Ask yourself...

Teachers are asked to produce essential questions for their students, but sometimes forget to ask them of themselves. When creating lesson plans, teachers should remember to think with a little "backward design". Ask what the end game of the lesson really is and how, if a certain goal is in mind, how to get there with the most understanding. Keeping focused on the end can sometimes help to simplify lesson plans for both teacher and student. 

Source: What's the Big Idea, by Jim Burke

Ronan's Escape

I watched this video with the purpose of including it in my thematic unit, but have rethought that idea due to its graphic nature. It's a very powerful look at the effects of bullying, through a victim's eyes. Rather than over dramatizing the scenes, they are almost mundane in their delivery, which make it that much more realistic. Please take the time to watch this short film. Warning: It's graphic and may cause a few tears. 

Bully, the movie

The movie, Bully, is now in stores (and Netflix). If you haven't heard about this film, it's a documentary about the effects of bullying in the US. It sprung from the tragic suicides of Tyler Long and Ty Smalley, whose deaths were attributed to the bullying they had endured at their schools. It follows students in five different states, addressing different aspects of bullying. 

The project, which can be found at TheBullyProject.com, gives the call to action, "STOP BULLYING! SPEAK UP!" Its short term goals are getting teachers, parents, and students to stop the bullying that is currently running rampant in our schools, and being an "upstander", rather than a bystander. The project's long term goals focus on changing the way society views bullying; the victims and bullies alike. 

New Website

Google Sites wasn't doing what I wanted it to, so I switched to Wix. You can find my new website here. 

Bullying

I've been making a bullying WebQuest with two of my classmates. In my research thus far, I've found that many teachers ignore bullying, thinking that it's for the kids to sort out. I've also learned that the bystanders of bullying fear standing up to the bully as much as their victims. 

Below is a short video from Not In Our Town that discusses cyberbullying.