Imagine Town Center Stomps out Name Calling
Our goal at Imagine Town Center was to hone in on positive resolution strategies in ways to empower our youngest stakeholders to care for each other and to be a name-calling-free campus. First, we set the stage by hanging sneakers in the corridor, entry doors were painted with positive words, and classes participated in a door decoration contest! Lessons included music, where students listened to "Don't Laugh at Me" by Mark Willis and participated in small group discussions on their feelings. The Declaration of Tolerance from Teaching Tolerance was modified; so students and staff could read and sign a paper chain link to have a visual representation. Some literature shared was "The Sneetches" by Dr. Seuss, "Blubber," and "A Word" by Emily Dickinson. Students discussed the power of hurtful words, wrote poetry, and role-played. Art students constructed an installation of stones and designed a stone mantle with burning flames, because name-calling BURNS, which is now displayed in our cafeteria. At the end of the week each student crumpled and stomped on a sheet of paper, quickly realizing that once-perfect paper will never be the same and that names SCAR! The end result was a great, positive words echo.