Rayonos 3.4

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THE JEWISH EDUCATORS’ MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSION AL ENRICHMENT VOLUME 3 ISSUE 4 $2.50 PER ISSUE ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Creating Independent Learners Is it ADHD or is this a Gifted Child? Stop The Bullying! Real Solutions To An Overwhelming Problem

Transcript of Rayonos 3.4

Page 1: Rayonos 3.4

THE JEWIS H EDUC AT ORS’ MAGAZ INE FOR PROFESS IONAL ENR ICHMENT

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$2.5

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A L S O I N T H I S I S S U E :

Creating Independent

LearnersIs it ADHD or is this a

Gifted Child?

Stop The Bullying! Real Solutions To An

Overwhelming Problem

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4 Rayonos Magazine

{ Volume 3 Issue 4 }

table of contentsT H E J E W I S H E D U C A T O R S’ M A G A Z I N E F O R P R O F E S S I O N A L E N R I C H M E N T

RayonosMagazine

General EditorRABBI MOISHE BAK

Managing EditorRABBI AKIVA BAK

Graphic DesignYOCHEVED BRECHER

Editor/ProofreaderMRS. T.M. COHEN

MRS. SURI KATZENSTEIN

MRS. AL IZA TE ICHMAN

Editorial BoardRABBI YAAKOV BENDER

RABBI OSCAR EHRENREICH

RABBI JOSHUA F ISHMAN

RABBI A. HERSH FRIED PH.D.

MRS. WENDY GERSON

RABBI B INYOMIN GINSBERG

DR. BRIAN GOLDSTEIN

RABBI EL IMELECH GOTTL IEB

RABBI JOEL KRAMER

RABBI HILLEL MANDEL M.ED.

RABBI Y ITZCHOK MERKIN

MRS. ELA INE RUBINOFF

F E A T U R E D E V E R Y I S S U E :

Editor’s Viewpoint5 R A B B I M O S H E B A K

Shared Ideas20 PREVENTING BULLYING

Hilchos Melamdim30 EXCERPTS FROM wv ,ftkn rpx

Education Forum36 FEATURED QUESTION

Readers Respond37 TO LAST ISSUE’S QUESTION

Magazine Information39 SUBSCRIPT ION FORM

C L A S S R O O M M A N A G E M E N T

It’s Time to Stop the Bully . . . . . . . . 8R A B B I C H A I M W A L D M A N

B E Y O N D T H E C L A S S R O O M

The ABCs of Bullying Prevention . . 16D R . K E N N E T H S H O R E

T E A C H I N G T I P S

Ten Myths About Bullying . . . . . . 22

P R A C T I C A L T E A C H I N G

Creating Independent Learners . . 24R A B B I T Z V I L E V I N E

S P E C I A L I Z E D E D U C A T I O N

Is it ADHD or is this a Gifted Child? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32R E V I E W E D B Y R A B B I A . H . F R I E D

T H I S P R O J E C T H A S B E E N M A D E P O S S I B L E B Y T H E L AW F I R M O F M I C H A E L I . I N Z E L B U C H k"z ovrct ic i u bnt ,nab rfzk

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5Editor’s Viewpoint

eeping children safe should be a major priority forteachers and school administrators. When parents

walk their children to the bus stop or drop them off atschool each morning, they trust that their children will bein a safe and protected environment until they arrivesafely home at the end of the day.

As educators, it is our responsibility to ensure thatour students are safe. Safe from any physical harm, safefrom emotional harm and, most importantly, that they feelsecurity and can share with us anything that makes themfeel unsafe or uncomfortable. We need to do this for theirown safety and so that they can focus their attention onlearning and growing, not distracted by the pain of physi-cal or emotional abuse.

Most, if not all, teachers have a keen sense of theirprofessional and personal responsibilities. They are con-cerned about the health, safety and happiness of their stu-dents. They are aware that they are role models for thechildren they teach and that they may be an important

source of support and concern for their students. Teacherswant to do what is best for the children in their care, notonly because this is their professional standard, but alsobecause the Torah demands it.

Research tells us that bullies are developed outsidethe school environment, shaped by a combination offactors, including lack of parental warmth and attention,poor supervision, parental modeling of aggressive behav-ior and an active and impulsive temperament on the partof the child. The victims of bullies, however, are mostoften created at school.

For this reason, we have dedicated this issue ofRayonos Magazine to Bullying. Our attitudes, behav-iors, and routines play a large role in the prevalence of bullying behavior. We hope the articles; tips andsuggestions will raise the awareness of bullying in ourschools and provide the impetus for teachers to takeaction. Bullying is a problem that schools can and must eliminate.

k

Rayonos Magazine is published six times during the school year and is intended primarily for Mechanchim and Mechanchos teaching elementary,middle school and high school children. Although it is written for the Torah educator it is also beneficial for anyone interested in curriculum, instruc-tion, and leadership in Yeshiva Day Schools. Individual One Year Subscriptions – U.S.A.: $2.50 per issue. Canada and foreign: $3.00. Discount GroupOne Year Subscriptions – 10 or more issues purchased by the school - U.S.A.: $2.00. Canada and foreign: $2.50. Rayonos Magazine is a projectof Strategies Inc. in conjunction with Torah Umesorah and the views expressed or implied in this publication are intended as suggestions and are notnecessarily official positions of the either organization. To place an order or to receive general information call Strategies Inc.: (718) 233-3724 Ext. 1 ore-mail: Rayonos@ TheTorahEducator.com. Copyright © 2007 by Strategies Inc. All rights reserved.

editor’sviewpointR A B B I M O S H E B A K

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classroom managementRabbi Chaim WaldmanBASED ON AN ART ICLE BY : MRS. L . LUMSDENPublished in the Education Resources Newsletter (March 2002)

Bullying is one of the most

common formsof social

posturing among children,and it can have

devastatingeffects on

its victims.

himmy was the new boy last year,having moved to town from across

the country in January. He had madesome friends, and was looking forwardto seventh grade. This year, his class hasbeen allowed to join the 7:30 schoolminyan, which is followed by a hotbreakfast. Shimmy is a seventh graderwho always shows up, though he is notyet “bar mitzvah'ed”. Of his severalfriends, only Ari comes, but Ari hasbeen somewhat distant with him this

year. He supposes it's because Ari, like anumber of other boys, grew a lot overthe summer and is almost two headstaller than Shimmy. Shimmy seems tobe the only boy who hasn't grown evena smidgen, but he is trying to pretend itdoesn't matter. Still, he hates when kidspinch his cheeks–really twisting hard–orpick him up suddenly and dump himdown somewhere.

This morning, after breakfast, inthe basement lunchroom, Shimmy and

some other boys went upstairs to theclassroom. He was hesitant to join acluster of kids around Ari, who was notlooking inviting, so he busied himself athis desk. Suddenly he felt a hard tug onhis collar. As he choked and raised hishands to his throat, he felt himselflifted up in the air, and wasflung–smack!–into the garbage can. Ashe stared around him, stunned, somekids began to jeer and throw theirsquashed drippy milk containers and

s

BullyTAKING A PROACTIVE STANCE

AGAINST BULLYING IN OUR SCHOOLS

8 Rayonos Magazine

IT'S TIME TO STOP THE

IT'S TIME TO STOP THE

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other stuff at him. He struggled toclimb out, and was roughly shovedback by Ari, who leered maliciouslydown at him.

