Post by title1parent on Oct 18, 2009 7:29:56 GMT -5
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/1830997,D204-bullying-prevention_na101809.article
D204 targets bullies
‘Stop, Talk, Walk’ program seeks unified approach to issue
October 18, 2009
By KATHY CICHON kcichon@scn1.com
"Loser!"
Lauren Dietz barely got the offending word out of her mouth before Bidisha Raychaudhuri cut her off.
"Stop!" Bidisha firmly said while making the time-out signal with her hands.
With those actions, Bidisha sent Lauren a clear message: Those bully tactics will not be tolerated.
Luckily the girls were simply performing a skit in front of their fifth-grade class and not engaging in mean-spirited behavior. Students at May Watts Elementary School and others in District 204 are in the process of learning the steps to help nip bullying behavior in the bud.
Called "Stop, Walk and Talk," the program offers a unified approach to combating bullying behavior instead of each grade level having its own method for dealing with the issue.
"Everybody's going to be on board with the system," May Watts Principal Michael Raczak said. "There's little room for error. That's why I like that. It's a systemic program instead of five different programs for different classes."
All elementary schools in District 204 are in the process of implementing the program, said Sharon Tate, assistant superintendent of student services in District 204. The middle schools are preparing to the launch the program sometime within the next quarter, she said.
Common approach
Known as a "positive behavior intervention and supports program," "Stop, Walk and Talk" offers a common language for all students and adults, Tate said. While there are many good programs out there, most of them deal with targeted groups or grades.
"To do it and have a larger impact takes a larger effort," Tate said.
The "Stop, Walk and Talk" program is available free to schools through the National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, which is part of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs. Last year, two Indian Prairie schools — Gombert and Cowlishaw — piloted the program.
"They used it last year and really liked it, and also had some feedback from students and staff at the end," Tate said.
At the end of the year, student surveys indicated they were using the process, and they "got an overwhelming response from students to continue," Tate said.
In a series of four or five sessions, students learn what is bullying behavior — calling someone names, gossiping, excluding students from an activity, continuous pushing or constant poking — and what is not, such as accidentally bumping into someone.
Even good-natured teasing can get out of hand.
"... When you tease, and somebody tells you to stop, you're not really teasing them anymore," fifth-grade teacher Carrie Pedersen said. "I don't think they realize stop means stop — even if you're doing it for 'fun.'"
Teasing makes up the majority of bullying that goes on, not so much physical aggression, Pedersen said.
"I asked, 'Would you want to come to school if this was happening daily?'" Pedersen said of such behavior. "Not one of them wanted to."
'Stop' method
When subjected to bullying behavior, students are taught to tell the bully to stop in a firm voice and give the hand signal indicating the same. They also are encouraged to use the "stop" method if they see someone else being bullied. If the behavior continues, students are to walk away or ignore the behavior. If the first two steps don't work, students are encourage to talk to an adult, hence "Stop, Walk and Talk."
"So far I'm very pleased," Raczak said. "The good thing for us is it's a school-wide program. So if somebody does go to an adult, everybody has been trained, and they know how to respond."
That includes teachers, social workers and counselors, administrators, school office personnel, lunchroom aides, bus drivers and crossing guards. They all have been trained in the program.
"Pretty much anybody in the building, you can trust," fifth-grade teacher Laura Gilbert told her students during a recent session.
In a recent session, students acting in a skit pretended to gossip about another student.
"How many of you like that?" Gilbert asked. Nobody raised their hand.
"How many of you have seen that?" Nearly every student's hand shot up.
"How many of you have done that?" About half raised their hands.
The class then went through various steps to deal with the situation — a process that is now school policy. At first there was some laughter and giggles from students as they acting out the scenarios, but that soon stopped.
"If you're being bullied, I don't expect for you to have a big grin on your face," fifth-grade teacher Amit Vaid told the class.
He reassured students that its normal if they don't feel comfortable acting the skits with each other because it is a new skill they are studying.
"As children, you're not used to handling the situation and this particular strategy," Vaid said.
And this strategy is just that: a tool for students to use when they encounter bullying behavior.
"They don't have a plan right now. They don't know how to deal with it," Gilbert said. "But at least this will give them a plan."
Adults respond
In a survey of third- through fifth-graders at May Watts, more than 65 percent of students said the school should do more to stop bullying. However, the majority of students, 66 percent, said they did not tell an adult when confronted with a bully. Of those that did, nearly 70 percent said it didn't help.
"The biggest strength for the student is the adult responds," Tate said of the new program. "They really looked for that to change."
David Worst, principal at Spring Brook Elementary School, said the goal is for students to feel comfortable and confident.
"We've already had some positive feedback," Worst said. "We've actually seen some of the kids using the stop sign."
When a student talks to an adult, the adult will ask students if they first used the stop and walk steps.
"If any student is in danger, the 'stop and walk away' steps should be skipped, and the incident should be reported immediately," Gilbert told the class.
Students also were taught the difference between telling and tattling. Telling is when you have tried to stop the problem yourself and you have used the "stop, walk and talk" steps first — unless someone is in danger.
Tattling is when you don't use "stop, walk and talk" first, and when your goal is to get the other person in trouble.
"One of my students asked, 'What about the bully?'" Gilbert said. "They want to know what's going to happen to the kid who's doing the teasing."
The bully is taught to stop, take a deep breath and walk away — even if they disagree, Raczak said. Staff will enforce the appropriate consequence for breaking one of the school rules, and parents will be notified if their child continues to engage in disrespectful or unsafe behavior.
Recently, District 204 launched an online tip line at www.ipsd.org/TIPS for students to anonymously report a bullying or safety concern. The tip is then forwarded to the building principal and the assistant superintendent for that grade level, Tate said.
