Plan for a bully-free classroom
As an educator I will create a safe learning environment where I will continually stress the importance of being proactive when it comes to bullying behavior. I will strive to create the most positive and nurturing classroom environment and make every effort possible to enable each individual student to feel accepted and safe from bullies at all times.
Bullying is when a person intentionally harms another with words or behavior repeatedly. The victim has trouble defending himself or herself against the bully, who feeds on the false-sense of power created by bullying another person. According to Pacer Center, Inc.: “A lot of teens describe bullying as, ‘When someone tries to make you feel less about who you are as a person, and you aren’t able to make it stop.’”
A common problem with bullying is that the students who are not involved, but witness actions of bullies, do not know how to help. I will have an “anonymous tip” folder in my room. I will place it on my desk near a commonly visited location so that if someone wants to alert me to a situation of a concern, it will be a discrete way for a student to bring awareness to a potential bullying situation without having to “tattle.” In addition to the anonymous folder, I will keep a classroom-behavior journal. The journal will be an informal way of documenting each and every incident. If a bullying situation escalates I would like to have documentation of any and all of my involvement including dates and details of any potentially aggressive situation if the need arises.
In an effort to prevent bullying behavior, I have included in this plan a behavior rubric entitled: “Bullying Behavior: Mrs. Johnson’s Guidelines and Consequences.” This is a document intended to allow students no room for debate about a specific behavior and the associated consequences. This document will be distributed to students and parents in an effort to provide clear definitions and fair and consistent consequences for any behavior that may be interpreted as bullying. I believe that support from parents is essential for a student to be educationally successful within a school environment.
I have included three different pledges to stress the importance of the role that student, teacher and parent must play in creating a successful bully-free learning environment. Included in my plan is a pledge for each essential individual to read and sign. This was done in an effort to stress the importance of teamwork in this area.
To support a suspected victim of bullying, I will use a moment when the class is engaged in an independent activity and speak privately to the suspected victim about my feelings in a gentle and supportive manner. I will allow the suspected victim to be honest and open with me, and assure him or her that I can be the adult that stops the bullying. If the student admits a problem, I will act accordingly. If the student denies the problem, I will continue to closely monitor the situation. If I feel that there is other adult intervention required, I will contact the appropriate support staff member who can better assist the student.
Bullying is similar to a disease, if a student is exposed as the victim, he or she becomes the bully, much like any other disease. My intention in creating this plan is to be proactive. I know that we can eradicate bully behavior and if we all work together as a team. We are the only vaccine for the social-disease of bullying.
Bullying is when a person intentionally harms another with words or behavior repeatedly. The victim has trouble defending himself or herself against the bully, who feeds on the false-sense of power created by bullying another person. According to Pacer Center, Inc.: “A lot of teens describe bullying as, ‘When someone tries to make you feel less about who you are as a person, and you aren’t able to make it stop.’”
A common problem with bullying is that the students who are not involved, but witness actions of bullies, do not know how to help. I will have an “anonymous tip” folder in my room. I will place it on my desk near a commonly visited location so that if someone wants to alert me to a situation of a concern, it will be a discrete way for a student to bring awareness to a potential bullying situation without having to “tattle.” In addition to the anonymous folder, I will keep a classroom-behavior journal. The journal will be an informal way of documenting each and every incident. If a bullying situation escalates I would like to have documentation of any and all of my involvement including dates and details of any potentially aggressive situation if the need arises.
In an effort to prevent bullying behavior, I have included in this plan a behavior rubric entitled: “Bullying Behavior: Mrs. Johnson’s Guidelines and Consequences.” This is a document intended to allow students no room for debate about a specific behavior and the associated consequences. This document will be distributed to students and parents in an effort to provide clear definitions and fair and consistent consequences for any behavior that may be interpreted as bullying. I believe that support from parents is essential for a student to be educationally successful within a school environment.
I have included three different pledges to stress the importance of the role that student, teacher and parent must play in creating a successful bully-free learning environment. Included in my plan is a pledge for each essential individual to read and sign. This was done in an effort to stress the importance of teamwork in this area.
To support a suspected victim of bullying, I will use a moment when the class is engaged in an independent activity and speak privately to the suspected victim about my feelings in a gentle and supportive manner. I will allow the suspected victim to be honest and open with me, and assure him or her that I can be the adult that stops the bullying. If the student admits a problem, I will act accordingly. If the student denies the problem, I will continue to closely monitor the situation. If I feel that there is other adult intervention required, I will contact the appropriate support staff member who can better assist the student.
Bullying is similar to a disease, if a student is exposed as the victim, he or she becomes the bully, much like any other disease. My intention in creating this plan is to be proactive. I know that we can eradicate bully behavior and if we all work together as a team. We are the only vaccine for the social-disease of bullying.