Shimmy's heart stood still for asecond. Then he wrenched himself upin fury and went for Ari, but was nomatch for the much larger boy, andwas soon fleeing the classroom, fol-lowed by a crowd of shouting boys. Hepanicked. They were all after him! Heducked into another classroom, but wasfollowed, and almost cornered. Hedashed to an open window and scram-bled out in the nick of time. He racedto the front door, hoping to sneak inquietly, and go downstairs, where theRebbeim were still at breakfast. But ashe pushed the door open, he was metby some other mocking faces. He fledaround the building, trying for the sidedoor. No luck. The crowd hadexpanded and he couldn't get in. Fromthe tail of his eye, he saw some boysrounding the building toward him. Indesperation, he flew down the path,climbed over the fence enclosing theschool grounds, and began racinghome–more than three miles away.

Parents send their child off toschool believing it is a safe andsecure environment. They expect theadults to whom they entrust theirchild's welfare will guard it as theywould. It is therefore shocking for aparent to find that his/her child hassuffered from bullying, and that noneof the child’s educators have takensteps to prevent it.

A school, and a Torah schoolabove all, should be a place where astudent can count on being treatedwith respect. The reality, however, isthat a significant number of studentsexperience bullying episodes onschool grounds. Unfortunately, sinceeducators tend to minimize or

underestimate the extent of bullying,it is often tolerated or ignored. Thetragedy is that bullying often causesserious harm, which sometimesresults in long-term academic, physi-cal, and emotional consequences.

Educators' failure to intervene isgenerally based on a notion that suchoccurrences belong in the privatesocial arena of children where adultsmust not tread, and where all chil-dren will eventually learn to assertthemselves socially–simply a part of“growing up”.

How often have we heard aneducator proudly state, “I neverinterfere in the children’s privatebattles. I leave them to sort out theirdifferences themselves.”

Or another shrugs, “Well; boyswill be boys, you know.”

Another typical response is toadmonish the victim, or his parent.

For example: “Your son doesn’t standup for himself much. He shouldlearn to fight back.”

We might imagine that the abovecomments were probably for minor,minimal incidents, but I assure you,they were not. And in an increas-ingly violent and self-centered world,bullying is becoming more virulentin nature, and must be seriouslyaddressed.

This article examines theproblem of bullying and some of itseffects, discusses steps schools are

taking, looks at ways peerscan discourage bullying,and identifies other strate-gies that are beingpursued.

What Is Bullying? Bullying occurs when a person

willfully and repeatedly exercisespower over another with hostile ormalicious intent. A wide range ofphysical or verbal behaviors of anaggressive or antisocial nature fallsunder the term bullying. Theseinclude verbal abuse, such as insult-ing and teasing, or physical abuse,as in threatening, humiliating,harassing, and mobbing. Bullyingmay also assume less direct forms(sometimes referred to as “psycho-logical bullying”) such as gossiping,spreading rumors, and shunning orexclusion.

How Prevalent Is theProblem?

Bullying is one of the mostcommon forms of social posturingamong children, particularly ingroups. Considering that the bully’s“other side of the coin” is cowardice,this should not be surprising.Children are on the most vulnerablerung of the human social structure.They live under the arbitrary rule ofadults who can grant or withholdsimple freedoms from them at will,and they have no recourse. It is

A school, and a Torah school above all, should be a place where a student can count on being treatedwith respect. The reality, however, is that a significant number of students experience bullyingepisodes on school grounds every day.

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classroom managementnatural for someone whofeels powerless to seekpower, and he will instinc-tively look for someone

weaker to practice on. He fearsrepercussions from those who havepower over him, so he will use hispower when/where he can’t “getcaught”. Thus the term “bully-coward”.

Children who attack those in theyoungest grades in areas where theycan’t be seen, and children whocreate a mob atmosphere–with thepremise that “they can’t punish all ofus”–are typical examples of bulliesfound in our schools, and in schoolseverywhere.

What Is the Impact of Bullyingon Targeted Students?

Bullying can have devastatingeffects on victims. As one middle-school student expressed, “There isanother kind of violence, and that isviolence by talking. It can leave youhurting more than a cut with aknife. It can leave you bruisedinside.”

Students who are targeted bybullies often have difficulty concen-trating on their schoolwork, andtheir academic performance tends tobe “marginal to poor”. Typically,bullied students feel anxious, andthis anxiety may in turn produce avariety of physical or emotional ail-ments.

Suri had studied long and hard forthe chumash test, and was sure sheknew it perfectly. She sat straight, inthe last seat of her row, looking blanklyahead of her as Morah passed out thepapers. Miriam, who sat directly infront of her, turned to give her theexam, but dropped it-”by mistake/onpurpose”-and stamped her foot on it tokeep it from flying. Suri heard a few

quickly suppressed titters, and turnedred.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Miriamexclaimed, handing the smudged sheetsto Suri. “Oh, Morah, Suri didn’t takeher paper from me.”

Morah frowned at Suri. “Smoothout the sheet,” she admonished. “Ihaven’t any extras, so you’ll have to bevery neat.”

Miriam’s lip curled in a smirk, andshe stuck her tongue out at Suri beforeturning back to her seat with a satisfiedair.

“Why does Morah believe Miriamall the time?” wondered Suri miserably.

For the duration of the test, Suri’smind was filled with dread. All shecould think about was, “What isMiriam planning to do to me at lunchtoday?” “Maybe I can take very longat my test, andask Morah if Ican finish itduring lunch-and not go tolunch at all.”

She wasso preoccupied, sheleft out or misunder-stood most of the answers on the exam;her handwriting was illegible evenwhere she seemed to know the answers.Morah had not allowed her extra time,and could not understand why Suri wasfailing so badly. She certainly had notnoticed that anything serious was goingon between her students.

Many targeted children avoidpublic areas of the school, such asthe playground, lunchroom, andrestrooms, in an attempt to eludebullies. For some students, the fearis so great that they avoid schoolaltogether. Every day, hundreds ofchildren stay home from schoolbecause they are afraid of beingbullied. Rates of absenteeism are

higher among victimized studentsthan rates among their non-bulliedpeers, as are dropout rates.

The psychological scars left bybullying often endure for years.Evidence indicates, “The feelings ofisolation and the loss of self-esteemthat victims experience seem to lastinto adulthood”. Studies have founda higher level of depression andlower self-esteem among formerlybullied individuals at age twenty-three, even though as adults theseindividuals were no more harassedor socially isolated than a controlgroup.

Another cause for concern isthat the bullied child may eventuallyretaliate in an unprecedented,exceedingly violent manner. For this

victim has been hurt by all themembers of his school, faculty and

students alike. The horrify-ing headlines of stu-

dents gunning downclassmates andteachers are one

frightful result ofbullying.A well-known mechanech who

works extensively with troubledadolescents, explains: “Teenagerswho are bullied generally showhigher levels of insecurity, anxiety,depression, loneliness, unhappiness,physical and mental symptoms, andlow self-esteem. When students arebullied on a regular basis, they maybecome depressed and despondent,suicidal, or even homicidal.Bullying is a precursor to physi-cal violence by its perpetratorsand can trigger violence in itsvictims.”

This leads to a concern that fallsinto our realm–the latest plague onthe Jewish scene–the issue of “kidsat risk”. Take a survey, and you may

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find that many of these jaded chil-dren were bullied at some point intheir lives. They may be rejecting thesociety that hurt them.

In our Day Schools, childrenhear many tales of those who cham-pioned the underdog; MosheRabbeinu is our prime example, butwe also have “modern” ones, such asthe story of the Chofetz Chaim as achild, spilling water out of the watercarrier’s bucket, and so on. Childrenfind it incongruous to hear suchlofty tales, and later observe theirteachers looking the other way whenchildren are taunting each other, ortelling them to play somewhere elsewhen they complain that someoneshoved them off the jungle gym.

