Archive for the ‘Bullying’ Category

Newer Entries »

Bullying a Teacher is not Free Speech!

February 4, 2011

There is appropriate behaviour and then there is inappropriate behaviour.  Bullying a teacher is inappropriate – full stop!  It doesn’t matter if it is in the classroom, the schoolyard or on Facebook – it’s not on.  Students must refrain from slurring the reputation of their teachers.  Is that so difficult to live with?

When a student calls his teacher a “douche bag” and “fat ass” on Facebook, and then gets suspended from school as result, you would think that the matter has been dealt with and all can move on.  But that wasn’t the case when a grade 10 student in California referred to his teacher as a “fat ass who should stop eating fast food, and is a douche bag” in a Facebook post – apparently in reaction to getting a large pile of homework

Such a story should never have made the headlines or been discussed in the media.

Enter the ACLU – a U.S. charity that promotes free speech (and spends most of its time being a general nuisance).  The ACLU couldn’t let the school get away with protecting its teacher from being verbally insulted online.

After learning about the incident, ACLU attorney Linda Lye wrote a letter to the school, asking it to reverse its decision to suspend the student.

She argued that the student’s post did not constitute cyberbullying because it did not “materially or substantially [disrupt] the school environment.” Also, he posted the status update from home during non-school hours.

Didn’t disrupt the school environment?  Who do you think is responsible for establishing and maintaining the school environment? Teachers, Ms. Lye – teachers!  What kind of school environment do you have where it’s considered acceptable to say nasty things about a teacher on Facebook?

And so what if the offence took place out of school.  Does this mean a student can voice their displeasure about their teacher on talkback radio or graffiti insults at the local train station without any punishment?  Let’s just hope our students don’t know any skywriters!

But there’s more:

“Schools have an obligation to provide a safe school environment,” wrote Lye. But “petty comments, insults, ordinary personality conflicts … don’t rise to the level of harassment.”

You see that’s the problem.  Those insults were not petty, they were harmful.  I am sure if Ms. Lye was the subject of similar comments on Facebook she wouldn’t find them so petty.

Of course ACLU were successful with the suspension subsequently erased from the student’s record.

Freedom of speech is not supposed to allow students to insult their teachers on Facebook.  Teachers work every day to keep their credibility and authority intact.  If we allow students to undermine their teachers without consequences, we are sending a terrible message that will have potentially severe ramifications for our education system.

Tags:, , , , , , , ,
Posted in Bullying, Cyber Bullying, Teacher Welfare | 3 Comments »

Stop Pretending and Start Acting!

January 20, 2011

Parents looking for a school for their kids must hate reading the same line that tends to pop up in all the school’s brochures.  It’s the line that Principal’s claim they pride themselves on.  I bet if I asked you to guess what the line is, you’d come close.

“We provide a warm, safe and secure environment for our students.”

Heard it before?  Have you ever been convinced that it’s true?

A recent poll of parents of Primary school aged kids were asked about their greatest concerns regarding sending their kids to school.

The results were not surprising:

Bullying is the biggest worry parents have when they send their children back to school.

Three quarters of parents fear their child will be bullied – at school and online – a survey has found.

In a sign of their concern, 89 per cent plan to monitor their children’s online activities closely.

Australian parents are also concerned about the costs associated with sending a child back to school, with one in three nominating money as an issue.

A national poll of 1000 parents of primary school age children found almost half believed a passionate and caring teacher, and a fun learning environment, were critical to their child’s success at school.

Curbing bullying is not just a priority – it is the number one priority.  Yes, more important than academic performance.  And why shouldn’t it be the case?  Parents who invest everything they have towards their child’s health and happiness deserve the right to feel confident the school will do its utmost to provide a safe environment for their child.

Don’t just say you are.  Prove it.  Because parents obviously don’t buy it.

And speaking of parents, I couldn’t disagree with this quote from Parenting Victoria’s Elaine Crowle more strongly:

“The best way to prevent bullying is for parents and schools to work together to build resilience within your child.”

No, the best way to prevent bullying is not simply to fortify the victim – it is to stop the perpetrator.  Resilience often means not reacting when being bullied and instead soaking it up.  That is not a remedy against bullying.  Schools must invest a great deal more into curbing bullying than resiliency programs.

It’s time schools were stripped of their right to boast about their so-called safe and secure environment until they adequately prove that this is actually the case.

