Reducing School Bullying: Strategies for Parents, Teachers, and Students, Slides of Business Management and Analysis

Download Reducing School Bullying: Strategies for Parents, Teachers, and Students and more Slides Business Management and Analysis in PDF only on Docsity! 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS MENU I Quiz for testing your knowledge about bullying – Page 2 What Can Be Done to Reduce Bullying In My School – Page 6 MENU II Principal’s Report Card – Page 9 MENU III Needs Assessment – Page 11 Interview Questions – Page 13 Upper Elementary Aggression & Victimization Scale – Page 17 Teacher Nominations and Ratings – Page 19 Office Referral Form – Page 20 Critical Incident Report – Page 21 School Assessment Measure – Page 22 Gang Assessment Tool – Page 24 MENU IV Example of the Mission Statement – Page 25 Guidelines for Establishing a School Code of Conduct – Page 27 MENU V Ways to Improve School Climate – Page 28 Parent Request- What Can Parents Do About Bullying – Page 29 Ways Parents Can Reduce School Bullying – Page 32 Parent Letter to Principal about Bullying – Page 33 Teacher Strategies for Handling Bullying – Page 34 Ways to Improve Classroom Management – Page 36 Key Elements of Classroom Management – Page 40 Positive Incident Report – Page 41 School Management Suggestions – Page 42 Personal Problem-solving Worksheet – Page 46 Guidelines for Establishing Bystander Intervention – Page 48 Suggestions for What Student Leaders Can Do in Their Schools to Put the Brakes on Bullying – Page 50 Student Leader’s Handbook – Page 52 Ways to Defuse Anger in Elementary Students – Page 55 Guidelines for Conducting Problem-solving Discourse – Page 56 Ways to Defuse Anger in Youth – Page 58 Possible Letter from Superintendent to Principals – Page 59 Principal’s Report– Page 60 2 A. QUIZ - Test Your Knowledge About Bullying (Please take this QUIZ and then click EXPLANATION for answers.) What is your knowledge about bullying? How many myths about bullying do you hold? After taking this QUIZ, we invite you to consider the most FrequentlyAsked Questions (FAQs) about Bullying and the accompanying answers. A.1. TRUE/FALSE 1. Only boys bully. 2. Spreading rumors is a form of bullying. 3. Bullies are insecure and have low self-esteem. 4. Bullying usually occurs in the absence of peers. 5. Bullies have more power than their victims. 6. Victims should ignore bullying behaviors and learn to fight back. 7. Children will outgrow bullying. 8. Telling on a bully will only make the situation worse. 9. Teachers intervene often to stop bullying. 10. Nothing can be done at schools to reduce bullying. 11. Parents are usually aware that their children are bullies. 12. The principal of the school is the most critical person in implementing and evaluating a school anti-bullying program. 5 Various school-based interventions reported worldwide have reduced bullying by 15% to 50%. The most successful interventions are ecological involving the entire school staff, parents and community members. 11. FALSE Parents are usually aware that their children are bullying others. Parents are often unaware of the extent of bullying and victimization of their children. Moreover, parents do not usually discuss bullying with their children. Parents need to be active partners in promoting their children’s healthy relationships and preventing bullying. 12. TRUE The principal of the school is the most critical person in implementing and evaluating a school bullying prevention program. While it takes an entire “village” to reduce school violence, a principal who can inspire, demonstrate leadership, and establish a school climate of student and staff responsibility and respect, as compared to a school climate of fear and obedience, has been found to be most effective in reducing bullying. The principal is a key person in setting the tone for discipline in the school. ! 3/28/07 12:26 PM Comment: Again with the new perspective of positive youth development, I try to avoid terms such as anti. 6 B.8. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO REDUCE BULLYING IN MY SCHOOL: A 10 STEP PROGRAM At the onset of this section on bullying, we enumerated the CORE ELEMENTS of what needs to be considered in a comprehensive approach to reducing bullying. The 10 Step Program is a simplified version of the more detailed blueprint for reducing bullying. 1. Increase the commitment and leadership of the principal to reduce school violence, bullying and harassment. Without the principal’s investment and leadership, it is unlikely that any school intervention will work and be sustained. (See II for a discussion of the Principal’s responsibilities and ways to implement them.) 2. Conduct a Needs Assessment A recognition that no one intervention program fits all school needs and resources is an important beginning step. Schools differ and bullying and harassment vary across schools and grade levels. It is critical to conduct a Needs Assessment (See III A) and ongoing assessment for bullying. (See III B) 3. Improve the schools climate and sense of school belongingness for all students. There is a need to first assess your School’s Climate (See IIIB) and discover ways to improve the School Climate and student connectedness. (See V.A.) 4. Increase teachers’ awareness, commitment and ability to intervene as well as integrate any intervention program into the curriculum and school routines. 7 Bullying unfolds in a relationship characterized by a power imbalance that makes it increasingly difficult for victimized students to end the bullying on their own. Adults have to play an essential role in protecting victimized children and reducing bullying. That teachers buy into the intervention program is critical. Train all school personnel (See V.C.) on ways to identify and intervene in bullying episodes, defuse angry students (See V.H.), promote positive relationships,foster generalization or transfer of any school-wide programs, and improve classroom management procedures.