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  Dr. Kara Stern, Smore Resident Educator

  A veteran educator, I've gone from teacher, to principal, to Ph.D., to ED @ www.mathforamerica.org, to head of school, and now Resident Educator at Smore. I geek out on pedagogy and my Libby app :)

  More posts by Dr. Kara Stern, Smore Resident Educator.

Dr. Kara Stern, Smore Resident Educator

So much of bullying happens in interstitial spaces — those in-between places where there’s no active supervision -- like the bathroom, or Instagram.

I appreciate the fact that National Bullying Prevention Month happens close to the start of the school year, because this is exactly the time to set communication patterns in our classrooms and schools. This template aims to help you do just that!

The top section of the template has two comprehensive resources, one from Pacer, the National Bullying Prevention Center, and one from Edutopia, always one of my go-tos! Following this are two specific initiatives. The first is a set of guidelines for bus drivers, because the bus is often a site for bullying and bus drivers can and should be a first line of defense. Next is an intro video for getting started with Restorative Justice Circles, a form of classroom communication that’s been proven to reduce bullying.

The middle section of the template is directed at students, and the way they can take action and be upstanders, standing up for those who are being bullied and positively impacting their community. Next, we’ve got specific resources for supporting marginalized students, disproportionately the targets of bullying: LGBTQ+ students, Students of Color, and students with disabilities.

Lastly, and perhaps most significantly, there is a section on cyber-bullying, which is now the most prevalent method of bullying in young people (and not so young...!)

Remember, just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Let’s teach our students the value of caring communication, understanding, and empathy. It’s how we can change the world.

Happy teaching.