By Lauren Getuiza
Educators, consider this scenario:
Jandell is a 15-year-old student who you’ve known for years. He seems like a typical adolescent in every way. He has a group of friends, gets decent grades, and is involved in after-school activities. He appears to get along well with teachers, parents and other students.
Over the summer, he was involved in a serious auto accident with his older brother. They both recovered from their injuries; however, Jandell doesn’t seem like himself this year. He is not as engaged in class, though he still manages to keep up his grades. He also seems a bit more emotional than before and he no longer hangs out with his friends. Instead, he only wants to be around his brother.
As the school year progresses, Jandell blows off your initial outreach. He stops participating in his after-school activities and appears to be jumpy—overreacting to almost any loud noise. He often looks tired and run down.
san mateo
In addition to our films and resources, Not In Our School wants to share with you the inspiring practices of teachers and administrators who are bringing the anti-bullying mission to their classrooms and campuses. Today we spotlight the work of Abbott Middle School in San Mateo, CA.
Abbott Middle School has created a Campus Climate Committee with a range of exciting and interactive activities. As part of this work, Abbott teachers have also made a “promise” to support their students.
The Campus Climate Committee (CCC) includes students, parents, and teachers. The students developed activities to address areas of concern such as rumors, the isolation of bullied students, and being an upstander. The committee worked to promote awareness among students and staff on the problems that occur when bullying is left unchecked, and how to proactively engage in intervening.
Abbott teacher Jordan Sher shares their journey with us, walking us through recommended activities and a teacher promise that other schools can use and adapt. Read Sher's piece, "Creating a Campus Climate Committee" on NotInOurSchool.org.