October is Bully Prevention Awareness Month making it the perfect time to explore the steps, highlights, and challenges of implementing a school-wide bully prevention program.
While working as a school counselor in Ganado, Texas, I was hired through a Safe Schools grant focused on implementing a school-wide bully prevention program. Our district chose to adopt the Olweus Program to use with our staff, parents, students, and community leaders. The goal of this program is to reduce existing bullying problems, prevent new bullying problems, and to improve peer relations at school.
We saw a dramatic change in the school climate by the end of the second year of implementing the program. You want to promote a restorative justice model rather than a punitive one. This being said, you should be mindful of the tools you put in the toolbox. Avoid toys with no sensory purpose and be on the lookout for kids abusing the system. You may get teacher push-back on this, more on that below. Download my calm-down corner banner for free here.
The number one push-back I hear from teachers is that the calm-down corner will be a distraction and that students will take advantage of it to get out of doing work. This is a valid concern and it may be true I find that calm-down corners lose their novelty after a while and most kids are compassionate toward their classmates. If they see a fellow student having a hard time, they know that he needs to use the calm-down corner and that it is not a play area.
You can start by having a small group of teachers test it out in their classrooms to get feedback before implementing it school-wide. I've shared ways to use a common language, visuals, and calm-down corners to get everyone at school on board with self-regulation, but let's talk about what you're really passionate about By implementing the three tiers of school counseling we can reach students at every level.
Like the other methods I've mentioned, tier 1 interventions are school-wide and truly help all students. This can be done through universal core instruction aka classroom guidance lessons. I love to do a classroom guidance lesson introducing self-regulation and the different color zones at the beginning of the year.
This reinforces the use of a common language early on. An easy way to do a class lesson would be to show a PowerPoint with some images of the different zone colors along with associated behaviors and possible coping skills. Try showing a video and having kids identify when the character is changing zones.
I like to use this clip from Inside Out. Want a more low-tech lesson? Divide the class into 4 groups and assign them a color zone. Give them some information about that color behaviors, actions, coping skills, etc and have them act it out or present it to the rest of the class.
If you receive referrals from parents or teachers regarding students who need further support with self-regulation, put together a small group. Small groups are a great way to get kids talking which helps them verbally process their actions and help one another identify solutions. Pour out a few pieces in front of each student. For the first round, students take turns sharing a time they felt their candy colors.
They do not have to identify particular children as eligible for services or separately track Federal dollars. Instead, schoolwide programs can use all allocated funds to increase the amount and quality of learning time. Search for:. Create a school schedule to allow for system success around teacher planning periods for data analysis and collaboration, teacher trainings, student breakfast, lunch, recess, enrichment, and transition times.
Create a matrix of acknowledgement feedback and positive consequences for positive behavior as well as corrective feedback and consequences for inappropriate behaviors.
Hold at least one staff meeting presenting data and reasons for implementing the schoolwide behavior management program to build teacher and staff buy in of the program. Create a professional development plan for the initial staff trainings on understanding the behavior management system and how to implement it. Using modeling and role playing activities as a staff during these training sessions will help all teachers internalize the system, use common language, and implement the teacher practices with consistency.
Create a plan for ongoing staff trainings throughout the year for consistency in system implementation. Use modeling and role playing during staff training sessions to help all teachers internalize teacher practices, common language, and implementation of the program with consistency and fidelity. Utilize real time coaching methods when observing and coaching in classrooms to model, support, and give feedback on teacher behavior management practices.
Create designated times when teachers will receive feedback and coaching around behavior management practices with their instructional coach. Define when, how to collect, and the frequency of data collection that is expected by teachers throughout the school day. Create a plan for ongoing staff trainings throughout the year focusing on teacher practices.
School Wide Behavior Management Program — Data Create a team of leaders and teachers composed of different expertise and job functions across the school to be the PBIS or Behavior Management Team that will collect and compile, analyze, and act on behavioral data across the entire school, grades, teachers, students, and Tiers.
0コメント