(See V.C. ii.) 5. Implement and evaluate school-wide intervention programs that are evidence-based. Conduct a careful review of what has been found to work and what programs do not work (See II.E ). Implement proven programs that assess outcomes on a regular basis (See III.E.). Anticipate possible barriers that will undermine and interfere with the success of the program; have a “game plan” on how to anticipate and address these potential obstacles. (See III.E.) It is not sufficient to work with individual children. Solutions to bullying need to be both systemic and evidence-based. 6. Establish a follow-up intervention with “high-risk” students who do not improve with the school-wide and classroom-based interventions. Quite simply, some students will require further interventions. The ways to conduct and evaluate these interventions are examined (See II. F.) with special programs for high-risk students who bully, are victims of bullying, as well as those at highest risk who are bully-victims. 7. Efforts to bully-proof schools need to iclude bystander intervention programs that nurture student leadership and involvement. Peers can play a critical role in supporting bullying and promoting a culture of aggression. But when peers intervene to come to the assistance of victims, they can be equally effective in stopping bullying. Whether it is in the form of bystander intervention programs (See V.D.), a peer-warning system (See Peer Warning Site) or a peer-mediation program (See site for peer-mediation,) the students’ participation is critical. 8. Involve parents from the outset and provide ongoing training and feedback. 10 9. Create a team of “Champions for Student Safety” or some other group who are designated to provide leadership. 10. Actively support professional staff training and establish a confidential reporting system of bullying behavior. 11. Roam in the school building and be perceived as supportive and inviting. 12. Actively seek parent involvement and establish procedures to respond to parents of children who bully and who are victims of bullies. 13. Actively engage community members and establish referral services for children and families in need. 14. Prepare for possible crises/disasters . Let us now consider how principals can achieve each of these activities. 11 The Needs Assessment should help answer the following questions: 1. What is the prevalence and how widespread are bullying and victimization in my school? Is it both on and off campus? 2. What form (type) of bullying occurs in my school? 3. Where and under what condition does bullying take place in my school? 4. Are school staff members present in areas where bullying occurs? 5. How do teachers and administrators respond to such bullying incidents? 6. How effective are teachers and administrators in controlling bullying? What evidence is there that such interventions work? 7. What is the form of the critical incident reporting and accompanying referral systems? 8. Does the bullying occur alone or as part of a group activity? 9. Do gang-related activities occur on campus? 10. What are the characteristics of children who bully? Who are the victims? 11. What factors likely motivate the children who bully (e.g., issue of exerting power/control; obtain and maintain social status; self-protection and revenge; obtain possessions; part of group activity; lack of social and self-regulation skills; other reasons?) 12. What has the school done in the past to reduce bullying, harassment, and other forms of violence? 13. What specific intervention programs have been implemented to help children who bully and help children who are victims? 14. How do bystanders react? What can be done to engage bystanders to be part of the solution? 15. What evidence-based interventions have been found to reduce bullying? What interventions have not been found to be effective in reducing bullying? What lessons have been learned? 16. What obstacles/barriers got in the way of prior efforts? How can these be anticipated and addressed in the future? 12 17. What can be done to enhance positive relationships between students, school staff and parents and community members, administrators (principal) and teachers? 18. How have parents been involved in the anti-bullying program? In addition to these questions, Morrison et al. (2003) suggest that educators should also address the following questions: Who - Who are the students who repeatedly get sent to the office (grades, academic status, special education status, ethnicity, gender?) Nature of the Behavior - What is the nature of their misbehavior? Did these behaviors result in office referral? Are there behaviors that are handled by some teachers in their classrooms, while other teachers use office referrals? Is there a trend in the type of disruptive behaviors? Personnel Reactions - Who refers students most often (teachers, yard supervisors)? Would the misbehavior receive the same response in other classrooms? When - When (time of day) do students tend to get in trouble? What months or days of the week are most likely to result in office referrals? Effectiveness - What consequences seem to reduce office referrals? Do these consequences work differently for different types of students? Is there a sequence of interventions that work? Are the consequences teaching students the skills and understanding that they lack? 15 30. If you were the principal what would you do to make our school safer? The open-ended interview offered by Hoover and Oliver can be supplemented by more close- oriented structured student Self-Report Interviews and Questionnaires. Here are some examples and a list of additional measures. B2. STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS We say that someone is bullying when he or she hits, kicks, grabs or shoves you on purpose. It is also bullying when a student threatens or teases you in a hurtful way. It is also bullying when a student tries to keep others from being your friend or from letting you join in on what they are doing. It is not bullying when two students of about the same strength argue or fight. 