don't do anything to relax, pretty soon we have a huge balloon-sized anger inside us! That is when it is easy to lose control and hard to compose ourselves. If we start making an effort to calm down after just one or two angry incidents, it is usually easier to make it through the rest of the day.
The paper your student brings home will also have The Anger Rule on it: It is OK to feel mad, but it is not OK to act bad! I learned that little rhyme at a conference a year or so ago. Sometimes kids think that feeling mad equals hurting people or things, that the two are tied together and there are not other choices when we're angry. I will try to convey in the lesson that feeling mad does not automatically mean hurting people or things. It is perfectly OK to feel mad and everyone does at one time or another, but that doesn't mean we get a free pass to be disrespectful or aggressive. We can feel mad and make respectful, assertive choices to feel better instead of acting "bad."
I'll see Brown, Aldridge, and Childers' classes this week- everyone else will have their lesson next week. If you have any questions, just let me know!
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Friday, February 3, 2012
Books on Raising Boys
Sometimes I am struck by things I see in the media. Well, okay, really that happens more than just sometimes. :)
But, the other day, overhearing a TV show my husband was watching, it occurred to me how backwards our society can be when it comes to our view of males. In this particular case, men were riduculing other men for actions that sounded to me like basic courtesy toward important people in their lives, or turning to the unconditional love of their family in times of disappointment. Other times, I hear men in the media talking about actions like angry rages, violence, disrespectful words, and blatantly uncaring or hurtful actions as thought they are commonplace or even acceptable. You would think it was a nation-wide "backwards day" all the time!
Of course I know that it is a tough world, and we want to raise our children to be strong so they can cope with it. But, there is a difference between being strong and being scary/disrespectful. And sometimes being tough means having the courage, character, confidence, and internal strength to do what you know is right even when the rest of society thinks it is something to ridicule. I certainly realize that I may be more sensitive to this being a female with a counseling degree who works with kids, but it seems to me that we should be trying to encourage a higher standard (perhaps thinking about the kinds of males we'd like our sisters or daughters to marry). I personally will always prefer to see a man cry instead of punching or cursing someone.
Anyway, I truly am not writing this to sound preachy or soapboxy, and I hope I haven't offended anyone! What I really wanted to tell you is that if you are looking for guidance on raising boys in a way that balances masculinity and emotional well-being, I can recommend two books on the subject: Raising Cain by Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson, and Real Boys by William Pollack. It's been a while since I read them, but I remember really enjoying both.
For a similar book on raising girls to be strong and confident, I believe Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher is one of the titles most often mentioned. I have not yet read it myself so I cannot vouch for it, and I believe it focuses mainly on adolescents, but it seems to be well-respected. If you know of any other similar books focused on girls, please let me know! I may not be up-to-date on that literature!
Thank you for reading! We are glad you are here!
But, the other day, overhearing a TV show my husband was watching, it occurred to me how backwards our society can be when it comes to our view of males. In this particular case, men were riduculing other men for actions that sounded to me like basic courtesy toward important people in their lives, or turning to the unconditional love of their family in times of disappointment. Other times, I hear men in the media talking about actions like angry rages, violence, disrespectful words, and blatantly uncaring or hurtful actions as thought they are commonplace or even acceptable. You would think it was a nation-wide "backwards day" all the time!
Of course I know that it is a tough world, and we want to raise our children to be strong so they can cope with it. But, there is a difference between being strong and being scary/disrespectful. And sometimes being tough means having the courage, character, confidence, and internal strength to do what you know is right even when the rest of society thinks it is something to ridicule. I certainly realize that I may be more sensitive to this being a female with a counseling degree who works with kids, but it seems to me that we should be trying to encourage a higher standard (perhaps thinking about the kinds of males we'd like our sisters or daughters to marry). I personally will always prefer to see a man cry instead of punching or cursing someone.
Anyway, I truly am not writing this to sound preachy or soapboxy, and I hope I haven't offended anyone! What I really wanted to tell you is that if you are looking for guidance on raising boys in a way that balances masculinity and emotional well-being, I can recommend two books on the subject: Raising Cain by Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson, and Real Boys by William Pollack. It's been a while since I read them, but I remember really enjoying both.
For a similar book on raising girls to be strong and confident, I believe Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher is one of the titles most often mentioned. I have not yet read it myself so I cannot vouch for it, and I believe it focuses mainly on adolescents, but it seems to be well-respected. If you know of any other similar books focused on girls, please let me know! I may not be up-to-date on that literature!
Thank you for reading! We are glad you are here!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Families May Shape Bullies
I went to a workshop on bullying before the winter break, and it was very informative and also somewhat alarming. It is amazing how technology and societal factors have expanded the ways kids can pick on each other!