Tags:, , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Bullying, Cyber Bullying | 2 Comments »

Time to Show Support for Teachers

January 12, 2011

Something tells me 2011 is not The Year of the Teacher.

After the disappointment of the New York Supreme Court ruling that teachers alleged to be underperforming can be named and shamed by the media, an unfortunate trend is becoming clear –  teacher blame.

Teachers I am told, are the most bullied of all professionals.  They are subjected to bullying from a variety of sources; their superiors, parents, colleagues, students and as we see from New York, the Government regulators.  For a profession desperately looking for fresh, talented and passionate recruits, teachers have never had it so bad.

Today I read of the rise in bullying from parents through the use of social media such as Facebook.

The NAHT (National Association of Headteachers) says it receives hundreds of calls every week from teachers who are being ‘cyberbullied’ – and the majority of complaints are about parents using the web to criticise teachers or heads.

In 2009, research by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) and the Teacher Support Network suggested 15% of teachers had experienced cyberbullying, and it is believed this figure is growing.

One English teacher in the West Midlands told the ATL: ‘I found teaching stressful already but when it got to the point where I was getting home and finding messages about me on social networking sites, or horrible photos on my computer I couldn’t cope.’

The ATL says that one teacher had a fake Facebook account set up in his name containing false sexual allegations.

Another teacher suffered stress after a video of her teaching appeared on YouTube.

The 2009 ATL research showed that 63% of teachers who had suffered cyberbullying personally said they had received unwelcome emails. Over a quarter had had offensive messages posted about them on social networking sites such as Facebook and 28% described being sent unwelcome text messages.

A 24-hour counselling helpline called Teacherline set up in October 1999 for stressed teachers in England and Wales now receives thousands of calls a month.

Teacherline reports that teachers are four times more likely to experience stress at work than employees in other professions.

It is true that not all teachers are good at what they do.  Many are way below standard.  But it’s not an easy profession and it usually isn’t the career path a person just falls into.  People usually take on teaching because they have an affinity with either child, subject or both.  Instead of bullying teachers, how about we call for greater support of teachers.  Help them improve with a positive framework rather than negative cajoling.
How about starting pro-teacher Facebook pages?  Facebook pages which call on Governments around the globe to stop using teachers as scapegoats and stop stirring mass hysteria about the quality of teachers through the media?  How about Facebook pages that seek to empower and revitalise the teacher rather than tear them down even lower, and inadvertently, tear down the fabric of this great profession with them.

Tags:, , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Bullying, Cyber Bullying, Teacher Welfare | Leave a Comment »

Cell Phone App to Take on Bullying

January 9, 2011

It was always going to happen.  Marketing and advertising executives were always going to try to find a way to cash in on the unfortunate bullying issue which is prevalent in schools worldwide.  Here are two new products invented to ward off bullies:

1. Cell Phone App – For $10 a month a parent can buy an app for your child’s cell phone. It will scan texts and emails for language that might indicate bullying is going on, and if it is found the parent receives an alert. It is available at www.websafety.com.

2. The Backpack with Alarm – The iSAFE backpack is marketed as something a child can use if they feel their safety is in danger because of a bully. It comes with a cord the child can pull that sounds an alarm. It costs about $60.

I don’t feel comfortable with companies profiting from bullying.  That cell phone app should be free of charge.

And the bag? Can you imagine how much worse the bullies are going to become when they find out their victim carries a bully bag?  I can just hear them now:

“Oh, your mommy bought you a bully bag!”

The true reason why this is all so sad, is not just that executives in fancy suits are starting to equate bullying with dollar signs, and it’s not just because some of these ideas are going to incite bullies rather than tame them.  No, the saddest part of this story is that there are desperate people out there so deeply afflicted by bullying and so desperate to make it go away.

My recommendation to every boy and girl subjected to constant bullying is to buy the backpack and hand deliver it to your Principal.  The message needs to get through loud and clear.  This is not good enough!

Tags:, , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Bullying | Leave a Comment »

Teacher Myth #1

January 7, 2011

I’m excited to start a new series of posts on the theme of teacher myths.  Every week I will be examining a teacher myth.

Teacher Myth 1:

A Teacher’s Job is to Teach, Not to Concern Themselves With the Social Dynamics of the Classroom

I remember a student I encountered during my second round of placements as a student teacher.  The boy (I will refer to him by the name Max), was a teacher favourite.  He was well-mannered, courteous to others, bright, hard-working, loved learning and a very good listener.  Max had a glaring problem that didn’t seem to worry his teacher one bit.  As soon as the bell would ring for recess he would go out with the other kids, make a bee line straight for the line-up area, and sit himself down on the line waiting for the inside bell to ring.  And there he waited all by himself, desperate to do away with playtime and stick to what he was good at – working in the classroom.