1. By this definition, have you ever been bullied or picked on? 2. By this definition, how often have you been bullied in the past month? (Never, Once or Twice, About once per week, Several times per week) 3. By this definition, how often have you bullied others in the past month? (Never, Once or Twice, About once per week, Several times per week) 4. What happened when you were bullied or picked on? 5. How many times in the last month (week) have you bullied or picked on someone younger, smaller, weaker or different (not including your brother or sister)? (Zero, 1-2 times, 3-6 times, more than 6 times) 6. How many times have you had something taken from you by force or by threats? 7. How many times have you been made to do something you did not want to do? 8. How many times have you been threatened or physically hurt? B3. SCHOOL MAP OF “HOT SPOTS” The “Hot Spots” activity helps assess bullying in your school by allowing students to communicate their concerns non-verbally and anonymously. This enables students 16 who are not willing, or those who are unable, a way to express their worries about bullying in school and the neighborhood. 1. Provide students with a map of the school and ask them to indicate the three (3) most frequent areas where bullying is likely to occur inside and outside of the school building. Are there times when the places you marked are more dangerous? 2. Ask students to draw a map of how they get from their home to school and where bullying or some other form of violence might occur. 3. Provide teachers and administrators with a school map and ask them to identify areas that are unsupervised or “unmanned” (e.g., bathrooms, hallways, stairwells, certain areas of playground, locker room) where bullying is likely to occur. 17 B4. SURVEY MEASURES A number of assessment measures have been developed to ask students, teachers and principals about the prevalence of bullying in their school and related attitudes towards bullying. A good example of these measures has been offered by Orpinas and Horne (2006.). There are other measures that may be better suited to your school and to your intervention objectives. Upper Elementary Aggression and Victimization Scale * Think about what happened DURING THE LAST 7 DAYS, when you answer these questions. During the last 7 days 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 or more times time times times times times times 1. How many times did a kid 0 1 2 3 4 5 6+ from your school tease you? 2. How many times did a kid 0 1 2 3 4 5 6+ push, shove or hit you? 3. How many times did a kid 0 1 2 3 4 5 6+ from your school call you a bad name? 4. How many times did kids 0 1 2 3 4 5 6+ from your school say they were going to hit you? 5. How many times did other 0 1 2 3 4 5 6+ kids leave you out on purpose? 6. How many times did a student 0 1 2 3 4 5 6+ make up something about you to make other kids not like you anymore? 7. How many times did you tease 0 1 2 3 4 5 6+ a kid from your school? 8. How many times did you push, 0 1 2 3 4 5 6+ shove or hit a kid from your school? 9. How many times did you call 0 1 2 3 4 5 6+ a kid from your school a bad name? 20 OFFICE REFERRAL FORM Students Name ________________________ Grade ___________________ Date of Offense________________________ Teachers Name ________________ Location of Offense ____________________ Narrative description of offense (by teacher/by student) __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Who else was involved or present _______________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Consequences or actions taken __________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Acknowledgement of offense by student (narrative apology) ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Documentation of previous offenses _____________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Signature of student _____________________________ Signature of teacher _____________________________ Signature of parent _____________________________ Date _______________ 21 CRITICAL INCIDENT REPORT Students Name ________________________ Grade _______ Date_________ Teachers Name ________________________ Date of Offense_______________ Location of Offense ____________________ Name of Reporting Person _______________ Description of offense _______________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Who else was present ________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Comment on the students account and reactions to the offence ________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Actions taken ______________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Evidence of previous offenses _________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 22 SCHOOL ASSESSMENT MEASURE (Adapted from Altman, 1996) This self-assessment tool can provide a means to determine the level of “risk” for violence in our school. These questions can be addressed by all interested parties and provide the basis for intervention planning. How safe is your school? 1. How many fights have occurred on school property during the last 12 months? 2. How often have weapons (knives, guns, etc.) been brought into the building during the last 12 months? 3. How often has drug dealing been observed on school property within the last 12 months? 4. How often has property been deliberately damaged or stolen on school grounds within the last 12 months? 5. How safe/secure do the faculty/staff feel when they are on school property? (1 = very unsafe/insecure; 7 = very safe/secure) 6. How safe/secure do the students feel when they are on school property? (1 = very unsafe/insecure; 7 = very safe/secure) How safe is the route to your school? 1. How many fights have reportedly occurred before or after school during the last 12 months? 2. How often are children recruited for gang membership on the way to and from school? (1 = not at all; 7 = daily) 3. How much illegal drug trafficking exists in the neighborhood surrounding the school? (1 = none; 7 = primary economic activity in the community) 4. Do you have a parent patrol or some other mechanism for ensuring that caring adults are visible on the routes to and from school? 