by California Casualty | Educators |
With all of the new technology and apps that are continuously being developed, it is easy for bullying to go unnoticed by parents and teachers. According to the American Federation of Teachers, 15-25 percent of all American students are bullied to some degree; 40 and 50 percent of that occurs in the form of texting and cyberbullying. Teaching bullying prevention and social media etiquette to students at a young age is key to combat bullying and cyberbullying.
Students that are victims of bullying are prone to suffer from loneliness, anxiety, and depression. They will likely carry this with them throughout their lives. Those who are bullied have also proven to perform at lower academic levels than their peers. That is why it is important for educators to be a part of the mission to combat bullying in schools. Bullying prevention
Here are some ways teachers can help prevent and fight bullying in their classrooms.
1. Maintain Consistent Classroom Management
To create a classroom environment of respect and responsibility invite students to help establish the classroom rules. Engage in a discussion about do’s (ex. saying please, raising your hand, using inside voices) and don’ts (ex. bullying, cheating, stealing). Keep the expectations of these rules clear, simple, and explicit. It is important to be consistent in enforcing these rules and follow through with consequences immediately if the rules are broken.
2. Have a Lesson on Bullying and Social Media Best Practices
Early in the year dedicate a lesson to bullying that shows first-hand the effects of bullying and cyberbullying. Go over best practices on how to avoid and handle cyberbullying and what to do it if is happening to them. Let students know bullying will not be tolerated, and reinforce the consequences of what will happen if someone is being bullied in your class.
3. Get the Entire Story & Act Immediately
If bullying does happen, be thorough in your “investigations” of the situation. Separately, talk to each student involved. Listen, don’t blame or assign labels. Hold all parties, including bystanders, accountable for their actions or lack of action. Once you know the full story, take action immediately. If you don’t, you are sending the message to all involved that the behavior is acceptable.
4. Follow Through
Check up on students who have struggled with a bullying situation: victims, witnesses, AND bullies. Ongoing support of students who have been involved in a bullying situation can help minimize, or prevent, the effects of bullying in the future.
5. Create a Safe Classroom Environment
It is important to create a classroom environment that is welcoming, safe, and supportive. Students should be aware of your willingness to listen and help them if they are in a situation where someone is bullying them in school or online.
6. Be Aware of School and District Bullying Policies
Brush up on your district and school bullying policies and procedures. When you know the rules, you can feel confident implementing them.
7. Open Up the Lines of Communication
Consistent communication with parents and families is an important tool in bullying prevention. When students are aware that their parents are only an email or phone call away from their teacher, they are less likely to commit acts of bullying.
8. Get Other Teachers Involved
Bullying isn’t limited to just one classroom or area in a school building. With your colleagues, talk about the issues in your own classroom and listen to other teachers as they discuss their specific challenges. As a team, or building, you can identify the needs of specific students, or areas of the building, that may need additional supervision/monitoring.
9. Learn About It
Not quite sure what to do with a bully or how to speak to a victim? Seek out professional development or courses that will help you learn about bullying. There are also many free resources for teachers, like the APA bullying module for teachers listed in the resources below.
10. Create a Club or Group Against Bullying
Group meetings are a great way to bring up the topic of bullying and peer relationships. Expound on the topic by discussing bullying in pop culture (TV shows, movies, etc.). Have students describe the impacts of bullying and ways to solve the issues, and then try and start a no-bully campaign at your school where everyone can be involved and stand up against bullies.
For more information on Bullying in the Classroom Visit:
Educate Staff and Students About Bullying from StopBullying.gov
Printable Bullying Prevention Worksheets – a collection of anti-bullying printables from Easy Teacher Worksheets
Bullying: A Module For Teachers – from the American Psychological Association
Webisodes for Kids from StopBullying.gov
Anti-Bullying Activities and Lesson Plans from EducationWorld.com
This article is furnished by California Casualty. We provide auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
by California Casualty | Educators |
Our Education Blogger is a public school teacher with over a decade of experience. She’s an active NEA member and enjoys writing about her experiences in the classroom.