"I do know it has been used, and the principals have been responding," she said.
D204 targets bullies
‘Stop, Talk, Walk’ program seeks unified approach to issue
October 18, 2009
By KATHY CICHON kcichon@scn1.com
"Loser!"
Lauren Dietz barely got the offending word out of her mouth before Bidisha Raychaudhuri cut her off.
"Stop!" Bidisha firmly said while making the time-out signal with her hands.
With those actions, Bidisha sent Lauren a clear message: Those bully tactics will not be tolerated.
Luckily the girls were simply performing a skit in front of their fifth-grade class and not engaging in mean-spirited behavior. Students at May Watts Elementary School and others in District 204 are in the process of learning the steps to help nip bullying behavior in the bud.
Called "Stop, Walk and Talk," the program offers a unified approach to combating bullying behavior instead of each grade level having its own method for dealing with the issue.
"Everybody's going to be on board with the system," May Watts Principal Michael Raczak said. "There's little room for error. That's why I like that. It's a systemic program instead of five different programs for different classes."
All elementary schools in District 204 are in the process of implementing the program, said Sharon Tate, assistant superintendent of student services in District 204. The middle schools are preparing to the launch the program sometime within the next quarter, she said.
Common approach
Known as a "positive behavior intervention and supports program," "Stop, Walk and Talk" offers a common language for all students and adults, Tate said. While there are many good programs out there, most of them deal with targeted groups or grades.
"To do it and have a larger impact takes a larger effort," Tate said.
The "Stop, Walk and Talk" program is available free to schools through the National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, which is part of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs. Last year, two Indian Prairie schools — Gombert and Cowlishaw — piloted the program.
"They used it last year and really liked it, and also had some feedback from students and staff at the end," Tate said.
At the end of the year, student surveys indicated they were using the process, and they "got an overwhelming response from students to continue," Tate said.
In a series of four or five sessions, students learn what is bullying behavior — calling someone names, gossiping, excluding students from an activity, continuous pushing or constant poking — and what is not, such as accidentally bumping into someone.
Even good-natured teasing can get out of hand.
"... When you tease, and somebody tells you to stop, you're not really teasing them anymore," fifth-grade teacher Carrie Pedersen said. "I don't think they realize stop means stop — even if you're doing it for 'fun.'"
Teasing makes up the majority of bullying that goes on, not so much physical aggression, Pedersen said.
"I asked, 'Would you want to come to school if this was happening daily?'" Pedersen said of such behavior. "Not one of them wanted to."
'Stop' method
When subjected to bullying behavior, students are taught to tell the bully to stop in a firm voice and give the hand signal indicating the same. They also are encouraged to use the "stop" method if they see someone else being bullied. If the behavior continues, students are to walk away or ignore the behavior. If the first two steps don't work, students are encourage to talk to an adult, hence "Stop, Walk and Talk."
"So far I'm very pleased," Raczak said. "The good thing for us is it's a school-wide program. So if somebody does go to an adult, everybody has been trained, and they know how to respond."
That includes teachers, social workers and counselors, administrators, school office personnel, lunchroom aides, bus drivers and crossing guards. They all have been trained in the program.
"Pretty much anybody in the building, you can trust," fifth-grade teacher Laura Gilbert told her students during a recent session.
In a recent session, students acting in a skit pretended to gossip about another student.
"How many of you like that?" Gilbert asked. Nobody raised their hand.
"How many of you have seen that?" Nearly every student's hand shot up.
"How many of you have done that?" About half raised their hands.
The class then went through various steps to deal with the situation — a process that is now school policy. At first there was some laughter and giggles from students as they acting out the scenarios, but that soon stopped.
"If you're being bullied, I don't expect for you to have a big grin on your face," fifth-grade teacher Amit Vaid told the class.
He reassured students that its normal if they don't feel comfortable acting the skits with each other because it is a new skill they are studying.
"As children, you're not used to handling the situation and this particular strategy," Vaid said.
And this strategy is just that: a tool for students to use when they encounter bullying behavior.
"They don't have a plan right now. They don't know how to deal with it," Gilbert said. "But at least this will give them a plan."
Adults respond
In a survey of third- through fifth-graders at May Watts, more than 65 percent of students said the school should do more to stop bullying. However, the majority of students, 66 percent, said they did not tell an adult when confronted with a bully. Of those that did, nearly 70 percent said it didn't help.
"The biggest strength for the student is the adult responds," Tate said of the new program. "They really looked for that to change."
David Worst, principal at Spring Brook Elementary School, said the goal is for students to feel comfortable and confident.
"We've already had some positive feedback," Worst said. "We've actually seen some of the kids using the stop sign."
When a student talks to an adult, the adult will ask students if they first used the stop and walk steps.
"If any student is in danger, the 'stop and walk away' steps should be skipped, and the incident should be reported immediately," Gilbert told the class.
Students also were taught the difference between telling and tattling. Telling is when you have tried to stop the problem yourself and you have used the "stop, walk and talk" steps first — unless someone is in danger.
Tattling is when you don't use "stop, walk and talk" first, and when your goal is to get the other person in trouble.
"One of my students asked, 'What about the bully?'" Gilbert said. "They want to know what's going to happen to the kid who's doing the teasing."
The bully is taught to stop, take a deep breath and walk away — even if they disagree, Raczak said. Staff will enforce the appropriate consequence for breaking one of the school rules, and parents will be notified if their child continues to engage in disrespectful or unsafe behavior.
Recently, District 204 launched an online tip line at www.ipsd.org/TIPS for students to anonymously report a bullying or safety concern. The tip is then forwarded to the building principal and the assistant superintendent for that grade level, Tate said.
"I do know it has been used, and the principals have been responding," she said.