5. How safe/secure do the faculty/staff feel when they are on the way to and from school? (1 = very unsafe/insecure; 7 = very safe/secure) 6. How safe/secure do the students feel when they are on their way to and from school? (1 = very unsafe/insecure; 7 = very safe/secure) 25 IV A. Developing a School Mission Statement We begin with a consideration of the school’s Mission Statement, which should be aspirational in nature, inspiring change and conveying a shared vision. What is your school’s Mission Statement? Compare it to the following illustrative Mission Statement. Example of a Mission Statement This school (or School District) (include Name of School or School District) is committed to each student’s success in learning within a responsive and safe environment. We are committed to providing a learning environment, which is free from discrimination, threats, bullying and harassment for all students. We will work to ensure that all students have the opportunity and support to develop to their fullest potential and that all students have a personal, meaningful bond with someone in the school community. Compare your school’s or school district’s Mission Statement to this Mission Statement. Why is it important to have such a public statement? What does it take to translate such a Mission Statement into a working reality? There is a difference between having a laudatory Mission Statement and turning it into a working document that actually makes a difference. For example, with regard to this illustrative Mission Statement, can the school community (principal, teachers, students, parents) enumerate exactly what the school is doing to create and maintain: a) a responsive and safe environment; b) an environment, that is free of discrimination, bullying and harassment for all students; c) a school environment that helps to develop all students’ potential; d) personal and meaningful school bonds for all students? If the school community cannot specify how each of these four aspirational goals are being worked on and evaluated on a regular basis, then the Mission Statement is only there for “show.” A principal should be encouraged to give an annual “State of the 26 School” presentation with regard to the Mission Statement. Members of the school community should be invited to be partners in the achievement of each of these goals. A School Superintendent may similarly be encouraged to give an annual “State of School District” address or report with accompanying data. (See V. K. Link on how the School District is attempting to achieve each goal.) 27 Guidelines for Establishing a School’s Code of Conduct (Adapted from Larson, 2005) 1) Keep in mind that good school rules are not enough. Strong administrative leadership, good teaching and long-term schoolwide planning and programs are required to make any Code of Conduct effective. 2) The code should be developed in a collaborative manner involving teachers, students, parents, and supportive services. 3) The code should arise legitimately out of official School Board business, so it is recognized as official policy and can obtain legal status for disciplinary due process matters in the school. 4) Code of Conduct should address the conduct of everyone involved in the school not just the students. “Code of Conduct for ______________ School” Mention throughout the document that “Students and staff at school understand that …” The Code of Conduct should identify, define, teach and support a small set of expected behaviors, rather than presenting a laundry list of unacceptable behaviors. These should be stated in positive terms of what individuals will work to accomplish, rather than those behaviors to be curtailed. For example, Be safe. Be respectful. Be responsible. Be kind. 5) The Code of Conduct should clearly articulate, define and provide examples of desired actions and behaviors, noting distinctions between minor and serious violations. 6) The Code of Conduct should be revisited on a yearly basis for updates and refinements. 7) The Code of Conduct may be supplemented by a statement of a Student Bill of Rights. 30 parent should repeat the facts. Express yourself calmly and then ask how you, the school personnel, and your child can work together to ensure that the bullying doesn't happen again. c) Start with your child's teacher and don't assume she is aware of the situation. d) Don't demand or expect a solution on the spot. Indicate that you would like to follow-up to determine the best course of action. Have your child watch you calmly and respectfully problem-solve with the school personnel. e) Get everyone on board. Research shows that the most effective method of dealing with bullying is to have the whole school involved. Approach the principal and explore what the school is doing about bullying. (See parent letter below). Review school policies and procedures with your child. 4) Document bullying. Keep a journal of all bullying incidents. You and your child should write down what happened, where and when it occurred, how your child reacted, how the bully and bystanders responded. Indicate what solutions were agreed upon and if they worked. 5) Help your child develop strategies and skills in handling bullying. Help him/her chose a variety of strategies from being assertive, to avoiding, to asking for help, to reporting bullying of other students. Parents can act as models for their children and intervene when they see bullying occurring. Some victims of bullying may need assistance in learning these coping skills. Children who are being bullied may have to practice at home such skills as ways to look the bully in the eye, stand tall, use a firm voice, and stay calm; ways to use humor; ways to ask for help; learn ways to become friendlier with other children, participate in group activities; learn constructive ways to interact and achieve their goals. Help your child appreciate that reporting bullying to a trusted adult is not tattling or snitching. It takes courage. Suggest that he/she go with a friend to the teacher or principal to make it easier. 