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[CCBC-Net] Books re bullies
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From: Monica Edinger <monicaedinger>
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:37:16 -0400
I'm a middle school teacher and have absolutely no wish to read Nineteen Minutes. I have plenty of firsthand experiences available in my memory to bring to my work with students. I think it is a disservice to teachers to suggest the majority ignore bullying situations and behaviors. That said, I do think that children coping with bullying can find solace through books.
However, children who know just how to make other children feel terrible one way or another are a reality of schools. And no matter how much we adults know about it doesn't necessarily mean we can stop it. I've had to deal with some very insidious situations involving mean children and, let me tell you, it can happen right in front of you. A few years ago I had a nasty situation in my classroom that involved some mean girls that went on all year. We talked and talked to the various kids. We isolated. We were firm. Parents tried. But the combustible combination of children (victims and bullies) made for a situation that only ended when the school year did.
The DVD of Mean Girls came out that fall and the central mean/most popular/hated/beloved/girl lent it to me. Not to be wicked, but just because she liked it and wanted to see if I would like it too.
(Bullies can be nice; they are never 100% horrors in my experience. Just complicated and usually unhappy for many good reasons that we in schools are not always able to fix.) However, I did sometimes think some of the resulting nastiness was set off by her and some of the other girls having seen the movie and getting off on playing some of the same sort of stuff out in our classroom.
Monica
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:37:16 -0400
I'm a middle school teacher and have absolutely no wish to read Nineteen Minutes. I have plenty of firsthand experiences available in my memory to bring to my work with students. I think it is a disservice to teachers to suggest the majority ignore bullying situations and behaviors. That said, I do think that children coping with bullying can find solace through books.
However, children who know just how to make other children feel terrible one way or another are a reality of schools. And no matter how much we adults know about it doesn't necessarily mean we can stop it. I've had to deal with some very insidious situations involving mean children and, let me tell you, it can happen right in front of you. A few years ago I had a nasty situation in my classroom that involved some mean girls that went on all year. We talked and talked to the various kids. We isolated. We were firm. Parents tried. But the combustible combination of children (victims and bullies) made for a situation that only ended when the school year did.
The DVD of Mean Girls came out that fall and the central mean/most popular/hated/beloved/girl lent it to me. Not to be wicked, but just because she liked it and wanted to see if I would like it too.
(Bullies can be nice; they are never 100% horrors in my experience. Just complicated and usually unhappy for many good reasons that we in schools are not always able to fix.) However, I did sometimes think some of the resulting nastiness was set off by her and some of the other girls having seen the movie and getting off on playing some of the same sort of stuff out in our classroom.
Monica
-- Monica Edinger The Dalton School 108 East 89th Street New York NY 10128 monicaedinger at gmail.com my blog educating alice is at http://medinger.wordpress.comReceived on Mon 17 Mar 2008 03:37:16 PM CDT
