Article Review #2

Bullying is a very common topic in today’s news and in schools. Some surveys show that 15-20% of students are bullied at some point in their school career (Shane). This bullying affects the learning environment for not only the students that are bullied but the entire school. It makes it hard for students to learn and perform the way teachers want and expect them to.

            Even if students aren’t being bullied witnessing the act of bullying can have a very negative effect on students. It makes them feel as though the school isn’t a safe place where they can be comfortable. When students don’t feel comfortable in a classroom they are less likely to participate and play an active role in the classroom. These students are also more likely to cause problem behaviors or shut down because they do not feel safe.

            While many schools are taking an active stance on preventing and educating about bullying, Shane believes that many teachers are ignoring the act and/or the signs of bullying. Some may think it is a phase that students go through or may be a rite of passage. Some of the signs of bullying that should draw teacher’s attention are anxiety, visiting the nurse frequently, bruises, decreased performance in school, sadness and avoidance of friends, and unexplained bruises (Shane).

            Shane provides some strategies for dealing with bullies and preventing bullying. He believes the most important thing is to act immediately. Some teachers may wait to report the act or step in, believing that students should stand up for themselves. His reasoning is that most bullies are bigger than their victim and the victim is too afraid to stand up to the bully (Shane). I think that it is important for teachers to acknowledge the student but I also think that if a student goes running to a teacher about every little thing that the student might get picked on more because of it.

            Shane also suggests talking privately with the bully. He says you should find out what the bully is trying to gain and their reason for bullying. You should let the bully know that the behavior will not be tolerated and you will monitor them closely and follow up with consequences if it happens again (Shane). I think this strategy is a good idea, especially if you are able to get the student to open up and share what is driving them to bully others. Sometimes it is a cry for help or attention and if you can solve the problem the behavior may diminish.

            When disciplining the bully it is important to remember you want to deter the actions, not humiliate them. Shane suggests taking away certain classroom privileges and keeping the bully from places and activities where they have bullied other students in the past. He also suggests including the parents in making a plan from preventing the behavior from reoccurring (Shane). I think it is important to keep the bully’s dignity intact. If the bully feel’s humiliated and disrespected they may continue to bully out of spite to make themselves feel powerful again.

            Another method Shane uses is helping students that are isolated become involved with their peers. Bullies tend to target students that are isolated and don’t have a strong peer group to support them. If a teacher can help a student become part of a group, that student will be less likely to be targeted. Reinforcing positive behavior and relationships is also important in classrooms. When students see they can be rewarded for treating others kindly and with respect they are more likely to keep displaying that behavior.

            Knowing how to effectively deal with bullies in a classroom is important so that all students feel safe and comfortable in the classroom. This promotes an environment conducive to learning and allows students to actively participate.

References

Shore, Ken. (n.d.). Classroom problem solver: Bullying behavior. Retrieved from

            http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/shore/shore061.shtml

Article Review #1

                            Most people would agree that a student gets most of their education from being in a classroom, not on the basketball court or football field. While in an academic sense this may be true, there are valuable lessons teachers and coaches can instill in their students outside of the classroom. Including students with disabilities in team sports with their peers can foster relationships with both groups that span outside of the sport and into the classroom. Nirvi Shan’s article Even in ‘Mean’ Schools, Teams With Students With Disabilities he explains how sports can create relationships that will help manage behaviors in the classroom.

            A key aspect of effective classroom management is having a classroom a student’s that are accepting and respectful of each other. In a classroom setting, especially in a high school many students feel pressure to get good grades and be at the top of their class. High school students are also often judgmental and want to impress each other. They may feel pointing out the flaws of other will make themselves look better. Students with disabilities are easy targets for these people because they stand out. The typical student may not get a lot of interaction with the special education students and therefore will not form a relationship with them and get to know them. Because they do not know them it is easy to tease and bully these students.

            Shan (2012) writes about unified sports teams in high schools where students with disabilities play on the same team as their typically developing peers. In this setting the peers get to interact with the special education students that they may only see occasionally in a hall (Shan, 2012). They get to see that the students with special needs have personalities and form relationships with them. A student Shan spoke to stated “for the first time, they became friends with students who attend the same school, but mostly in separate classes” (Shan, 2012).

            These friendships that the students form span outside of the court or field. Shan (2012) reported that a week after the first practice students were talking to and high-fiving the special education students (Shan, 2012). The students just needed an opportunity to see that just because the special education students may look or act different they are still people and can be fun to be around and interact with.

            This relates to classroom management because one of the keys to a successfully managed classroom is peer relationships and respect for one another. If all students feel like they are in a safe environment where they know their classmates they are more likely to come to class, participate, and not act out. Even if the special education students were not in classes with their typical peers I think the experience for the typical students would be valuable. It would open their eyes to accepting people’s differences and teach them that every person has something different to contribute. This would go a long ways in getting students to not judge those that struggle in the classroom or dress a little differently with respect.

            I think it would be great for unified sports to become a staple in all high schools. I learned a  lot in high school from helping with the special education gym class. If all students got a chance to interact with the special education students in their school I think they would treat each other with more respect and leave high school with a more open mind.

            Even though algebra, history, and creative writing are not taught on the football field and basketball court some of the most important lessons and skills a student can learn may come from a simple game. Giving students a chance to bond with people they view as very different will help them to see that they really aren’t that different overall and what better way to show this then a fun, common interest.

References

Shan, N. (2012, July 3). Even In ‘Mean’ Schools, Teams With Students With Disabilities Thrive. Retrieved from             http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/speced/2012/07/even_in_mean_schools_teams_wi.html