Bullying is when a child with more power intentionally hurts a child with less power over and over again. Bullying can be:
Some of the information we received at the workshop dealt with cyberbullying, which is bullying that takes place on a computer, cell phone, or other electronic device. I won't share much of that information here because I know that is probably not an issue for most of our young TPS students. Of course, if you would like me to send information home to you about cyberbullying, please let me know anytime!
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Bullying is when a child with more power intentionally hurts a child with less power over and over again. Bullying can be:
- physical (hitting, kicking, punching, etc)
- verbal (teasing, name-calling, etc)
- nonverbal or emotional (intimidation through gestures, social exclusion, or harming the victim's relationships)
- cyber (sending insulting or intimidating messages by email, test message, or other electronic means)
- A lack of warmth and involvement on the part of the parents
- Overly-permissive parenting (including a lack of limits for children's behavior)
- A lack of supervision by parents
- Harsh, physical discipline
- A model for bullying behavior (for example, the child knows that one or both parents hurt other people's bodies, feelings, property, or relationships, or attempt to get what they want by manipulation, force, cruelty, or violence)
- Get into frequent fights
- Be injured in a fight
- Vandalize property
- Steal property
- Drink alcohol
- Smoke
- Be truant from school
- Drop out of school
- Carry a weapon
- Have more than one criminal conviction by the age of 24
- Make it clear to your child that you take bullying seriously and will not tolerate this behavior.
- Develop clear and consistent rules within your family for your child's behavior. Praise and reinforce your child for following rules and use non-physical, non-hostile consequences for rule violations.
- Spend more time with your child and carefully supervise and monitor his or her activities. Find out who your child's friends are and how and where they spend their free time.
- Build on your child's talents by encouraging him or her to get involved in prosocial activities (such as clubs, music lesson, non-violent sports, etc)
- Share your concerns with your child's teacher, counselor, or principal. Work together to send clear messages to your child that his or her bullying must stop.
- If you or your child need additional help, talk with a school counselor or mental health professional in the community.
Some of the information we received at the workshop dealt with cyberbullying, which is bullying that takes place on a computer, cell phone, or other electronic device. I won't share much of that information here because I know that is probably not an issue for most of our young TPS students. Of course, if you would like me to send information home to you about cyberbullying, please let me know anytime!
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Friday, January 13, 2012
2nd Grade Lesson- Coping Skills
Well, after our slowed pace during the busy month of December, we are finally finishing the second Kelso's Choices conflict resolution lesson in kindergarten today. We'll start a new lesson in 2nd grade on Tuesday!
We'll learn about coping skills, or how to deal with difficult emotions in a healthy way. All of us are going to feel angry, sad, or upset sometimes- it's part of life. It is very important for young children to start learning positive coping skills that make them feel better but do not hurt other people, break things, or make the situation worse. This is a skill they'll need for the rest of their lives, to keep them safe and resilient.
In our lesson we'll talk briefly about how emotions are like a roller coaster: you have ups and downs, but no matter how bad you're feeling you can always look forward to the track going back up soon and know that your sadness will not last forever.
Then the students will work in small groups to unscramble a number of different healthy coping skills that they can choose from in real life, like playing outside, drawing or coloring, talking to someone, reading a book, getting a hug, playing with a pet, listening to music, starting a project, doing something kind for someone else, building a block tower and knocking it down, dancing or singing, etc. Look for your 2nd grader to bring home a half-page list of 36 positive ideas for handling difficult feelings. You and your family might find it helpful to keep the list in a handy place for those times when people find themselves angry, sad, or upset at home! Of course you and your child also might want to add your personal favorite ideas to the list, since most of mine are general. If you come up with new ones that aren't on my list, please share them with me! I am always looking for good ideas to help kids cope!
I'll do this lesson next week with Bowlin, Frith, Hamner, Johnson, Singley, Horst, Smelley, Phillips, and Peake/Dover's classes. All other 2nd grade classes will take place the following week. If you have any questions or comments (or if you don't have a 2nd grader, but would like me to send a copy of the coping skills list home to you), please let me know!
We'll learn about coping skills, or how to deal with difficult emotions in a healthy way. All of us are going to feel angry, sad, or upset sometimes- it's part of life. It is very important for young children to start learning positive coping skills that make them feel better but do not hurt other people, break things, or make the situation worse. This is a skill they'll need for the rest of their lives, to keep them safe and resilient.
In our lesson we'll talk briefly about how emotions are like a roller coaster: you have ups and downs, but no matter how bad you're feeling you can always look forward to the track going back up soon and know that your sadness will not last forever.
