Field Reports
The Term Bullying Has Little Resonance with Teens
Posted by CR Ed on Dec 09, 10
Danah Boyd has written a very insightful piece on how teens experience conflict and how the term “bullying” is not working well in terms of connecting with them. A case example is provided of two girls (Janiya and Precious) who have a conflict that is long-standing and unresolved. It is definitely worth reading. As she note in the concluding paragraph:
Combating bullying is not going to be easy, but it’s definitely not going to happen if we don’t dive deep in the mess that underpins it and surrounds it. Lectures by uncool old people like me aren’t going to make teens who are engaged in dramas think twice about what they’re doing. And, for that matter, using the term “bullying” is also not going to help at all either. We need interventions that focus on building empathy, identifying escalation, and techniques for stopping the cycles of abuse. We need to create environments where young people don’t get validated for negative attention and where they don’t see relationship drama as part of normal adult life. The issues here are systemic.
No Name Calling Week 2010
Posted by CR Ed on Jan 27, 10
The seventh annual No Name-Calling Week (NNCW) is in full swing! Thousands of educators are leading their students through educational and creative activities aimed at ending name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. If you haven’t already, it’s not too late to conduct NNCW activities in your school. Some simple ways to celebrate are developing an anti-name-calling classroom policy or screening a student-made anti-bullying video. For more tips and ideas, visit the NNCW Resources page.
Another way to participate in NNCW is to engage your students in creating artwork that they can enter into the Creative Expression Contest. This year’s Creative Expression Contest is divided into three categories:
· Primary School (Grades K - 5)
· Middle School (Grades 6 - 8)
· High School (Grades 9 - 12)
The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 26.
Over 5,000 NNCW fans are talking about name-calling and bullying on the NNCW Facebook page. Join the conversation on Facebook and talk with other educators participating in NNCW to share tips and ideas.
Visit http://www.nonamecallingweek.org to register for updates, download free lessons and planning tips, and learn more about this year’s Creative Expression Contest.
Teachers.tv videos reveal the challenges facing NQTs (Newly Qualified Teachers)
Posted by CR Ed on Oct 24, 09
Teachers.tv, the U.K-based education support website has a number of videos that follow two brand new teachers as they work their way through their first year of instruction at inner-city schools in London. A good resource for talking with pre-service teachers about issues they may face, and perhaps a motivator to encourage students to take CRETE workshop training seriously as part of their preparation for teaching service.
The first video in the series, entitled Early Days, introduces us to the teachers and their backgrounds, and explores issues like preparing the classroom and dealing with pre-term nerves.
Of particular relevance for CRETE folks is the second video on Managing Behavior that explores some of the real difficulties these two NQTs (Newly Qualified Teachers) are having as they start to work with their classes.
Next in the series is Settling In wherein the new teachers do some assessment regarding how they are doing at the mid-term break. They worry about the stress and it’s impacts.
We stay with the same teachers (Tara and Rosie) for another episode entitled Work/Life Balance where we learn more about the ups and downs of their experience.
Safe Schools Ambassadors Help Keep the Peace on Campus
Posted by CR Ed on Oct 21, 09
Edutopia has a nice overview of a program focused on reducing bullying and violence on school campuses. The program, known as Safe School Ambassadors, enlists students, who after training, work more or less anonymously to discourage bad behavior among their peers. You can read more about it here. A video from the Today Show features one Florida school’s implementation of the program.
Tennessee’s Annual Character Education and Conflict Resolution Report
Posted by CR Ed on May 12, 09
Administrators working in the field might be interested in reports generated in Tennessee where each year the Commissioner of Education reports on CRE work in the schools. Here’ an excerpt from the Tennessee Office of School Safety and Learning Support that describes the approach and links to a recent report.
“Tenn. Code Ann. §49-2-118 and Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-1007 provide that the Commissioner of Education shall annually report to the General Assembly regarding the implementation of conflict resolution and character education programs in Tennessee schools. Below you will find our reports for the 2006-2007 school year.
Character education and conflict resolution programs support the social, emotional and moral development of our students while addressing the negative behaviors, attitudes and beliefs that frequently serve as a barrier to learning. The preceding report provides an overview of the nature and extent of these programs in schools across the state.
Questions regarding the report may be directed to Laura Nichols by phone at (615) 741-3248 or via email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
(SY 2007-2008) Included in the Safe and Supportive Schools: An Annual Report from the Office of School Safety and Learning Support
(SY 2006-2007) Annual Character Education and Conflict Resolution Report ”
High School Peer Mediation in the News
Posted by CR Ed on Feb 17, 09
Schenectady High School in upstate New York was featured in a recent news story exploring how mediation is part of a broader “incident reduction plan” enacted by the district. As noted in the story, “Of the 260 cases mediated last year, 216 reached a successful resolution.” Read more about it here.