It is also unconscionable toencourage a child to stand up andfight back, when we have carefullyexplained how evilnekamah–revenge–is. When thegrown-ups in their lives don’t appearto uphold the Torah they teach, is itany wonder some of our childrenview us with skeptiicism? Is it reallyso shocking that some children havea hard time with their commitmentto Judaism?

In the Education Forum ofRayonos Magazine 3.3, the authorput it best when he said, “In ourcommunity, where character devel-opment is stressed from a veryyoung age, victims of bullying suffereven more. They begin to wonder,why are the adults, who preach theimportance of good middos, not pro-tecting me?”

What Can Schools Do ToCounteract Bullying?A. AWARENESS

Rabbi Kalman Baumann,Principal of Yeshiva Toras Emes inMiami Beach, Florida, has imple-

mented an anti-bullying policy thisyear that has shown signs of success.In a phone interview, he sharedsome of his secrets. “A written anti-bullying policy distributed to every-one in the school community,” hetold Rayonos, “helps send themessage that bullying incidents willbe taken seriously.”

At Yeshiva Toras Emes, anassembly for all students is called,where bullying is defined, and thevarious consequences meted to abully are clearly spelled out.Secondly, the students are informedof their own responsibilities.Consciousness-raising is a key tosquelching bullies, he continues, formost children join the bully, orignore his evil actions, out of fear of“being next”. “They must be taughtthat doing nothing is also a crime.”

A discussion of the concept of

arvus [responsibility for one another]is explored from many angles. Thestudents were once shown a video inwhich the hero first joins a bullying“mob”, then has remorse, and learnsand rehearses how to act the nexttime a similar situation occurs. Inthe last scene, he finally stands up tothe bully.

[Editor’s note:Rabbi Baumann gra-ciously permitted Rayonos to copy thebulletin Yeshiva Toras Emes distributesto its school community (this includesteachers, parents, and students). It can

be viewed on page 13.]“To be effective,” Rabbi

Baumann concluded, “thepolicy must have thesupport of school staff, andit must be fairly and consistentlyapplied.”

B. SUPERVISION

To discern the nature and extentof the bullying problem in yourschool, the school (principals andteachers) can distribute surveys tostudents, school personnel, andparents. Once baseline data is col-lected, the administration will bebetter able to judge whether anysubsequent changes are actuallymaking a difference.

Debra Pepler, director of theLaMarsh Centre for Research onViolence and Conflict Resolution atYork University in Toronto, suggests

mapping a school’s “hot spots” forbullying incidents. This wouldgreatly reduce the number of bully-ing incidents on a daily basis. Onceproblematic locations have been pin-pointed through survey responses ora review of disciplinary records,supervision can be concentratedwhere it is most needed.

Providing better supervision isnot necessarily costly. It simply canmean ensuring teachers are availableand visible, especially during nonre-strictive activities. For example,

Schools that succeed in anti-bullying programs allshare a common attitude; they take a proactivestance by implementing programs that teach students “social skills, conflict resolution, anger management, and character education”.

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classroom managementprincipals can ask teachersto stand in the doorways oftheir classrooms duringtransition time so that the

halls are well supervised. Whenteachers are assigned lunchroom orplayground duties, they shouldunderstand that they may not gatherinto social clusters, but must be sta-tioned strategically so that they canboth “see and be seen”. There will befewer “accidents” with fewer unsu-pervised locations available.

If an incident occurs during ateacher’s watch, it is incumbent onhim/her to crush it immediately. Themildest form of cruelty inthe presence of a rolemodel can never be toler-ated, or the wrongmessage is sent to thechildren–the emulators ofour behavior.

Although we don’twant to create “scenes”,we must somehow find away to discipline thebullies. Perhaps by simplyusing a code word, e.g.,“unacceptable”, or “that’sshameful”, when such anoccasion occurs, we willconvey the message thatwe have observed and clearly disap-prove of such behavior.

C. REINFORCEMENT PROGRAMS

To achieve permanent changesin how students interact, manymental health professionals suggestthat educators not only deliver nega-tive consequences to those whobully, but teach positive behaviorthrough modeling, coaching,prompting, praise, and other formsof reinforcement. Similarly, schoolsthat succeed in anti-bullying pro-

grams all share a common attitude;they take a proactive stance byimplementing programs that teachstudents “social skills, conflict reso-lution, anger management, and char-acter education.”

There are a number of middosprograms available that can beincorporated into a school’s curricu-lum. Many people feel that sincethese middos are embedded in theirother subjects, it is not necessary to“sacrifice time” for such programs.However, teaching children to beaware of their own failings, andhelping them develop strength of

character, is a crucial area inchinuch, and should not be short-changed for the sake of anotherarts-and-crafts project. As long as amiddos program is not competitive,it can have a positive lasting effecton the children.

A number of menahalim andmenahalos recommend books thatcan help children learn to deflectbullies, and grow in self-confidence.For younger children, stories such asHerbie’s Troubles, by CarolChapman, age level 5-8, can be read

aloud at rest period.At the intermediate level,

Wendy and the Bullies, by NancyK. Robinson, Invisible Lissa, byNatalie Honeycutt, A Secret Friendby Marilyn Sachs, or The HundredDresses by Eleanor Estes, can beread aloud to the class as a treat, orused in a reading group duringsecular studies, and followed upwith written commentary and/or dis-cussion groups.

For junior high and high schoolages, I highly recommend the playThunder on Sycamore Street byReginald Rose. This could even be

acted before the entireschool.

How Can PeersDiscourage Bullying?

Schools that take anti-bullying seriously knowthat peers often actively orpassively reinforce theaggressive behaviors ofbullies through theirattention and engagement.Peer presence is positivelyrelated to the persistenceof bullying episodes.Similarly, psychologistPeter Fonagy says, “The

whole drama is supported by thebystander. The theater can’t takeplace if there’s no audience”.

In his book, Participant RoleApproach to School Bullying(published 1999), the author main-tains that bullying is increasinglyviewed as a “group phenomenon,”and intervention approaches shouldbe directed toward witnesses as wellas direct participants. Schools needto encourage the development ofanti-bullying attitudes among peersthrough awareness-raising, the

12 Rayonos Magazine

In our community, where character deve-lopment is stressed, victims of bullyingsuffer even more. They wonder, “Why arethe adults, who preach the importance of good middos, not protecting me?”

(continued on page 14)

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WHAT IS BULLYING?Bullying is when a stronger, more power-ful person hurts or frightens a smaller orweaker person deliberately (on purpose)and repeatedly (again and again).

Bullying behaviors include the following offenses:

! Attacking others! Bossing others around! Breaking others’ things! Damaging others’ things! Embarrassing ! Frightening! Gossiping! Harassing! Hitting! Hurting others’ feelings! Ignoring! Insulting! Kicking! Laughing at others! Making fun! Making others feel inferior! Making others feel invisible! Leaving others out! Telling lies that are hurtful or harmful! Making others do things

they don’t want to! Name-calling! Putting others down! Refusing to talk to someone and

getting others to do the same! Picking on others because they are

“different”! Rejecting others! Saying nasty things to or about others! Screaming! Spreading rumors! Stealing! Taking others’ things without

permission! Teasing! Using verbal taunts! Writing nasty or hurtful things

about others

13Classroom Management

Bullying in schools occurs most often whenadults are not in immediate proximity, such asin the playground, lunchroom, and hallways.Bullying can be physical, verbal, or even byinnuendo.

Toras Emes has as its goal to protect victimsand potential victims, and to help bullies tochange their ways.

