Our family’s move from southern California to the mountains of central Idaho took place the night before a December blizzard. Going from sandals to snow boots was entirely foreign for me, but I bundled up in what I thought was “When in Rome” apparel and headed to my new middle school.
It didn’t take long before I heard the not-so-quiet snort of sarcasm as I walked by: “Nice vest!”
I tried not to take it too hard, but when you’re 13 years old and in a new state that may as well be a new country, let’s just say that I didn’t exactly let it roll off my back. I certainly never wore that vest again.
As teachers, we work to teach our students what bullying is and what it is not. But often, misunderstandings persist, and bullying evolves in sneaky ways not necessarily identified during our group discussions.
Resource #1: How To Top a Bully by Brooks Gibbs (stop at 2:10 to discuss what the students notice–the rest of the video is excellent as well but does more explaining).
Resource #2: A Sincere Compliment by HooplaHa
Resource #3: Picture Books
Provocation Questions:
- How does the way we treat one another impact our schools? Communities? World?
- What is bullying like?
- What is bullying not like?
- How does the way a person is treated affect the way they treat others?
- In the face of bullying, what responsibility do resilience people have for people who are not yet as resilient?
- What is the power of our words?
featured image: DeathToTheStockPhoto