3 Ways Teachers Can Stop Bullying at School: Guest Post by Paula Orrego

After School
Sep 5, 2018 · 3 min read

First published here on the After School blog. This post was written by our friend and anti-bullying advocate Paula Orrego, who is also a Special Advisor for an upcoming awareness campaign.

As the summer comes to a close and the new school year begins, about a quarter of US students are readying themselves for another year of bullying. They may even try to skip school on the first day to avoid bullies. Students who feel like they do not belong in their school communities are more likely to have low grades, participate in dangerous activities, and even have poor overall physical and emotional health.

As a teacher, you spend about seven hours a day, five days a week with youth. You spend more time with students than their own parents do, which presents an opportunity. Although you are not responsible for raising your students, you can guide them and play an active role in preventing bullying at your school. Here are a few ways you can make an instant impact at your school in the fight against bullying:

Stand Up for Students in the Classroom

I am a survivor of middle and high school bullying, and most of the bullying actually occurred in the classroom, right in front of my teachers. After graduating, I asked a couple of my teachers why they did not help. “I thought they were just joking,” they said. Bullying is never a joke to the survivor.

Watch for student interactions in the classroom, particularly when they are in small groups. Always call out bullying or even teasing right as soon as you see it. Studies have shown that when teachers intervene consistently when bullying situations arise, students are less likely to bully. Intervening also demonstrates empathy, which helps students feel more comfortable sharing with their teachers when bullying occurs.

Supervise Common Areas Around School

There are common spots in every school where students gather, from playgrounds to certain hallways. These are also usually places where bullying often takes place. You can supervise these areas. If teachers can work together to observe these areas and create a weekly or monthly schedule with rotations, then the responsibility will be evenly divided, and bullying victims will feel safer in your school.

Include Anti-Bullying Messages into Your Lesson Plans

Teachers can effectively weave anti-bullying messages into their curriculum. These messages can include essential values, including empathy, understanding, and teamwork.

For example, English literature classes can include a book with the message of tolerance, or physical education classes can have exercises that require the full participation of everyone. Incorporating new ideas into your teaching may require some creativity, which can be challenging when educators are bound by a particular class curriculum. Collaborating with other teachers to build an anti-bullying culture at your school can help overcome these challenges and multiply the impact of your efforts.

These are just three steps that teachers can take to make their school bullying-free. Leave a comment below and let us know if you have ever tried any of these tactics. Have they ever worked? What would you be willing to try out of this list? What would you add to this list?

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