This is being accomplished through sensi-tivity-training of staff, students, and parents,and through adoption and implementation ofa school policy that deals with bullies and bul-lying incidents. The policy is outlined below.

Hierarchy of Consequences for StudentsEngaged in Bullying Behavior:

FIRST OFFENSE – Counseling byteacher/administrator.

SECOND OFFENSE – Parent is notified ofbehavior by the teacher/administrator.Student loses recess time.

THIRD OFFENSE – Student, parent(s),counselor, administrator and teacher meetto discuss bullying behavior and are madeaware of potential future consequencesshould bullying be repeated.

FOURTH OFFENSE – Automatic three dayout of school suspension. Parents meetwith administrator. Student must turn inall missed work upon return to school.

FURTHER OFFENSES – If bullying behaviorcontinues, more severe consequences willbe imposed by the administration, possiblyincluding expulsion from Toras Emes.

This bullying policy is in addition to the policyalready in place that deals with physicalattacks, threats and foul language.

With the support of parents, staff and stu-dents all children will feel safe and secure atToras Emes, and everyone will work togetherto prevent and stop bullying behavior.

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classroom management

14 Rayonos Magazine

opportunity for self-reflec-tion and wakening feelingsof responsibility, and role-playing or rehearsing new

behaviors.To discourage peers from acting

as an “audience” to bullying behav-ior, there are schools that have apolicy of disciplining bystanders aswell as bullies. Students and theirparents sign contracts at thebeginning of the school yearacknowledging that they under-stand it is unacceptable toridicule, taunt, or attempt to hurtother students. If an incidentoccurs, it can be used as anopportunity to educate studentsabout alternative ways of resolv-ing similar situations in thefuture.

Teaching respect and nonvio-lence must begin in elementaryschool. Some principals allow theirnonviolence programs to be run andorganized by older students, whichcan be particularly powerful,because, as one high school studentput it, younger students “don’t lookup to old people; they look up toteenagers”.

What Else Can Be Done?

1. In the public school system,some states are beginning torequire each school to adoptanti-bullying policies. Colorado,New Hampshire, and WestVirginia recently passed legisla-tion that makes it mandatory

for schools to have anti-bullying policies.Massachusetts has allocated onemillion dollars to “bully-proof”its schools.

2. Students who bully often needintensive support or intervention,so it is important for schools and

social-service agencies to worktogether. Perpetrators are fre-quently from “hostile family envi-ronments”. They may be victimsof acts of aggression at home, orwitness aggression among otherfamily members.

3. Parents can play a role in reduc-ing bullying. William Pollack, apsychologist, says, “Researchshows that the success of anyprogram is 60% grounded inwhether the same kinds ofapproaches are used at home”.

If everyone works together todiscouragebullying andrespond to

inci-dents,fertile con-

ditions arecreated for students to develop agreater sense of connection to theirpeers, and for seeds of respect andacceptance to grow.

RESOURCES

Ballard, Mary; Tucky Argus; and Theodore P.Remley, Jr. “Bullying and School Violence: AProposed Prevention Program.” NASSPBulletin (May 1999): 38-47.Phi Delta Kappan

Barone, Frank J. “Bullying in School: ItDoesn’t Have to Happen.” Phi Delta Kappan(September 1997): 80-82. EA 533 807.

Bowman, Darcia Harris. “Survey of StudentsDocuments the Extent of Bullying.”Education Week on the Web (May 2, 2001).

Clarke, E. A., and M. S. Kiselica. “ASystemic Counseling Approach to theProblem of Bullying.” Elementary SchoolGuidance and Counseling 31 (1997): 310-24.

Labi, Nadya. “Let Bullies Beware.” Timeonline, March 25, 2001.

Colvin, G.; T. Tobin; K. Beard; S. Hagan; andJ. Sprague. “The School Bully: Assessing theProblem, Developing Interventions, andFuture Research Directions.” Journal ofBehavioral Education 8, 3 (1998): 293-319.

Garrity, C.; K. Jens; W. Porter; N. Sager; andC. Short-Camilli. Bully-Proofing Your School.Longmont, Colorado: Sopris West. 1996.

Hoover, J. H.; and R. Oliver. The BullyingPrevention Handbook: A Guide for Principals,Teachers, and Counselors. Bloomington,Indiana: National Education Service, 1996.

Khosropour, Shirin C., and James Walsh. “TheEffectiveness of a Violence Prevention Program:Did It Influence How Children ConceptualizeBullying?” Paper presented at the annualmeeting of the American Educational ResearchAssociation in Seattle, April 2001.

Nansel, Tonja R.; Mary Overpeck; Ramani S.Pilla; W. June Ruan; Bruce Simons-Morton;and Peter Scheidt. “Bullying BehaviorsAmong U.S. Youth: Prevalence andAssociation with Psychosocial Adjustment.”Journal of the American Medical Association286, 16 (April 25, 2001).

National Association of Attorneys General.Bruised Inside: What Our Children SayAbout Youth Violence, What Chauses It,and What We Should Do About It. Author,2000.

Naylor, Paul, and Helen Cowie “TheEffectiveness of Peer Support Systems inChallenging School Bullying: ThePerspectives and Experiences of Teachers andPupils.” Journal of Adolescence 22, 4 (August1999): 467-79. EJ 609 417.

O’Connell, Paul; Debra Pepler, and WendyCraig. “Peer Involvement in Bullying:Insights and Challenges for Intervention.”Journal of Adolescence 22 (1999): 437-52.

Salmivalli, Christina. “Participant Role Approachto School Bullying: Implications for Interventions.”Journal of Adolescence 22 (1999): 453-59.

U.S. Secret Service National Threat AssessmentCenter. Safe School Initiative: An Interim Reporton the Prevention of Targeted Violence in Schools.Washington, D.C.: Author, October 2000.

Vail, Kathleen. “Words That Wound.” TheAmerican School Board Journal (September1999): 37-40.

Walker, Ruth. “To Stop Bullying, Involve theWhole School.” Christian Science Monitor(March 13, 2001): 19.

To discourage peers fromacting as an “audience” tobullying behavior, there areschools that have a policyof disciplining bystanders

as well as bullies.

Page 15: Rayonos 3.4

Workshop Description:Bullying is something someone does or says togain power and dominance over another.Bullying includes any action, or implied actionsuch as threats, intended to cause fear and dis-tress. In this workshop you will learn techniquesto observe, detect and overcome bullying in yourclassroom or school.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO BRINGTHIS WORKSHOP TO YOUR SCHOOL, CALL STRATEGIES: (718) 233-3724 EXT. 3

Highlights will include:

FORMS OF BULLYING

TYPES OF BULLIES

THE IMPACT OF BULLYING

WHERE DOES BULLYINGHAPPEN?

THE VICTIM AND THE BULLY

REPORTING BULLYING

THE ROLE OF PARENTS ANDBYSTANDING STUDENTS

B E H I N D E V E R Y S U C C E S S F U L C L A S S R O O M I SCREATING A BULLY-FREE SCHOOLUNDERSTANDING AND PREVENTING BULLYING IN YOUR SCHOOL

S T R A T E G I E S1328 VIRGINIA STREET • FAR ROCKAWAY, NY 11691(718) 233-3724 ext.3 • FAX (718) 228-5602EMAIL [email protected]

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Page 16: Rayonos 3.4

beyond the classroomWritten by: Dr. Kenneth ShorePSYCHOLOGIST, NEW JERSEY

Strategies for a school-wideanti-bullying

campaign thatinvolves staff,students, and

parents.

ullying is a serious and perva-sive problem in our schools.