Then the students will work in small groups to unscramble a number of different healthy coping skills that they can choose from in real life, like playing outside, drawing or coloring, talking to someone, reading a book, getting a hug, playing with a pet, listening to music, starting a project, doing something kind for someone else, building a block tower and knocking it down, dancing or singing, etc. Look for your 2nd grader to bring home a half-page list of 36 positive ideas for handling difficult feelings. You and your family might find it helpful to keep the list in a handy place for those times when people find themselves angry, sad, or upset at home! Of course you and your child also might want to add your personal favorite ideas to the list, since most of mine are general. If you come up with new ones that aren't on my list, please share them with me! I am always looking for good ideas to help kids cope!
I'll do this lesson next week with Bowlin, Frith, Hamner, Johnson, Singley, Horst, Smelley, Phillips, and Peake/Dover's classes. All other 2nd grade classes will take place the following week. If you have any questions or comments (or if you don't have a 2nd grader, but would like me to send a copy of the coping skills list home to you), please let me know!
Friday, January 6, 2012
ADHD Expert Panel at UA
For a few years now, the University of Alabama has hosted a great annual conference on ADHD here in Tuscaloosa. One part of the event is an hour-long question-and-answer session with a panel of experts. I've been to this twice before, and it has been interesting and informative to hear "experts" from different professions talk about many aspects of raising, educating, and treating children and teens who have ADHD. Even if you don't have any questions, you can just listen!
In the past the panel has included researchers, medical doctors, advocates for children with disabilities, parents of children with ADHD, counselors, and educators. This year it looks like there will definitely be a researcher and a medical doctor who specializes in ADHD, and I'm not sure if there will be other panel members as well.
If you would like to mark your calendar, the panel is scheduled for Thursday, January 26, from 7:00 to 8:00pm, at the Bryant Conference Center on the UA campus. If you'd like more information about the conference and the panel, you can go to http://training.ua.edu//adhd/.
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
In the past the panel has included researchers, medical doctors, advocates for children with disabilities, parents of children with ADHD, counselors, and educators. This year it looks like there will definitely be a researcher and a medical doctor who specializes in ADHD, and I'm not sure if there will be other panel members as well.
If you would like to mark your calendar, the panel is scheduled for Thursday, January 26, from 7:00 to 8:00pm, at the Bryant Conference Center on the UA campus. If you'd like more information about the conference and the panel, you can go to http://training.ua.edu//adhd/.
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Friday, December 2, 2011
Bullying Website from the State Department
I received the following email (in italics) on Wednesday. It is about a new website the state department created to provide parents, educators, and students with information on bullying and how to prevent it. You've probably noticed that "bullying" has become a big buzzword in education and a great deal of attention, literature, and training has focused on it. My classroom lessons at all grade levels emphasize respect and treating peers appropriately, and the book we read school-wide about bucket-filling makes reference to bully behavior. Bullying specifically is part of our county's second grade counseling curriculum, and will be the topic of a lesson next semester.
One definition of bullying is offered below, but another catchy one I learned in my old school district is "Bullying happens when someone with more power hurts someone with less power on purpose over and over again." Bullying can hurt people's bodies, feelings, friendships, or property/belongings. I have a few lists of strategies to use against bullies- if you'd ever like me to send a copy home with your child, please let me know. One of my favorite strategies to teach classes is to include everyone. I like that idea because all kids can do it. It does not require bravery, or put students at risk of getting hurt if they try to stand up to a bully. And, if we did more of it, it would prevent a lot of bullying before it ever started! The idea is that the kids likely to bully or be victimized would be accepted, included, and surrounded by other kids who could witness and report disrespectful actions.
If you're looking for further information, check out the website below. Allan L. Beane has also written some excellent books on the subject.
The Alabama Department of Education (ALSDE) announces the release of the Stop Bullying in Alabama website to provide students, parents, teachers and school administrators a variety of resources to help combat bullying in Alabama’s schools. On December 1, these supportive resources will be made available on the award-winning Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) www.alex.state.al.us, at no cost to educators, students, or parents.
Bullying in Alabama’s schools is a serious issue that cannot be ignored. Bullying occurs when a person is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and has difficulty defending him or herself.
Dr. Yvette Richardson, Alabama State Board of Education member for District IV is taking the lead in this statewide campaign to stop bullying in educational settings and online. “No child in our schools should ever feel scared or demeaned for any reason. It is up to adults to help them respond to bullying when it occurs, and also to take every step to ensure it does not occur in the first place,” said Richardson.