Back to School Night can be overwhelming and somewhat dry for teachers and families.
Teachers try to squeeze as much information as possible into a brief period of time, while trying to meet new students and answering parent questions. But you don’t have to focus on just school business during this time; instead, have some handouts and packets ready for parents to grab, carve out a short time for some Q&A, and then start having some fun with students and their families!
We’ve compiled a list of some ideas that will have you, your students, and their parents excited about the upcoming school year. Here are 8 Simple Activities to Make Back to School Night Fun!
1. Scavenger Hunt (Angela Watson – The Cornerstone for Teachers)
Families can complete this activity while they wait for you to begin the presentation, and/or afterward while they wait to talk to you. One parent sent me an email afterward saying how much she enjoyed it because she had a purpose in walking around the room and knew what she was looking at. The scavenger hunt can end with the parent at the child’s desk, waiting for you to begin talking.
2. Guessing Games (Livestrong.com)
Guessing games add an entertaining twist while helping parents get to know the teacher and classroom better. A bulletin board display with pictures of teachers as babies or kids is a classic game option. The parents try to match the teacher with the childhood picture. If the open house happens after school starts, the kids can get involved in the game. Each child draws a self-portrait for display. Each parent tries to guess which self-portrait belongs to her child.
3. Parent Bingo (SignUp.com)
Create a BINGO card with slots full of things parents have done relating to school and have them try to get BINGO by finding other parents in the classroom that can initial off each slot. For example, one slot on the card can have “Majored in business.”
4. Name Alliteration Game (SignUp.com)
Go around the room and ask parents to say their name accompanied with an adjective using alliteration (i.e. Marvelous Miranda). After each person says his or her name, the next person has to recite every person prior to him or her and build to the chain of introductions.
5. Student/Parent Journal Entry (Angela Watson – The Cornerstone for Teachers)
The kids write on a topic such as “The Hardest Part/Best Part of Being a Kid”. They then set up the page across from that page with the title, “The Hardest Part/Best Part of Being a Parent”. The families complete the journal entry at Back-To-School night and children read them in the morning. (Have another morning warm-up for kids whose parents did not come.) This is a good activity if you use journals and workbooks a lot: it lets parents see how much work the child is doing in class, even though it may not all come home because it’s not on loose-leaf paper.
*Be aware that some parents may not feel comfortable with their own reading or writing skills or may be preoccupied with their young children or the papers you have handed them, and may not take part. I have had moderate success with this activity in that regard, but the parents who did do the journal entry absolutely raved about it.*
6. Parent Quiz (SignUp.com)
Create a small quiz relating to the designated class and have parents participate by testing their knowledge on the subject. Make it extra fun by having the students grade it!
7. Academic Games (Livestrong.com)
An academic theme to the games allows the teacher to introduce some of the concepts she’ll teach in class. If estimation is on the schedule for math class, an estimation game with objects in a jar is an option. The parents use estimation skills to guess how many of the object are in the container. For a language game, parents might receive letter tiles to make as many different words as possible using only those letters. If the teacher uses games in the classroom to teach concepts to the kids, those games can go out during the back-to-school night for parents to play.
8. Significant Item (SignUp.com)
Ask parents to look into their handbag or wallet and ask them to choose something significant to them. Then they have to share why that item is significant to them with others.
What are your tricks to get students and families feeling eager about the new school year?
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
by California Casualty | Educators |
You’ve spent long hours preparing for your career in teaching, but researching, studying, student teaching, creating lesson plans, and interviewing can only prepare you for so much. Your biggest lessons will come from experience. We’ve gathered some tips to remember as you begin your teaching career.
Here are 10 things you need to know as a new teacher:
- Be organized, yet flexible, at school and at home. Situations arise that you have no control of, and that is okay. Learn not to stress when you are behind or have to modify your schedule.
- Get to know your students. You are around them more than their parents, and they look up to you as they would a parent. However, realize not everyone will like you, and that is okay.
- Build professional relationships within your school. Watch others teach, ask questions, and find a mentor. You aren’t alone in this.
- You’re the adult in the room. Carry out punishments and rewards firmly, and fairly. Earn their respect and trust, and then start building your friendships.