For those who are the targets of bul-lying, the incidents can be the mostpainful experiences of childhood,often leaving lasting scars. Victimscan experience anxiety, fear, and evendepression for years to come.

Bullying also can affect those stu-dents who witness the incidents – thebystanders. Bullying can give rise to aclimate of fear and anxiety in a

school, distracting students fromtheir schoolwork and impeding theirability to learn. Students who witnesstheir classmates being victimizedwonder, “Am I going to be next?”The possibility of being bullied cancause students to live in a state offear, focusing on little else. This isn'tsurprising when you consider thatchildren who were surveyed ratedbullying the second worst experienceof childhood — second only to the

death of a loved one.Despite the pervasiveness and

potential seriousness of bullying, it isa problem that often escapes detec-tion by teachers. One study foundthat only four percent of bullyingepisodes were observed by schoolstaff. Even when teachers are madeaware of bullying, they sometimesturn a blind eye. They might view itas a harmless rite of passage that isbest ignored. The reality, however, is

b

The ABC’s ofBULLYING PREVENTION

16 Rayonos Magazine

Page 17: Rayonos 3.4

that bullying is not harmless and itmust not be ignored.

It is critical that teachers be onthe lookout for signs of bullying.Although teachers might not actuallywitness a bullying incident (bulliesare very adept at tormenting theirvictims outside the presence ofadults), they should see the results ofthe bullying. A child who is bulliedmight show any or all of the follow-ing characteristics:

1. anxiety in class.2. frequent visits to the school nurse.3. a decline in academic

performance.4. unusual sadness or withdrawal

from peers.5. unexplained bruises.

This article describes strategiesteachers can use to deal with bullyingin the classroom. If schools are tomake real headway preventing inci-dents of bullying, however, thestrategies need to be part of a school-wide anti-bullying campaign that hasthe commitment of staff, students,and parents.

Act immediately if youobserve or hear of bullyingtaking place. Don't let it continueon the assumption that children needto learn to stand up for themselves.Bullies are often bigger and strongerthan their victims, who often lack thephysical ability or verbal skills toadequately defend themselves.Allowing bullying to continue mightresult in the bullied child being hurtphysically or psychologically.

Talk privately with thebully. Give the bully an opportu-nity to explain his behavior, butexpect him to downplay his actionsor place the blame on the victim. If

you are confident that he was engag-ing in bullying, let him know thatfurther incidents will not be toler-ated. Tell him that you and otherstaff will be monitoring his behaviorvery closely and disciplinary action,including notifying his parents, willbe taken if another incident occurs.(Or you might decide that the inci-dent warrants disciplinary actionrather than just a warning.) Afterputting the bully on notice, try toelicit his cooperation. Tell him youdon't believe that he really wants tohurt another child and ask for ideasabout resolving the problem. Youmight find that a sympatheticapproach elicits kinder and gentlerbehavior. Bullies bully for a reason— to gain status with or power overpeers, to punish a child they areangry at or jealous of, to vent frus-

tration with problems at home or inschool. Try to identify what isbehind the bullying and provideappropriate support.

Keep in mind that thepurpose of disciplining bulliesis to deter their aggressiveactions, not to humiliate orembarrass them. Insist that thebully return any items she has takenfrom the victim. You also mightwant to exclude the bully fromplaces or activities where she hasharassed other students, removeclassroom privileges, or give herdetention. Notify her parents imme-

diately of what shehas done and askthat they have aserious talk withtheir child abouther behavior. You might want toconsider having the parents in for aconference. Solicit their support forthe steps you are taking in school.The principal also might decide theincident is serious enough that itwarrants a suspension from school.On the day of the student's return toschool, she might be required tocome in with her parents and sign acontract in which she agrees not toengage in any further bullyingbehavior. The contract should definethe prohibited behaviors in a spe-cific manner and set out conse-quences if she does not abide by thecontract

Don't neglect the victim.Just as the bully warrants your atten-tion, so does the victim. Ask himwhat happened and listen sympathet-ically and attentively. Let him knowthat he is not to blame for the bully-ing. Encourage him to tell you ofother incidents and reassure him thatyou will make every possible effort tostop it. You also might want to helphim learn how to be assertive withbullies without being aggressive. Tryrole-playing, suggesting what hemight do or say during a bullyingincident to project a greater air ofconfidence. Make sure the studentknows that he should not respond

Children who were surveyed rated bullying thesecond worst experience of childhood – second only to the death of a loved one.

17Classroom Management

Page 18: Rayonos 3.4

physically, however.Retaliation only escalates a bully's

aggression. You mightwant to inform the victim's parentsabout what happened and whatactions you have taken. (Let the childknow you will be doing that.) Givethe student frequent pats on the backto boost his confidence and increasehis feelings of comfort. Talk with himperiodically to ask if the problem iscontinuing; if so, take action.

Survey the class aboutbullying. The results of an anony-mous survey might help you gaugethe extent and types of bullyingtaking place, as well as the placeswhere it is occurring. Of course, thatalso can be done on a school-widebasis, and serve as a benchmark toassess the success of any programsintended to lessen the occurrenceof bullying.

Hold a class meeting todiscuss bullying. Withyounger students, you mightwant to begin by reading a storysuited to their age, such as TheBerenstain Bears and theBully. Make it clear that bullyingother children is a serious matterand that it will not be allowed inyour classroom. Talk with stu-dents about what bullying is; giveexamples of bullying and ask forexamples from students. Considerwriting their ideas on the black-board. Discuss how children whoare bullied might feel; write thoseideas on the board as well. Ask ifany students want to share theirexperiences of being bullied, but donot let them talk about specific stu-dents. Ask students what they mightdo if they see another student being

bullied. Encourage them to eithertake action to stop thebullying or report itto an adult.

Pay attention tostudents who areisolated from theirpeers. Isolated stu-dents are the most likelytargets for bullies. Helpthose students becomeinvolved with their peersby arranging for friendlyand accepting students toinvite them to join in classroomor playground activities. Youalso might arrange for studentswho are loners to engage inactivities together. Those stu-dents might need your help tolearn what to say and do when

interacting with peers. They mightnot know what to say to initiate anactivity with a classmate or to join anongoing activity.

Encourage children to bekind to one another. Praise chil-dren who act in a kind or sensitiveway to classmates. Announce to the

whole class incidents that displayedkindness. You also might recog-

nize children who displaythose behaviors by giving

certificates or rewards atschool assemblies. You can

promote the kinder andgentler side of students by

offering them opportunities tohelp others. Perhaps the most

important step you can take tohelp children treat one another

respectfully is to model thatbehavior in your own interactionswith your students. That means

avoiding the use of sarcasm or put-downs, for example.

Advocate for your school todevelop an anti-bullying policy.Talk with your principal aboutputting an anti-bullying policy in

place or bring up the topic at astaff meeting. The policy shouldspecifically define what consti-tutes bullying, describe its impacton individuals, discuss ways ofpreventing bullying, and list agraduated series of consequencesfor those who continue to bullyothers.

Dr. Kenneth Shore is a psychologistwho has worked in public schools formore than 25 years. He is now inprivate practice and works in variousYeshivas in Lakewood, NJ. He hasauthored six books and produced abook and video series on bullying for

schools and parent organizations calledThe ABC's of Bullying Prevention. In 2001he was awarded the Peterson Prize byRutgers University, which goes to a distin-guished alumnus for “outstanding contri-butions to professional psychology.” Dr.Shore was also named School Psychologistof the Year in New Jersey for 2004. Forfurther information, go to his web site:http://drkennethshore.nprinc.com.