6) If you are informed that your child is bullying others, then the parent should: a) Be objective and listen carefully to the account. Don't be defensive, nor take it personally. b) Work with the school to find what can be done to ensure that this does not occur again. c) Asked to be kept informed. d) Calmly explain to your child what he/she is accused of and ask for an explanation, and moreover, if he/she knows that such bullying behavior is unacceptable. e) Find out if your child was the instigator of the bullying or joined in. Find out if your child is bullying by means of 31 computers (cyber-bullying) and take appropriate steps to curtail this behavior. f) Don't bully your child in addressing your child's behavior. Help your child appreciate how bullying behavior hurts not only the victim, but also his/herself, as well as bystanders. g) Indicate that you will work with your child to alter this behavior and you will work with the school personnel to monitor progress. 7) Whether your child is a victim of bullying or engaging in bullying behaviors, don't give up. Indicate that your child and all children in school have a right to feel safe and feel they belong in school. Indicate that together with your child, and the school folks, we will create a team approach to achieve the goals of safety for all students. 32 WAYS PARENTS CAN HELP REDUCE SCHOOL BULLYING o Discuss the school’s Code of Conduct with your child. The Code of Conduct describes the rules your child’s school follows. You can obtain a copy of the Code of Conduct from the school, your child’s Student Handbook, or visit our school’s Website, which is (xxx). Show your support for the school rules. Help your child understand the reasons for the school rules. o Involve your child in setting rules for appropriate behavior at home, highlighting the importance of rules. Have your child bring in his/her home rules to school to share with the class. o Listen to your child if he or she shares concerns about friends and about other students. Ask explicitly if your child has witnessed “bullying,” that is someone being picked on, shoved, or someone rejected by fellow students. Has that ever happened to them? What did they do? What did other students who were bystanders do? If your child had a problem in school, does your child have the name of a trusted teacher or staff member that he or she could go to for help? Please share the information you obtain from your child with trusted school personnel. o Know what is going on in your child’s school. Keep a bulletin board at home. Hang the school calendar that we send home to post key dates and special events. Hang teacher communications such as the Peek of the Week memos, names of key school contact people, weekly meals, and other school related information.. o Set up a daily time to check-in with your child about school. o We welcome your involvement in your child’s school life by supporting and reviewing your child’s homework and schoolwork. Please sign and return all requested teacher and school communications. o Encourage your child to take part in school activities. o Involve your child in family and community activities. o Please attend school functions such as school and class programs, and parent conferences. o Volunteer to participate in school and in community–related activities, if time permits. o Please call, email, submit suggestions on how we can work as a team to make our school safer and a better learning place. o We make a commitment that we will remain in touch with you and we invite you to remain in touch with us. Thank you for being a partner in the education of your child. Your involvement is very important and unique. 35 ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY What can you say or do differently next time? How can you use what we talked about and practiced the next time you are in situation X with Y? It would be helpful for the teacher to: 1. Speak to each offender and victim separately to find out what occurred (get the facts); 2. Have the student propose an alternative response for future situations; 3. Assign consequences as you would in any other situation; 4. With victim ask what it will take to feel safe again; 5. Record the bullying incident on the Critical Incident Form; (See LINK to V.H. for a detailed discussion on Ways to Defuse Angry Students) 36 2) How to Improve Classroom Management A well-managed classroom is less likely to experience bullying. Improved classroom teaching and management have been linked to: a) a democratic leadership where teachers respect the integrity of their students and who expect them to act responsibly; b) teachers who encourage and teach students to examine and resolve their own problems; c) teachers who actively involve students in classroom discussions, activities, decisions about class rules and the learning process; d) teachers who provide clearly defined classroom activities, the purpose of which were explained to students for which students find them meaningful and “authentic” or “relevant;” e) teachers who clearly communicate expectations, rules, procedures and sanctions. For example, consider the following teacher description of rules offered by Larson (2005, p. 41): “Our classroom is like a place people like your daddy and mommy work. In our classroom your job is to learn different things and my job is to help you you learn. In order for each of us to do our jobs, we have to agree on some rules to follow. The best rules are those stated in positive terms of what you are suppose to do, rather than what you are not supposed to do. For example, a rule in a mechanic’s shop might say, “Return tools to their proper place when finished,” rather than say “Don’t leave tools lying around.” This rule reminds the workers to know exactly what is expected and what to do. Let’s start by thinking about what rule we should have in place when you are entering the classroom from the hallway at the beginning of class. Let me see raised hands with suggestions about a rule that will help us avoid problems and help everybody get settled to work when you first enter our classroom. How should everyone enter the classroom?” 