The first time I noticed Max striking a lonely figure at the line, I did nothing about it.  What could I do?  I reflected on it that night and decided that if it happened again the following day I would try to help him in whatever way I could.  Sure enough the very next recess saw Max sitting at the head of the line-up area, waiting for the bell.  I approached him and sat next to him, saying nothing to him so as not to make him anxious.  I just sat there until he gave me eye contact.  Instead of advising him to go out and play with friends and reminding him about obvious details like the quality of the weather and the importance of exercise, I opened the conversation by enquiring about his interests, hobbies, what his parents did for a living etc.  After a few minutes we were engaged in a wonderful conversation.  So good was our chat, that Max’s classmates started to become curious and soon enough there was a group of students at the line-up area listening and contributing to my conversation with Max.  You could tell how surprised they were to find out how interesting this loner was and how different he was to their past perceptions of him.

Here is a kid who gets good grades, great reports and glowing feedback from his teachers based on his academic performance, yet needs as much help in school as the struggling student sitting next to him.

Good teachers know that if you limit your job to the dissemination of facts alone, you are letting down your students.

It’s very important to improve the academic skills and convey facts and concepts to the class, but in my view it is of equal importance to ensure that your students are well looked after, are managing socially and have a positive sense of self.  If school was just about academic achievement it would have to be viewed as in institution designed for many to fail.  There are students in every class who will not find learning maths, science etc. easy at all.  They are not natural academic.  This is more than alright, because with the right attitude and a patient teacher they can progress beyond their wildest dreams.  School is not just about academics, it’s about finding a place in a group, contributing for and co-operating with others.  So much of ones youth is spent at school.  If there isn’t a great deal of time put in to helping the children gain a sense of self and a place where they harness their diverse skills and qualities, then sadly it is a huge opportunity lost.

That’s why I am not surprised that anti-bullying programs have proved ineffective.  You cannot deal with the problem through a peripheral program, you have to make the self-esteem and quality of life of students paramount.  Equal to their academic performance.  After all, your students in time will probably forget about the important dates during the Civil War and will have long ago lost a knowledge of single-celled organisms and The Fibonacci Sequence.  What they will however take with them is memories of positive and negative interactions with teachers and students during their school years.  Unfortunately, for way too many, those interactions have been particularly negative and destructive.

The best teachers (for which I can only aspire to be one day), are not content with academic performance within the classroom.  They want much more from their students.  They want their students to have an appreciation for themselves and others.  They want them to develop a selflessness and to harness their ability to find compassion for others and make constructive life choices.  If my students don’t become lawyers or doctors (not that there is anything wrong with that), it won’t worry me one bit.  I just want my students to grow up to live happy and constructive lives, to look out for others and to carve out a legacy for themselves.

If you have a child who is floundering socially or is being harassed at school, it is more than appropriate, in fact it’s advisable that you alert the teacher.  And if that teacher shows a lack of interest in the matter, then he/she isn’t doing their job properly.

Tags:, , , , ,
Posted in Bullying, Teacher Myths | 10 Comments »

Education New Years Resolutions

January 2, 2011

These are some New Years resolutions I suggest the Education sector should take on for 2011:

1. Stop Putting Unnecessary Pressure on Teachers – Sure it is important to scrutinise teachers and ensure that poor teachers don’t preside over a classroom.  But if you base whether a teacher is good or otherwise on a test you run the risk of the following consequences:

  • Teachers teach to a test rather than typical authentic teaching
  • Inexperienced teachers will be frightened off from continuing in the profession due to the pressure to perform
  • Teachers will be labelled in a manner we have never seen before
  • Some good teachers will be mistakenly called poor based on circumstances partly beyond their control.

2. Continue Fighting Bullying – 2011 has to be dedicated to making students feel better about school, by striving to create an environment that is tolerant and bully-free.  School cultures must change where necessary.  Exterior programs are fine, but they are often at the mercy of endemic school culture deficiencies.

3. Stop Playing Public and Private Schools Against Each Other – The media has been chipping away at this one.  Comparing public and private schools for funding and achievement can be counter-productive.  Instead of pitting them against each other, Governments should be trying to improve the quality of all sectors for all people.  Let both Public and Private schools flourish.