18 Rayonos Magazine

beyond the classroom

Despite the pervasivenessand potential seriousnessof bullying, it is a problem

that often escapes detection by teachers.One study found that only four percent of

bullying episodes wereobserved by school staff.

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Page 20: Rayonos 3.4

20 Rayonos Magazine

Shared Ideas

A collection of classroom-tested ideas for motivation and success.Your ideas are welcome: Email: [email protected].

All-about-Me BooksCreating “All-about-Me Books” is a wonderfulopportunity to build esteem in children andhelp them to identify their strengths. It canalso help students understand the importanceof diversity and respecting dif ferences.Distribute blank pages to each child. Instructthem to write the following titles on each page:“My Name Is,” “My Address Is,” “My FavoriteColor (food, sport, hobby, Music Tape, etc.) Is,”“When I Grow up I Will,” and so on. After eachpage has been titled, allow children to answerthe questions. Students can cut pictures frommagazines, draw pictures, or write answersdepending on their grade level. After books arecomplete, return to the group circle and alloweach student to share his or her book withothers. Do not force students to share.

After a child has shared the book, allow othersto ask questions about what was in it. Offerencouraging words. Point out students whohave similar likes or goals. Point out studentswho have differences and emphasize the valuein respecting these differences.

Cooperative Learning ProjectsCooperative learning projects are a creativeway to combine academic learning withsocialization and group-building skills.Rather than allowing students to form their own groups, assignstudents to groups.

For lower elementary-aged students, assign a project such as agroup book report. Instruct children to create a diorama or askit about the book. For upper elementary students, assignmore involved projects. For example, allow children to plan an

imaginary vacation. Outline the resourcesthey have available to them, including abudget. Instruct children to choose a destina-tion, plan meals, purchase supplies, and soforth. A project such as this can enhancemath and geography skills, as well as plan-ning, problem-solving, and life skills.Teachers can observe groups but should notintervene with the group process unless itbecomes too problematic. This will allow stu-dents to learn the value in working throughtheir problems, compromise, and evenarguing effectively.

Defining BullyingPrepare a list of simple scenarios to present tochildren in your class. Scenarios shoulddescribe an interaction between children thatcould be perceived either as teasing or bullying.For example, “Dovid took the basketball fromYaakov during recess and wouldn’t let him playbasketball,” or “During gym class Sarah pur-posely tripped Zehava while they were playing agame,” or “Nechama refused to allow Tikva tosit at the lunch table even though there wasplenty of room.” Create a variety of scenariosthat deal with many different problems—exclu-sion, name-calling, fighting, and so on. Readeach scenario to the group and have the chil-dren vote whether the problem described is bul-lying or harmless teasing. Encourage discussion

of each scenario. Ask questions such as, “How would that makeYaakov feel?” or “What should Tikva do in that situation?” This activ-ity is a good place to begin. It allows teachers to better understandtheir students’ perceptions of bullying.

It will also help students begin to think critically about conflict, feel-ings, bullying, and so forth.

Setting the RulesBefore starting any of

the following activities...

Before beginning any activitythat involves potentially sensi-tive material, it is important tobegin by creating rules. Havingground rules can help studentsto feel safe. Discuss possiblerules with the students who willparticipate in the activity.

Rules might include:

! No one has to talk unlessthey want to

! Respect what other peoplesay; no laughing

! One person talks at a time

Post rules in a visible placeduring any activity and encour-age students to hold oneanother accountable to therules. This prevents the teacherfrom becoming the referee ofthe activity.

PREVENTING BULLYING

Page 21: Rayonos 3.4

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Page 22: Rayonos 3.4

MYTH I:Bullies suffer from insecurity andlow self-esteem. They pick onothers to make themselves feelmore important.

THE RESEARCH:Most bullies have average or above-average self-esteem. They “suffer” fromaggressive temperaments, a lack ofempathy, and poor parenting.

—————

MYTH II:Bullies are looking for attention. Ignore them and the bullying will stop.

THE RESEARCH:Bullies are looking for control, and theyrarely stop if their behavior is ignored.The level of bullying usually increases ifthe bullying is not addressed by adults.

MYTH III:Boys will be boys.

THE RESEARCH:Bullying is seldom outgrown; it's simplyredirected. About 60 percent of boysidentified as bullies in middle schoolcommit at least one crime by the timethey are 24. In addition, bullying doneby girls is at times more cruel than thatdone by boys.

—————

MYTH IV:Children can be cruel about differences.

THE RESEARCH:Physical differences play only a verysmall role in bullying situations. Most victims are chosen because theyare sensitive, anxious, and unable toretaliate.

22 Rayonos Magazine

If teachers are to successfully prevent or eliminatebullying in their classrooms, they need to under-

stand the characteristics of bullies and their victims.According to Olweus, an organization that has beenstudying those characteristics for 30 years, much ofwhat we have always believed about bullying is wrong– consequently many of our techniques for dealingwith bullies and their victims have simply made theproblem worse. Bullies are not, the research indicates,cowardly misfits with low self-esteem. Their victimsare rarely chosen because of the color of their hair orskin or the shape of their glasses. And, perhaps mostimportantly, bullying is not a problem that will goaway without adult intervention.

Following are ten myths about bullying that Olweushas identified through his research:

10MYTHSabout

BULLYING———

Page 23: Rayonos 3.4

MYTH V:Victims of bullies need to learnto stand up for themselves anddeal with the situation.

THE RESEARCH:Victims of bullies are usually younger orphysically weaker than their attackers.They also lack the social skills to developsupportive friendships. They cannot dealwith the situation themselves.

—————

MYTH VI:Large schools or classes are conducive to bullying.

THE RESEARCH:No correlation has been establishedbetween class or school size and bully-ing. In fact, there is some evidence thatbullying may be less prevalent in largerschools where potential victims haveincreased opportunities for finding sup-portive friends.

—————

MYTH VII:Most bullying occurs off school grounds.

THE RESEARCH:Although some bullying occurs outsideof school or on the way to and fromschool, most occurs on school grounds:in classrooms, in hallways, and on play-grounds.

MYTH VIII:Bullying affects only a smallnumber of students.

THE RESEARCH:At any given time, about 25 percent of U.S.students are the victims of bullies and about20 percent are engaged in bullying behav-ior. The National Association of SchoolPsychologists estimates that 160,000 chil-dren stay home from school every daybecause they are afraid of being bullied.

—————

MYTH IX:Teachers know if bullying is aproblem in their classes.

THE RESEARCH:Bullying behavior usually takes place out ofsight of teachers. Most victims are reluc-tant to report the bullying for fear of embar-rassment or retaliation, and most bulliesdeny or justify their behavior.

—————

MYTH X:Victims of bullying need to followthe adage “Sticks and stones willbreak your bones, but names cannever harm you.”

THE RESEARCH:Victims of bullying often suffer lifelongproblems with low self-esteem. They areprone to depression, suicide, and othermental health problems throughout theirlives.

23Teaching Tips

TEACHERS ARE A DECIDING FACTOR Bullies, Olweus notes, many times, are produced in the home, shaped bya combination of factors, including lack of parental warmth and attention, poor supervision, parental modeling ofaggressive behavior, and an active and impulsive temperament on the part of the child. The victims of bullies,however, are most often created at school. “Teachers' attitudes, behaviors, and routines,” Olweus said, “play a largerole in the prevalence of bullying behavior.” Bullying is a problem that schools can — and must — control.