37 This example offered by Larson highlights the purpose of rules and engages students in a collaborative discussion of class rules they will follow. This approach is quite different from a teacher who tells his/her class that in my classroom there are two simple rules for success. Rule 1: Do what I tell you to do. Rule 2: See Rule 1. It is best that students and teachers generate collaboratively no more than six (6) classroom rules. For example: - Be on time for class. - Enter the classroom quietly. - Go to your assignment areas promptly. - Listen to the teacher’s directions or explanations. - Raise your hand if you wish to talk or if you need assistance. Such rules should be posted in a central place and the teacher should regularly make reference to the rules and review them with the class on a regular basis. As stated, these rules explicitly convey in functional terms what the teacher wants the students to do. They help to create an orderly classroom environment with firm limits, but high expectations. Embedded in the classroom formulation of rules, the teacher should have students consider such questions as “What would happen if we did not have this rule?” “Why do we have this rule?” It is not enough to have students help generate rules, but there is a need to have students appreciate the reasons why such rules are required. Warm, respectful teacher- student relationships are critical in making classroom rules effective. Research has also indicated that classroom rules are more likely to be followed when teachers: a) keep their requests clear, simple, direct and specific, using about 4:1 or 5:1 initiating-to-terminating commands; b) use fewer words when making requests (minimal verbalization) as compared with overly wordy directives that contain multiple instructions; c) convey requests in a polite respectful manner, using such phrases as 40 KEY ELEMENTS OF CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 1. A set of collaboratively generated firm, but fair classroom rules 2. Meaningful well-structured classroom activities 3. Effective command giving 4. High ratio of positive to negative reinforcement (5:1) 5. Use of behavior modification procedures such as response/cost procedure 6. Use of group contingencies 7. Parent involvement (daily home reports) for difficult students 41 POSITIVE INCIDENT REPORT (PIR) For: (Student’s name) You did it!  Academics  Creativity  Concern for others  Volunteered  Performed well under tough circumstances  Other You earned this PIR because: __________________________________ You are being recognized for going beyond the call of duty! Keep moving forward. You’re fantastic! Teacher’s Signature Parent’s Signature Date Date I Saw It! 42 SCHOOL MANAGEMENT SUGGESTIONS: HOW TO PROVIDE COGNITIVE PROSTHETIC DEVICES FOR STUDENTS WHO NEED THEM Some students will need supplementary supports to help them with their classroom behavior because of problems due to ADHD or learning disabilities or as a result of victimization experiences. These children need supports or "cognitive prosthetic devices" to aid them with attentional, memory, and self-regulatory deficits. For example, students who have physical disabilities and who use wheelchairs need prosthetic devices such as ramps, user-friendly bathroom facilities, and the like. Similarly students who have impulse-control and self-control problems and rule-generative deficits also need assistance in the form of Cognitive and Metacognitive Prosthetic Devices. The following classroom management suggestions come from Barkley (2006) and Meichenbaum and Biemiller (1998). • September is the time to establish behavioral control. • Seat the disruptive child close to teaching area. • Target productivity first, accuracy later. • Allow some restlessness at work area. • Give exercise breaks. • Help students with organization (e.g., use color-coded binders and organizing systems, use color highlighters for texts). • Use participatory teaching methods. • Post homework at start of class. • Assign a homework "study-buddy" and use peer tutoring for those students in need. • Break class into dyads and have one student tutor or quiz the other. • Circulate, supervise and coach dyads. • Teach students how to be a tutor (e.g., how to give hints and not answers, how to praise efforts of tutee). • Reorganize into new dyads weekly. • Find "fall-back" classmates for lost or missing assignments. 45 • Provide ongoing feedback and when punishment (negative feedback) is warranted, use "soft" (not loud reprimands), that is, mild, private, personal and direct reprimands. • Immediacy and consistency are the keys to discipline. Convey what students did "wrong" and what rules were not followed. Nurture rule-generative behaviors. • Use a response cost system (loss of privileges or tokens) and highlight reasons why there was a loss. • Use "moral" essays on "Why I will not hit others and the reasons why." • Use a problem-solving defusing approach, as described below. Help students turn perceived provocation's into "a problems-to-be-solved." • Establish a "chill out" location for regaining control (Hallway time-outs don't work). • Send disruptive student to administrators' office, and have student fill out A Personal Problem-Solving Sheet with help from the counselor, Vice principal, or Principal. 