4. Pressure the Education Union – The Education Union needs to step up and show us they are relevant.  Of late they have come across as pussy cats, giving in to big issues without even a fight.  The rule that all teachers in a school must be Union members before they even consult with the staff about conditions and wages, puts teachers under pressure from colleagues to sign up whether they want to or can afford to.  This is not acceptable.

5. Lessons Must Come Alive – The trend towards direct instruction teaching means lessons are becoming more turgid and less engaging.  Similarly, there needs to be a greater emphasis on problem solving and critical thinking.

6. Forget about the National Curriculum – The draft was a huge disappointment.  New curriculums don’t change outcomes.  Improved conditions and support does.

7. Look After New Teachers – This includes improving the quality of teacher training, which at the moment is not up to scratch.  New teachers require more support.  The idea of filling holes by putting new teachers in remote schools is just the tonic for scaring away potentially phenomenal teachers.  Don’t let them sink or swim, but rather, put structures in place that allows them to be nurtured and supported in the crucial early years.

Please feel free to add some of your own suggestions.

Tags:, , , , ,
Posted in Bullying, Education Union, Teacher Training, Teacher Welfare, Teachers Salary, Teachers Stress | 8 Comments »

Anti-Bullying Programs Not Working

December 31, 2010

The sad reality is that whilst schools all over the world are becoming increasingly aware and proactive on the issue of bullying, the programs and structures put into place to address the problem are simply not working.

An example of this is Seattle’s bold and noteworthy decision to adopt a Norwegian program that seemed to reduce incidents by up to 50%.  The program included the formation of committees, parent and teacher tutorials, and regular student meetings.

Yet a rigorous scientific analysis, after three years, showed the program had no overall effect.

“When we have big problems like bullying we are desperate. We want to do something,’’ said Paula Lozano, a University of Washington professor of pediatrics and a coauthor of the Seattle study. “Doing something feels better than not doing anything.’’

Research suggests that despite good intentions and feverish competition to pinpoint a solution, antibullying programs have shown, at best, mixed results, and what has worked in one school has not always worked in another.

Among the most authoritative and wide-ranging evaluations of antibullying programs is a 2009 study by Cambridge University researchers. The pair unearthed hundreds of scientific evaluations of individual programs, a number of which they ignored because the studies had not used acceptable methods. Of the 44 they deemed reliable, just 19 showed significant reductions in bullying.

I personally feel that schools should be congratulated for finally taking the issue seriously.  I however feel that fighting bullying requires more than peripheral programs, but also an inner focus on the culture of the school and its community.  I have developed my own set of principles for tackling bullying in my classroom.  Feel free to read my earlier post which explains what my model is and how it has worked for me.

Tags:, , , , , , ,
Posted in Bullying | 3 Comments »

The Primary Students that Plotted to Kill Their Teacher

December 24, 2010

I don’t know what is more disappointing, the students actions or the feeble response from this poor teacher’s school.

A primary school where over 200 youngsters plotted the assassination of their math’s teacher over Facebook is considering disciplinary measures against the students.

Tatjana Landsman, principal of the school in the northern town of Bjelovar, said she would be meeting with parents and the class council to discuss the matter.

“I am not certain what sorts of measures should be imposed, but the most important thing is that this case is seen as a warning, and that parents finally realise that children must be controlled in their use of internet and social networks,” Landsman said.

Oh really?  Let’s blame the internet! It’s not the kids fault – it’s the internet!

Acknowledging the gravity of the situation, state secretary Zelimir Janjic visited the school and offered assistance

“We always react in such situations because we do not wish to leave the school alone to deal with these problems,” said Janjic.

That’s nice.  So how are you reacting to the problem?

He added that several concrete steps has already been arranged, including workshops for parents organised in cooperation with Zagreb’s Institute for Protection of Children.

Janjic said that he would also advocate that schools get a psychologist in addition to having a pedagogue and a special education teacher, in order to have a team that could deal with such problems.

So let’s get this straight.  Two hundred students ganged up on their teacher and plotted the teacher’s assassination, and what was the consequence?  A workshop on better internet usage and a chance to consider getting a psychologist.

Hmmm…..

Tags:, , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Bullying, Teacher Welfare | 1 Comment »

Our Duty to Stop Bullying Websites

December 23, 2010

It was disappointing, yet not at all surprising, to hear of the new smash-hit website entitled LittleGossip.com, which promotes bullying behaviour online.