Page 24: Rayonos 3.4

practical teachingWritten by: Rabbi Tzvi LevineELEMENTARY SCHOOL REBBE

Providing avariety ofmethods, activities

and resources is the simplest

and fairest way to reach all

your students.

very year, teachers enter aclassroom filled with 20-30

individual students, each with theirown learning styles, interests, andabilities. Providing optimal learningfor such a diverse group can be adaunting task. However, if we recog-nize that a teacher’s essential role isguidance, and the goal is to createindependent learners, we will follow

a simple approach – one that willenable all our students to succeed.This approach is simply aboutvariety and choice.

While it is certainly necessary to maintain the structure of a classroom environment (e.g., rou-tines, rules, procedures), one canstill provide a variety of learningopportunities.

e

CreatingIndependent

Learners

24 Rayonos Magazine

CreatingIndependent

LearnersTHE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING

TOWARDS DIVERSE LEARNING NEEDS

Examples of varied learningopportunities are:

! Lectures ! PowerPoint presentations ! Inquiry-based instruction ! Hands-on experiments ! Project/problem-based

learning! Computer-aided instruction

Page 25: Rayonos 3.4

Providing variety is the simplestand fairest way to reach all your stu-dents. Firstly, when planning yourlessons, include as many of the sensesand/or Gardner’s multiple intelligences(verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical,kinesthetic, visual- spatial, musical,interpersonal, intrapersonal, and natu-ralist) as possible.

Providing a variety of activitieswill enable students of all abilitylevels to succeed.

Secondly, this approach exposesthe students to new and differentlearning styles, and enables them todevelop flexibility in their personallearning style. For although mostpeople have a learning-style prefer-ence, it doesn’t mean they mustdepend strictly on that style tolearn. They may find they are com-fortable with and able to learn fromseveral other styles as well.Therefore, such a setting actually isan aid in providing optimal learningfor all students.

There are many options andchoices of devices and resources tomake available in your classroom,

and these, too, should be varied.Since children also have preferredlearning devices, making as manykinds available as possible providesfor this diversity.

Below are some examples of areasto implement this approach:

LEARNING & REVIEWINGBesides the typical classroom

lecture, one can implement differentmethods or devices for presentinginformation, such as:

Technology hasmade available a wide rangeof resources, such as PowerPointpresentations, live video feeds, chats,and communication. PowerPoint pre-sentations are a great way to presentinformation using a mixture of audio,video, animation (movement), andtext. These presentations can also bemade available to the students via thecomputer to review at their ownpace.

PREPARATION FOR LEARNINGPre-exposure to material also aids

in learning. The more familiar stu-dents are with a subject, the moreinterest they will take in it.Therefore, a number of pre-exposurematerials, which consider the variouslearning preferences of all students,should be available to browsethrough at their leisure, in prepara-tion for a new learning unit.

MEANINGFUL LEARNINGNovelty always gets students’

attention. People naturally showinterest in things that have per-sonal value or are personally mean-ingful to them. Therefore, relatinglearning to your students’ real lifeexperiences or interests can catch

Diversity makesthe classroom

more interestingand exciting.

Teachers shouldhonor and respect

the uniqueness of each student

by offering variety and choice

in their classrooms.

25Practical Teaching

Embed several activitieswithin your lessons, such as:

! Songs! Games! Experiments! Field trips! Real world experiences! Interviews! Guest speakers! Physical movement/exercise ! Small group or individual

activities! Partner activities! Cooking/food/snacks! Hands-on experiences

Various methods and devicesfor teaching:

! Audio (songs, speeches,interviews, etc.)

! Video ! Books ! Posters! Hands-on manipulatives! Food and smells

Some learning-prep materials are:

! Monthly calendars that listthe upcoming themes

! Books! Appropriate Magazines! Maps! Computer software! Manipulatives! Posters

Page 26: Rayonos 3.4

practical teachingand keep their atten-

tion. “Shock” them withan unusual sound, experiment,video, song, etc. Gain their atten-tion at the beginning of a unit bypresenting them with an idea, aproblem, or a project that relates totheir real world. Issues such asenvironmental problems, problemswith long lines in the cafeteria,designing the perfect playground,planning a field trip within thebudget, local traffic issues, etc. canall be considered. Making learningmeaningful, relevant, and interest-ing to your students not only gainstheir initial attention, but keeps itthroughout the lesson.

BIO-COGNITIVE LEARNINGNot only do students have

diverse learning styles, but varyingbio-cognitive cycles as well. Somestudents learn best in the morning,some in the afternoon. Therefore,having a flexible classroom schedulecan provide for these differences.Also, varying the times and types ofassessments can give all students afair chance of showing their trueabilities.

EMPOWERED LEARNING

When applicable, offer studentschoices in activities and assessments.This gives them opportunities toshowcase their individual talents,and is also an asset to classroommanagement. Students who are con-

stantly dictated to, with no voice orchoice, can grow resentful anduncooperative. It is beneficial tooffer a variety of classroom activitiesto choose from during structuredand unstructured times. Assign proj-ects such as posters, PowerPointpresentations, reports, interviews,videos, brochures, etc. to choosefrom when assessing their knowl-edge. These will give them a sense

of empowerment over their learning,and can aid them in deciding whatlearning styles and assessmentswork best for them, thus helpingthem become more responsible fortheir own learning.

It would be a pretty boringworld if all learners were the same.

Diversity makes the classroom moreinteresting and exciting. Teachersshould honor and respect theuniqueness of each student byoffering variety and choice in theirclassrooms. Not only will thisaddress the diverse needs of thestudents, but it will help thembecome independent learners aswell. Which, after all, is the goal ofeducation!

26 Rayonos Magazine

It would be a pretty boring world if all learners were the same.

Offering students choices in activities and assess-ments gives them opportunities to showcase theirindividual talents and a sense of empowermentover their learning, thus helping them becomemore responsible for their own learning.

Page 27: Rayonos 3.4

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30 Rayonos Magazine

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ufi vufhj nscrh ra''h cxpr ngrfh kc jke rtaui s; f''y)uvu''s cash jns ngrf, rta vabv xhni c' tu, h''z( dch nvabvdu vguko khyuk afr gk ,ehg, aupr uvut txur khyukafr gk ehuo vnmuuv uvx,pe cscrh vpuxeho saeku uyruchv nauo afr ac, unsug kt f,cu stxur nauo afrnmuuv/

ufi f,c rchbu gucshv ncryburt ctcu, pre t' nabv u' gkvt sth,t ao gav kl rc uebv kl jcr f,c kpra ssuuetcjr tnru ebv kl jcr anu,r kpzr gk zv nnui rc tck crctnru gav kl rc sthi ahhl kunr ebv kl rc avrc mrhlkknsu cjbo/

uf''f cau''g vrc ceubyrx tjrui tu, z' spauy snv atnrunv tbh cjbo kt nhhrh re ckhnus v,urv tkt cfk vnmuu,vnuyku, gk vtso kgau,o vshi fi ajhhc kgau,o cjbo/ufi f,c do cau''g vrc vkfu, gsu, xgh; j' stxur khyukafr khkl ukvghs avrh vut njuhc czv ni v,urv utxurkhyuk afr gk ehuo vnmuu,/

tnbo ghhi cau'', ,ac''. jke t' xhni en''v dch afrvshhbho svcht vrcv scrho anu,r khyuk gkhvo afr fduivt stnru cpre c,rt sf,ucu, s; e''v/ t''r hvust t''rtxh duzrh dzhru, achruakho vhu buykgi afri ,agho u,agnbv n,run, vkafv kt rmu nuxhphi kvo kt rmu tyucrahgh gxehbi tkt kt xpeu tg''p akt rmu nuxhphi gkhvi/gf''k/