- Listen to advice and trust your gut. Nothing can prepare you for actually getting in front of a classroom and teaching, but you know what to do. Trust your instincts, and don’t be afraid to ask if you need help.
- Expect to make mistakes. Teachers with decades of experience are still making mistakes. Learn to cope with the fact that making a few mistakes is inevitable.
- Empathize with your students. Be patient with your students, not everyone learns at the same pace or has available resources at home.
- Never stop learning and bettering yourself. Go to conferences, stay on top of best practices, and implement new teaching strategies into your lesson plans.
- Don’t let work overshadow your personal life. Don’t burn yourself out, try and maintain work/life balance. Don’t spend too many hours at school or grading papers, it will affect you and your teaching.
- Always remember your motivation. Remember what made you get into teaching, and hang on to it when times get tough and you feel defeated.
Being a new teacher will come with its ups and downs, but knowing that you are making a difference with your students is what makes up for it. You are going to do great! 🙂
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
by California Casualty | Educators |
Soft Skills are very important non-academic skills that kids need to learn to help them throughout their lives. There are many ways teachers can incorporate soft skills to teach in the classroom. This can range from problem solving exercises, practicing mindfulness, to group communication with other students. soft skills printable
Download our free Soft Skills printable below. Use it to hang up in your classroom to make sure your students are continuously working on their soft skills. Additionally, you could even develop activities around each skill and have students share examples of each soft skill they use with with friends, family, and even in the classroom!
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
by California Casualty | Educators |
It’s August, which means it’s officially back to school season, and many teachers are working hard in their classroom to get it prepared for that first day!
An organized classroom is an integral part of the learning process. Did you know that the way you structure you classroom design can actually boost learning in students, reduce disruptive behavior, and keep them on task? Behavioral problems in children have been linked back to poor color planning and lighting alone! So, keep these 5 classroom design tips in mind when you organize your space this year:
1. Color
White walls are under-stimulating, while too much color causes over-stimulation. The key to “coloring your classroom” is to find balance and make it comfortable. When using color you want something that is conductive to learning, while positively promoting mental and physical well-being.
For Young Children: Use brighter, warm, colors to draw in their focus on whats going on in the classroom instead of outside, like: yellow, red and orange.
For Older Children: Use calming colors that allow the teenagers to focus on their work, and not their surroundings, like: blue, purple, green, and gray.
If you are able to paint your classroom avoid picking colors that are too bright. Instead pick a more muted shade that will not be distracting. And when you have chosen a color palette do not paint the entire room, instead paint a wall or two and leave the rest neutral. If you’re school does not allow you to paint you could always follow the color scheme you like with your decor. Find posters and create bulletin boards around the color theme you like, and buy furniture for your classroom (like chairs, rugs, storage bins, shelves, etc.) that complement that theme.
2. Light
Harsh lighting can cause headaches and disruptive behavior in students, so it is important to find the proper lighting for your classroom. Research shows that with the right lighting student’s test scores even increase! The key is to use as much natural light as you can, or lights that imitate natural light (aka lights with blue undertones). When students are taking tests, the natural feel helps them relax and focus. If you don’t have enough natural light or you prefer to keep the lights off you can fill up your classroom with lamps, hanging lights, or Christmas lights. Just try and avoid yellow undertones because those tend to make students more fatigued.
3. Digital Spaces
Students today are not just learning in the classroom, they are learning in the digital dimension. It is important for teachers to create digital experiences that connect students and provide-user paced, student-centered lessons as a way to add another dimension to the physical space. Providing resources to students digitally helps teachers build relationships with them. So, to help students feel safe in this space teachers must introduce it, establish rules and norms, and visit it frequently.
STEPS:
- Choose an online system that best suites you and your class
- Create an account and add your students
- Create activities and set aside a specific time for those activities
- Never stop exploring what’s new
Whether you have one online activity, or many, that you do with your students, you should have a spot in your classroom where online activity is represented. Consider a discussion board, or a table that you gather around to view. OR set aside time in the day/week that you do activities on a SMART board or computer together and create in-person activities that go along with them!
