By the end of that first day, I went home to my own grade school children with a new sense of sympathy. In my following a typical middle school schedule, I went from class to class and heard the rules and expectations. There was little smiling, and even less participation from the students that first day. Some teachers presented their rules and asked the students if there was anything left to be added. By the third class, I was dreaming of caffeine, but that just wasn’t on the first day menu.
Over the years, I think that many great teachers have found different ways to approach the first day, seeking to avoid the “deer in headlights” syndrome from students. I’d like to think that a sense of go-ownership for the class is emphasized.—that students might work in pairs or small groups to create important rules, allowing for everyone’s voice to be heard. I can imagine that some teachers are well versed in making a behavioral pact with their students, demonstrating how they will live by and model the same core values they will help their students think critically about. But what if the teacher is exemplary in doing “all the right things” to build a wonderful learning culture and community? What are the pit holes to avoid?
Remember that your students spend a great deal of social time living in a virtual world! Some of them are saying horrible things about other students—things that they would not say in the face-to-face world. It’s called cyberbullying, and it’s really nasty.
But cyberbullying occurs when kids are out of school, right? Yes, but…. Imagine a dog playing in the mud. It’s ok, right? He’s outside the home. Of course, we all know that the dog comes in with the muck all over and leaves paw prints everywhere. Cyberbullying is like that. You can do all the right things to set a positive climate of your classroom and school, but if the students come to you trekking in “cyber-mud,” it will spoil your learning community.
What to do? Talk about it as a staff. Tie your class expectation discussions around agreeing on safe and civil behavior inside the school and talk about what that means in guiding their actions outside the school. Teach social and emotional skills, especially empathy and perspective-taking. …and hit Cyberbullying intentionally. CEP has a free K-12 curriculum on cyberbullying. Visit our website at www.character.org.
If you want guidance or facilitation at your school in bringing your core values or mission statements to life, call CEP (1 800 988-8081) to discuss how we can meet your professional development needs.
Here’s to a mud-free school this year!
