Although a regular part of our discussions, we will begin our lessons on bullying this week and continue them throughout the month of November. With the younger students, we will read “The Berenstain Bears and the Bully”. We will talk about what a bully is, how bullies behave, and learn some tactics on how to deal with bullying behavior. The students will learn a five-step process by counting on their fingers 1) ignoring the behavior 2) talk nice–ask them to stop the behavior 3) talk firm–tell them to stop 4) walk away and 5) tell a teacher/adult.
The upper grades will discuss the difference between bullying and bossy behaviors. The students will make separate lists, one for bullying behaviors and one for bossy behaviors. I will read the behaviors aloud and the students will have to decide whether it is being a bully or being bossy. This is an “on your feet” activity where they will have to go to one side of the room for bully and the other side if they think the behavior is being bossy
If they believe it could go either way, they stand in the middle. No matter which they choose, they have to defend why they think that way. This activity always creates great discussion! Next week, we will go into more about bullies, bystanders, and victims and how to handle those situations.