She appeared on Fox 6’s, “What’s Right with Our Schools” program recently outlining the plan to put an end to bullying in Alabama’s schools. Richardson is currently leading a task force assembled by ALSDE that includes teachers, parents and community leaders from a variety of Alabama agencies and organizations. The goal of this task force is to help implement Alabama's Student Harassment Prevention Act, signed into law in 2009.
In addition to passing a law against bullying in our schools, and requiring schools to incorporate board-approved anti-bullying policies to combat these startling statistics, ALSDE designed the Stop Bullying in Alabama website. The ALEX website will feature a variety of resources for parents, teachers, administrators, and students all designed to stop bullying in Alabama. School administrators who set up an account through the Administrator section can opt for a free service that is available to create an anonymous “Report a Bully” button that can be displayed on school websites for students to use. Model policy guides to implement a bully-free school plan will also be available.
Bullying can take many forms, including physical, verbal, indirect, social alienation, intimidation and the newest form, cyber bullying. Stopcyberbullying.org defines cyberbullying as when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones.
The Cyberbullying Research Center states that 20% of students report experiencing cyberbullying in their lifetime. A 2009 survey by the Associated Press and MTV showed that 50% of young people aged 14-24 have experienced “digitally abusive behavior.”
With a video introduction by Richardson, the Stop Bullying in Alabama website will be available free to all Alabama residents. The Stop the Bullying in Alabama website will be prominently featured on the award-winning ALEX (Alabama Learning Exchange) website, which attracts 120,000 monthly visitors. To view the website, go to http://alex.state.al.us/stopbullying/.
Thank you for reading! We are glad you are here!
One definition of bullying is offered below, but another catchy one I learned in my old school district is "Bullying happens when someone with more power hurts someone with less power on purpose over and over again." Bullying can hurt people's bodies, feelings, friendships, or property/belongings. I have a few lists of strategies to use against bullies- if you'd ever like me to send a copy home with your child, please let me know. One of my favorite strategies to teach classes is to include everyone. I like that idea because all kids can do it. It does not require bravery, or put students at risk of getting hurt if they try to stand up to a bully. And, if we did more of it, it would prevent a lot of bullying before it ever started! The idea is that the kids likely to bully or be victimized would be accepted, included, and surrounded by other kids who could witness and report disrespectful actions.
If you're looking for further information, check out the website below. Allan L. Beane has also written some excellent books on the subject.
The Alabama Department of Education (ALSDE) announces the release of the Stop Bullying in Alabama website to provide students, parents, teachers and school administrators a variety of resources to help combat bullying in Alabama’s schools. On December 1, these supportive resources will be made available on the award-winning Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) www.alex.state.al.us, at no cost to educators, students, or parents.
Bullying in Alabama’s schools is a serious issue that cannot be ignored. Bullying occurs when a person is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and has difficulty defending him or herself.
Dr. Yvette Richardson, Alabama State Board of Education member for District IV is taking the lead in this statewide campaign to stop bullying in educational settings and online. “No child in our schools should ever feel scared or demeaned for any reason. It is up to adults to help them respond to bullying when it occurs, and also to take every step to ensure it does not occur in the first place,” said Richardson.
She appeared on Fox 6’s, “What’s Right with Our Schools” program recently outlining the plan to put an end to bullying in Alabama’s schools. Richardson is currently leading a task force assembled by ALSDE that includes teachers, parents and community leaders from a variety of Alabama agencies and organizations. The goal of this task force is to help implement Alabama's Student Harassment Prevention Act, signed into law in 2009.
In addition to passing a law against bullying in our schools, and requiring schools to incorporate board-approved anti-bullying policies to combat these startling statistics, ALSDE designed the Stop Bullying in Alabama website. The ALEX website will feature a variety of resources for parents, teachers, administrators, and students all designed to stop bullying in Alabama. School administrators who set up an account through the Administrator section can opt for a free service that is available to create an anonymous “Report a Bully” button that can be displayed on school websites for students to use. Model policy guides to implement a bully-free school plan will also be available.
Bullying can take many forms, including physical, verbal, indirect, social alienation, intimidation and the newest form, cyber bullying. Stopcyberbullying.org defines cyberbullying as when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones.
The Cyberbullying Research Center states that 20% of students report experiencing cyberbullying in their lifetime. A 2009 survey by the Associated Press and MTV showed that 50% of young people aged 14-24 have experienced “digitally abusive behavior.”
With a video introduction by Richardson, the Stop Bullying in Alabama website will be available free to all Alabama residents. The Stop the Bullying in Alabama website will be prominently featured on the award-winning ALEX (Alabama Learning Exchange) website, which attracts 120,000 monthly visitors. To view the website, go to http://alex.state.al.us/stopbullying/.
Thank you for reading! We are glad you are here!
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