More on Truancy Mediation from Ohio
Posted by CR Ed on Dec 13, 08
Truancy Prevention Through Mediation Program
The Truancy Prevention Through Mediation Program in Ohio, commonly known as truancy mediation, has grown in just over six years from 7 counties, 58 schools to 30 counties, over 460 schools in close to 120 school districts. It has grown at this rate because it works. Documentation is available at http://disputeresolution.ohio.gov/courtcommunity.htm.
Programs are run locally, with technical support, training, mentoring, and grant writing assistance provided by the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management, and with training assistance from the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Dispute Resolution Section.
Although it is common when districts first approach the Commission to ask about help with high school truancy and drop-outs, research and experience clearly show that a school district benefits most by building a program from the early years up. The Commission advocates having the program only in K-6 for two to four years, then adding the middle schools that those elementary schools feed, then in a year or two adding the high schools. If a district starts at the high school level they usually are dealing with students who have been missing days for many years, who are under-achieving, and who are close to dropping out – thus using time and resources but not addressing the systemic problem. If a district wants to permanently reduce truancy and tardiness it needs to be addressed in Kindergarten and the other early years, building the program upward.
Here are some of the core values of the program:
1. Mediations take place in the school, during or immediately before or after school hours. 2. In K - 6 the teacher always attends, and often is the only person meeting with the parent[s]. 3. The goal is to, in a non-punitive, non-disciplinary way, identify the family problems that are causing the poor attendance, and to then help the family reach a voluntary solution. Those solutions often involve reaching out to a government agency, social service provider, or non-profit organization. 4. Confidentially is maintained. 5. The emphasis is on K - 6 truancy and tardiness, with higher grades added only after the elementary school program is well established. 6. The family is asked to come in for a mediation very early in the pattern of truancy, usually the third to fifth missed day. This is a significantly lower threshold than the number of missed days for court referrals. The emphasis is on very early intervention and help in a respectful manner, as opposed to late intervention [15+ days is common] and a disciplinary attitude. 7. The mediator is a person trained in mediation in general and truancy mediation in particular, who does not represent any particular entity or interest but rather is in the room to facilitate the discussion and search for mutually acceptable solutions.
For information contact Ed Krauss at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 614 444 5872
Truancy Mediation is growing
Posted by CR Ed on Dec 11, 08
A new use for mediation skills and techniques that has been growing rapidly is Truancy Mediation.
The National Center for State Courts has been compiling a list of information on the growing number of states (18 and counting) that are offering Truancy Mediation service. You can view the Truancy Mediation Materials online.
A well developed example is the statewide program the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management administers. The Truancy Prevention Through Mediation Program is a statewide effort run in cooperation with The Ohio Supreme Courts Office of Dispute Resolution, school districts and local courts, which is designed to address attendance concerns in public schools. The program has been used in grades K - 12, but the primary focus is on grades K - 8.
A set of Standards of Practice for Truancy Mediation has been developed and is available on the web.
Why Do So Many Teachers Quit the Profession?
Posted by CR Ed on Sep 15, 08
Clearly, the belief of the folks at CREducation.org is that classroom conflict is a problem for new teachers, and one that contributes to the high number of teachers that leave after just 2 or 3 years in the classroom.
A recent article in Good Magazine provides a glimpse into this problem with short interviews with seven teachers who struggled and left teaching (or relocated).
For more details on the current state of teacher retention, this 2006 Washington Post article “Half of Teachers Quit in 5 Years” provides a quick summary.
Public Videos on Peer Mediation are Growing
Posted by CR Ed on Mar 22, 08
With the growth of YouTube as a medium of expression and information sharing, we are also seeing it used to promote Peer Mediation activity. Here are some examples that might inspire creative content producers at your school.
Romeo High School in Michigan (RHS) Peer Mediation Video (8:37) This video pulls together various clips from a High School mediation program, including providing evidence of increased awareness about the program. Nicely done.
Also, see this informative report on the program available as a pdf. It includes statistics on the program and sample materials used by the student mediators.
More Peer Mediation Club Activities at RHS (6:12) This video shows more of the activities the peer mediation students do interacting with other schools in the district.
Peer Mediation (better than a Light Saber Battle to the Death?) (3:37) This humorous student-produced video promotes peer mediation in their school.
Los Angeles Dispute Resolution Services (DRS) Peer Mediation Video (10:55) This video documents some systemwide activities in Los Angeles County.
Hoku Kubota Peer Mediation Training (a Hawaiian School) (2:00)
This video provides a quick glimpse at a mediation training happening in a Hawaiian school, giving a sense that mediation is happening “all over” the world.
For an even more international feel, check out this video on a college peer mediation program in the Netherlands. Hope you speak Dutch!
Peer Mediation op College De Brink 2008 (in Dutch!) (8:58)
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