4. Layout
Classroom layout can result in a 45% increase in academic engagement. Desk arrangement all comes down to how much space you have, what you think would work best for your class, and how they learn. You could set your students in a:
- Standard spaced out arrangement
- Angled rows
- Modified U or Horseshoe
- Groups
- Combination
Or choose one layout and then mix it up every quarter!
Another option is flexible seating for students. Flexible seating is student-centered and ditches the idea of a regular desk. Instead it focuses on a variety of different seating options varying from stools, bean bags, rockers, stability balls, couches, padded storage bins, pillows, etc. Students love it because they are not just stuck in a regular desk. They will have more mobility and can be more comfortable. As long as your students are happy and it boosts learning, the possibilities are endless!
5. Walls
The walls in your classroom should be fun and conducive to learning! So when you are decorating them, ask yourself from the student’s perspective, “Is this overwhelming?” A great idea that you have in your head or saw on Pinterest may have too much print or be too harshly colored for your students depending on their age. You should keep at least 20-50% of your walls clear to prevention over stimulation. However that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with it!
You can fill your walls with positive messages, student crafts, and learning materials, but it is also recommended to have at least one wall set aside for student engagement. Something the students can go to everyday and find resources, learn new words/facts, interact with each other, or turn in their work.
If you are having trouble finding ideas for your classroom walls we have created a list of Bulletin Board Ideas and more, click here.
So, what are waiting for?! Go get that organized classroom started! But first, be sure to download our 5 Classroom Design Tips below.
For more information visit:
https://bit.ly/2SZ5Fr2
https://bit.ly/2Kb4ZMC
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by California Casualty | Educators |
Our Education Blogger is a public school teacher with over a decade of experience. She’s an active NEA member and enjoys writing about her experiences in the classroom.
An organized classroom is an integral part of the learning process. Your classroom should be an environment where quality learning occurs. It should also be a safe, organized space that allows students to thrive socially, academically, behaviorally, and creatively.
How Does An Organized Classroom Benefit Students?
Your classroom organization reflects the structure and management of your classroom. The classroom is a constant reminder to students of classroom expectations and procedures: organized classroom = high teacher expectations. Students also thrive in a predictable environment where they feel safe.
“Everything Has a Home”
I once heard a colleague say: “Everything Has A Home.” I love this line (and I use it at home with my own children). All items, whether in the classroom or in your home, have a specific place where they belong. Having specific, labeled locations for supplies, materials, and books makes for swift access and less time wasted.
Classroom Materials and Supplies
Materials and supplies that are used frequently should be easy to access for the teacher and students. Use baskets, storage bins, milk crates, and plastic drawers to help organize supplies. Labels are a big help, too.
Desk Arrangement
Preferences for how to arrange student desks varies greatly from teacher to teacher. One thing to think about is how you instruct or how you want students to learn. If you like students to work in groups, set up tables or clusters of desks. If you prefer whole group discussion, a U-shape or circle works well. Students working on self-paced learning may need learning stations. Many teachers also arrange student desks so they can make eye contact with as many students as possible. Students should also be able to see the instructor and the white board/projector. Whatever your preference, make sure you can move easily throughout the classroom.
Student Materials and Supplies
“Train” your students to be organized. Ask students to have a folder or binder for your class. If you require students to keep handouts, syllabi, and other paper materials with them, ask them to label a folder in which to keep said items. In my elementary classroom, we have a folder for each subject, a homework folder, and a Friday folder.
Why Should I Organize My Own Classroom?
In addition to benefiting students, classroom organization is also helpful to the teacher. Having an organized classroom allows teachers to spend more time on the more “important” stuff, like planning meaningful lessons and building student relationships. Creating and maintaining an organized classroom also causes less teacher stress, frustration, and fatigue. It sounds cheesy, but having a tidy classroom makes you look good to administrators and parents; you look like you’ve “got it together.” A neat and orderly classroom shows that you care about your students and your profession.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters and nurses. Get a quote at 1.800.800.9410 or www.calcas.com.