46 PERSONAL PROBLEM-SOLVING WORKSHEET What happened ________________________________ I was feeling _________________________________ My problem is _________________________________ My goal is __________________________________ Another solution I can try is _______________________ My plan for solving my problem is that I will _________ The next time I will ______________________________ Whenever X occurs, I will try ______________________ I will remind myself to ___________________________ I will know it works if ____________________________ Have student share Problem Solving Sheet with teacher and parents. • Use in-school suspensions, if necessary. Out of school suspensions, usually do not work, especially if unsupervised. • Have students identify someone they can go to in the school if they are having problems. Find a "coach" or "mentor." Reinforce school connectedness. • For students who need assistance, keep an extra set of books at home. • Minimize distractions during homework and test taking. Don't overwhelm students with homework (10 minutes per grade level). • Encourage students to attend after-school help sessions and summer review sessions. • Schedule regular parent-teacher review meetings (e.g. every 6 weeks, not just at the 9 week grading period). Make proactive efforts to engage parents, as described under ways to Enhance Parent Involvement. • Help parents support teacher's efforts to nurture rule-generative behavior in students. May refer them to parent training program. • Help parents alter their expectations of their children, who may manifest a developmental delay of up to 30%, especiallly if they meet the diagnostic criteria of ADHD ( Barkley, 2006) . These children are likely to have deficits in performance, rather than a skills deficit. (" Doing what they know , instead of not knowing what to do. It is the when and where, not so much the how and what to do.") Such students need cognitive prosthetic devices to help them turn their intentions into actions. There is a need to engineer the school and home environments of such students, by such means as: 47 1) Externalizing important information ( make lists, posters, list of rules) 2) Externalizing time periods related to tasks ( use timers, reminders, nurture a future orientation) 3) Internalizing rules ( student use self-instructions, repeat rules and reasons) 4) Breaking current and future tasks into smaller doable tasks 5) Providing organizational prompts and reminders 6) Externalizing sources of motivation ( token systems, tangible rewards) 50 SUGGESTIONS FOR WHAT STUDENT LEADERS CAN DO IN THEIR SCHOOLS TO PUT THE BRAKES ON BULLYING • Conduct an anonymous survey in your school to see how many students have bullied or been bullied in the past week. • Do an environmental assessment on a map of the school; ask students to show where bullying happens. • Develop student-led presentations about bullying (this could be an assembly for several grades, classroom presentations to single grades, a skit could be prepared, etc.). You might want to do this for parents too! Parents often need help understanding bullying and what can be done to stop it. • Develop a Circle of Caring Program in which students volunteer to serve as “supporters” to students who are victims of bullying. • Implement a Peacemakers/Conflict Resolution program. • Spearhead a Peace Garden initiative, or other forms of school campus improvement. • Develop student-led programs for lunch and other free time. • Compile an anthology of student writing and artwork related to bullying. • Develop a Poster Committee, in which students create and post anti-bullying messages throughout the school. • Develop plans for a school-wide Anti-Bullying Day or Week • Form a No-Name Calling Week school activity. • YOU WILL HAVE LOTS OF GREAT IDEAS YOURSELVES…START PLANNING! ________________________________________________________________________ _ ________________________________________________________________________ _ ________________________________________________________________________ _ ________________________________________________________________________ _ ________________________________________________________________________ _ ________________________________________________________________________ _ 51 Another resource that schools should develop is a Student Leaders’ Handbook for distribution schoolwide. The following is an example of such a Handbook. You are welcome to download it. 52 STUDENT LEADER’S HANDBOOK What is Bullying? 1. Bullying is not fair. Bullying involves a power imbalance - students who bully are more powerful than students who targeted as their victims because of an advantage of age, size, ability, social status, peer support, etc. Students who bully others may also have power if they harass or provoke other students about a sensitive concern (e.g. being short, overweight, or about race, family or sexuality). 2. Students who bully harass on purpose – their behaviors are not accidental. 3. Bullying is not fun for the victimized students who experience distress and may feel: angry, anxious, fearful, sad, embarrassed, and ashamed. Students who are victims of bullying often feel unsafe at school and try to avoid going to school. 4. Bullying happens over and over again. What are the Types of Bullying? Direct (Face-to-Face) • Verbal (teasing, insults, put-downs, harassment) • Physical (shoves, pushes, hitting, assault) • Psychological (making a mean face, rolling your eyes, “dirty looks,” uttering threats, extortion) Indirect (Behind Someone’s Back) • Gossip (lowering people’s opinions about the victimized student) • Leaving out, exclusion, shunning • Social aggression (telling people not to be friends with a victimized student). Cyber (Use of electronic technology as a vehicle for bullying and harassing) • Sending threatening or harassing emails or instant messages • Creating a website that belittles or ridicules another student • Taking unflattering or inappropriate pictures of other students without their permission and sharing them with others or posting them on an internet site • Stealing someone’s password and sending mean messages to others • tricking someone into sharing sensitive personal information while instant messaging and then forwarding that information to others Who is Involved in Bullying? 55 When anger problems arise with elementary students, the teacher can: 1. Elicit the child’s view of the problem. (“What were you doing? What happened?”) 2. Ask for the sequence of what happened. Obtain a time-line. (“And then what happened?”) 3. Guide the conversation to how the child felt (feels) and how others may have felt (feel). (“How do you/they feel about what happened?”) 4. Ask for one thing the child might do to handle the situation differently or to solve the problem (“Can you think of a different way to …? So your goal or what you wanted to have happen in that situation was…What else could you try to do to achieve that goal”?) 