A new website that encourages schoolchildren to write anonymous gossip about their peers, which is then rated as ‘true’ or ‘false’ by other users of the site, has exploded in popularity among Britain’s pupils in the past month.
Many of the comments on Little­Gossip.com are obscene, while others are homophobic or threatening.

In one post, a student at Eton made the following barely literate contribution about a peer: ‘mate your a ******* wannabe, u spend all of dads cash on your drug addiction.’

Another pupil at Emanuel School in Battersea, South London, wrote of a girl at the school: ‘****** is working her way through the boys, but unfortunately hasn’t made any girl friends along the way, what will she do when she runs out of boys? And who is her next target?’

In my opinion, even if this site gets closed down, it’s only a matter of time before copycat sites appear all over the place.  While it is integral that parents and teachers are proactive in curbing bullying the problem is far too great to have confidence that such measures is going to be near sufficient.  Instead, it’s up to the online community to ensure that all such sites get closed down.  There is absolutely nothing of benefit for sites like this to exist.  We must ensure that we do all we can to stop the proliferation of online bullying.  It is one of the worst types of bullying.  Shame on the creators and users of this horrendous website!

Tags:, , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Bullying, Cyber Bullying | 5 Comments »

We Are Losing the Fight Against Bullying

November 24, 2010

This is a point made very clear in a recent article entitled, Why we’re losing the fight against bullying.  The article suggests that school policies are flawed or just simply ineffective and bullying continues to be as rampant as ever.  Before I discuss my approach to the issue, I want to point out some interesting points made in the article:

“Some parents, I am sad to say, are not at all bothered if their child is a bully. In fact, they can be quite proud of it,” explains Ken Rigby, a bullying expert in Australia.

Schools can post warm and fuzzy messages about tolerance in the hallways, and hand out good-citizen awards at assemblies – both well-meaning, and necessary – but that strategy speaks loudest to students who wouldn’t bully in the first place, and many of those who do (between 10 and 20 per cent) don’t necessarily see their behaviour that way.

Schools can post warm and fuzzy messages about tolerance in the hallways, and hand out good-citizen awards at assemblies – both well-meaning, and necessary – but that strategy speaks loudest to students who wouldn’t bully in the first place, and many of those who do (between 10 and 20 per cent) don’t necessarily see their behaviour that way.

Zero-tolerance policies on fighting, as cases in Canada have shown, do not solve the problem either, often leading to punishment without investigation, and little follow-up.

I have very strong views on bullying and anti-bullying policy formulation.  It is my opinion that we have our emphasis wrong.  Bullying isn’t a priority – it is THE PRIORITY.  As a teacher, I am entrusted not with people’s money or belongings but with the most important and precious things they have – their children.  It is my responsibility to ensure that they are safe and secure.  Sure, I have to teach them and help them grow academically, but even more so, I have to do my best to make sure that the child they dropped off at my classroom is going to come back in as good if not better emotional shape than when they arrived.

When I speak to my class at the beginning of the year, I tell them there is a sure-fire way for them to have to repeat the year a second time.  It’s not if they find the work difficult or are struggling to pass assessments – it’s if they are not treating their classmates with respect.  Because if they are not ready to treat others with respect, they are not emotionally ready to go up a year level. 

I’m not joking.  I really do mean it.

There is a lot of talk about child centered learning vs teacher centered learning.  I prescribe to neither.  Instead, I believe in what I call “class centred learning”.  The main focus of my teaching is that everyone in the class must respect each other.  It is the fundamental rule for assessing my own performance.  They don’t have to like each other.  But they absolutely must respect each other.  And ultimately, it is my duty to empower the class and create an environment of closeness and mutual respect.

Does it mean that there is no bullying in my classroom?  Absolutely not.  I wish.  I’m only an average teacher.  What it means is, I take more interest in the welfare of my class than any other consideration.

So that means your actual “teaching” suffers?  Absolutely not.  In fact, if there is tension, poor self-esteem, bullying and disharmony in the classroom, there is no way a teacher is going to get the class to work at their potential.  Think about how hard it is for us adults to operate at work with colleagues that don’t respect us.

I think of it this way.  If my students go home still unsure about a maths problem, I can fix that up the following day.  But, if my students go home victimised by fellow classmates due to my inaction – then I may have caused potential damage.

Tags:, , , , , , ,
Posted in Bullying | 7 Comments »

Newer Entries »