5. Ask what might happen next if he/she did that? (“What might happen next if you did that? If you did X then what might happen?”) 6. Guide the talk to facilitate the child’s evaluation of that solution. (“Do you think that it worked? Did it help you get what you wanted?”) 7. Encourage the student to consider other solutions. (“That is one way, can you think of any other ways?”) 8. Encourage the child to try out his/her ideas. (“How can you find out if…?”) 9. Ask for possible obstacles and the step-by-step plan to anticipate and address these potential barriers. (“Can you think of anything that might make it difficult to…? What can you do to plan for that?”) 56 GUIDELINES FOR CONDUCTING PROBLEM-SOLVING DISCOURSE (PSD) O'S Look for “right” time and place to conduct PSD Remove the youth from the group to do PSD Listen attentively (Use nonverbal signs to convey interest) Follow the youth’s lead (Look for “openings” and use the youth’s words – reflect) Be brief. Use simple sentences and “What” and “How” Questions. (Use discovery learning and model a style of thinking.) Give choices Be supportive, collaborative and convey hope. Highlight “strengths” and coping efforts. Keep trying. (If one strategy doesn’t work, try another.) Conduct PSD on multiple occasions. DON'TS Insist that the youth talk NOW Embarrass and shame the youth in front of others Convey disinterest and a sense of being in a hurry Put words in the youth’s mouth. Tell youth what to do. (Be a “Surrogate Frontal Lobe”) Lecture. Be judgmental. Use “should” and “should have” statements. 57 Engage in “power” struggles. Force your explanations and impose your solutions. Use put downs, threats and directives. Be negative, critical. Give up. Blame the youth. Try and do too much at one time. 60 PRINCIPAL'S REPORT Name______________________ Schools Name___________________________ Date _______________________ 1. How serious of a problem is school violence in your school? (1 – not all serious to 7 – very serious) (Please give examples – incidence of school fighting; evidence of bullying, harassment, gangs; attacks on teachers; calls to police; truancy, suspensions, expulsions; and the like). 2. How does your school currently assess the level of school violence? (Please give examples – Do you conduct systemic assessments of bullying, fights and presence of gangs? What specific forms of data do you regularly collect? – Critical Incident Reports, Office Discipline Referrals, Nurse Reports, school records as reflected in absenteeism, retention rates, in-school and out-of-school suspensions, dropout rates, mobility of students and teachers.) 3. If the daily level of violence in your school were reduced (e.g., fights, ullying,gang presence and other aggressive behavior) what effect would it have on your students' performance on State-mandated tests? 1- No effect 7- Very significant effect (Please give examples- More academic time, fewer students and teachers missing school out of fear, more opportunities for cooperative learning.) 4. What has your school done to address safety issues and how have you assessed their effectiveness? (Please give examples of how you initiated safety assessments such as surveillance procedures, hired security staff, established dress codes and issued identification badges. How have you assessed their effectiveness?) 5. Has your school implemented a multi-gating early screening or warning system concerning potentially high-risk students with a follow-through intervention program? (Please give examples of what screening measures you use and how these guide your interventions) 6. What are you and your colleagues doing to improve academic success of all of 61 your students? (Please give examples of how well your school is doing academically as indicated by academic indicators – State exams, percentage of students who are retained, dropout or graduate, and what specific academic initiatives you have taken to address these outcomes.) 7. What violence prevention interventions have you and your fellow educators, implemented and evaluated? More specifically, what programs have you implemented and evaluated: a) at the universal school-wide level (e.g., an anti-bullying program, peer- based interventions such as Bystander Intervention Training, creation of school policies and procedures such as a School Mission Statement. Code of Conduct, Playground Interventions)? b) at the secondary prevention level with selected high-risk students (e.g., specific skills training programs, mentoring programs, Individual Educational Plans that involve parents, gang abatement program)? c) at the tertiary level with the most high-risk indicated students (e.g., wrap around services that involve the students’ families and outside agencies)? 8. How have you integrated your violence prevention interventions into the school curriculum and programs in order to increase the likelihood of transfer or generalization of your efforts? (Please give examples – introduced a Character Education Program across the school and into classroom activities, worked on creating a more inviting learning school environment and increasing parent and community involvement. Please give specific examples of how you have assessed and worked to improve the school climate.) 9. What are you doing proactively to engage and involve parents in school activities? (Please give examples – parent newsletter, parent assemblies, parent training, outreach programs.) 62 10. What are you doing in terms of ongoing staff development? Please give examples – trained teachers on bully intervention techniques, classroom management procedures, improving teaching competence, implemented buddy mentoring system for new teachers, held Professional Development days. Moreover, how have you evaluated these staff development efforts?) 11. What additional resources would you like to have in order to make your school safer, more inviting and successful? (Please be specific with your suggestion.s) Thank you for your help in answering these questions.