fkunr tg''p ansrl jxhsu, thbi rmhi khyuk fsh xpenuxhphi kvo khyuk nfkk hartk tck khyuk nvcgkh shbhifactho kshi kpbhu ha czv pbho ato vut buyk tdr cyk,u

nnktf,u uvht cykv snufj arh kdnrh/

ufi kgbhi kknus d''f tnrhbi v,o s; e''u ,''j vnknshivkfu, enhmv kfvbho buykhi afri n,run, vkafv/

ucpre thi chi vnusr s; k''d abhbu vnusr vbtv njchru auekku t, aeku udu' uao kv: th,t unknsu nsra vkfu, utdsu,/phruanauo skt nvbh khv nhsh atxur khyuk nvi afrsf,hc utu,h muv cg, vvht kkns t,fo jeho unapyhoftar mubh v' tkeh nv tbh cjbo t; t,o cjbo vfh nprahbikv cdnrt bs; k''z/ u,bi kt hknsbu nert/ uprfh' cdn' ao s;k''u: n''a nert nnabv u,rnhbi )k''z/( rc tnr afr anur udu'ur' hujbi tnr afr phxue ygnho/ fkunr atg''p atxurkhyuk afr nvkhnus afr yurj ahnur tu phxueh ygnho nu,rathbu jhhc kanru ukt kknsu vygnho upxuei sktu sturhh,tbhbvu fsth,t v,o/ gf,''s/

ukgbhi vnmuu, bnh tnrhbi cp' vtha nesa s; b''j: sktnh,xr tkt afr gahh, vnmuv tck afr yrju kt stnrhbiv,o tn,bhi scfuru, spre gs fnv )f''y/( s,bi v,o vbuykafru ksui shbhu cykho kvghs gsu,u cykv kvzu, ukesanhnhu nh ngrv utpru tpr nekv uto vhv fvi uyntvun,run,u ntfhku unaevu uxfu uto vhv zei nrfhcu gk vjnurubu,i ku afru fpugk cyk/

utnrhbi gkv cdnrt cpre vtha nesa )ao( ssuet afrvztv usua txur tck afr vctv unhkuh arh av,urv ktvyhkv gk fvi tkt vztv uehsua to vhu vtpr uvnho nufbhotck ahyrj kvcht tpr uknkt, nho avo nfahrh nmuv ktufi bnh to cyku nnkf,u bu,i ku afru fs,bi )cfuru, ao(ubu,i ku afru fpugk cyk unprahbi cdnrt scfuru, )ao g''c(fpugk ak tu,v nktfv/

ufcr ph' r''j z''k urh''; z''k cgbhi tjs ura''h ph' cgbhi tjrfnu avcht vrnc''i z''k phruahvi cjhsuahu cp' thzvu bal uthizv neunu/

vvnal hctuw cg''vw chrji vct / / /

bgrl kzfr ban,:vrc pbjx zgkhd ci vrc cbhnhi vfvi

Page 31: Rayonos 3.4

31Hilchos Melamdim

vhv nbvd cghr akuej nkns ,hbueu, afr jhhc kknsu cafr

t/ ngher vshi nu,r kkns cafr fncutr cdnrt cnxf,bsrho s; ku: uao kz/ uz''k nknsu nsra vkfu, utdsu, tckkt hknsbu nert nert n''y kt hknsbu nauo senvbh khvnsra bnh senvbh khv tnr anutk cneuo abuykhi afr gkvnert uthi buykhi afr gk vnsra nth pxet vt en''kstphku cneuo abuykhi afrw gk vnert arh knaek gkvnsra kt arh knaek nth abt nsra skt f,hc )scrhos'( utu,h muc v' cg, vvht kkns t,fo uf,hc )ao( rtvkns,h t,fo jueho unapyho ftar mubh v' nv tbh cjbo t;t,o cjbo rc tnr afr ahnur urch hujbi tnr afr phxueygnho/ gf''k/ ufghi zv th,t bnh cscrh vdnrt ccfuru, s;fy/ ucra''h ao ghh''a/

ucr''i cbsrho ao f,c uz''k brtv cghbh sv''p nshbt nu,rkhyuk afr gk vnert ukt gk vnsra fsnpra utzhk nhvuha nwunu, anjnhrhi gk gmno akt khyuk afr tphku gkvnert fsh akt hct khyuk ni vnsra uctu,i neunu, tphkunert hfuk kknsu avrh nfhui avjnhru gk gmni knmuv thbirathi khyuk afr uvuv khv nert fnsra kfk vneunu,tkt sn,bh' n,uent cneuo abuykhi afr gk vnert fkunrakt vjnhru gk gmni utphku ctu,u neuo gk vnert suetvut sarh knaek una''v kt hknsbu sfhui sbuykhi gkhv afrto nknsu cjbo bnmt nvbvu tck gk vnsra kt arhknaek snshbv txur fsnpra utzhk vkfl fh nknsu nsracjbo kt nvbh khv ukt nhsh stdrt khv njhhc chv ukhnusduphv bnh ktu vbtv vut snmu, ktu khvbu, b,bu/ gf''k/

ufi pxe vrnc''o cpre t' nvkfu, ,knus ,urv vkfv z' ufipxe au''g keni xhni rn''u xgh; v' uz''k neuo abvdu kkns,urv acf,c cafr nu,r kkns cafr tck ,urv acgk pv

vkfu, nknshoihhyaburc ktrah wr ,tn oav ,ftkn rpxn ohgye

xgh; u':vhv nbvd cghr akuej nkns ,hbueu, afr jhhc kknsu cafr gs ahert,urv acf,c fukv uthbu jhhc kknsu cafr nabv udnrt uvbh nhkh skt tparssjhet khv ag,t tck to tpar khv nmuv ktdnurhv nabv udnrt vkfu, utdsu,/

txur kkns cafr ufu' unc abvdu vthsbt kkns vfk cafrto thi kt cnv kv,prbx arh utphku ha ku to vut afrcykv snufj anbhj fk gxehu unatu un,bu arh )ufk jhsuahxuprho svhbbi nv ab,ei nsrcbi nu,r khyuk afrkknsu()vdvu, nhhnubh p''t(/ gf''k/

ufi pxe vrnc''o do cpre u' nvkfu, bsrho vkfv z' dch nusrvbtv njchru uz''k unknsu ,urv acgk pv avrh txur khyukgkhv afr tck kt ,urv acf,c abuykhi gkhv afr uto thisrfo ao khyuk afr gk v,urv acf,c vrh zv nu,r uchi fluchi fl nu,r kkns t, cbu/ gf''k/

ukfturv fk vhhbh ahhft kygo snu,r khyuk afr nauo phxueygnho stz ha neunu, atuxrho nert tyu nsra tck kngistnr sfk ygo vvh,r vut nauo afr ahnr kfturv thikjke cnbvdh vneunu,/

tnbo tpar kunr skfturv ntjr uthbu ,ebv tkt nbvd tofi aphr ha ktxur ant cneuo tjr heju afr gk gmovkhnus/

ughhi kghk cxgh; s' to vut sjhhc vtc kknsu cafr vut jhucnsturhh,t tu nsrcbi/

c/ vbv h,ctr sbrtv pauy stxur khyuk afr kehho nmuuvafi th,t cdnrt cnxf, bsrho s; ku: uccfuru, fy/ rtvkns,h t,fo jueho unapyho ftar mubh v' nv tbh cjbo t;t,o cjbo/ upra''h ccfuru, ao uz''k nbt vbh nhkh sthibuykhi afr gk vurtv u,knus ,urv ufu'/ gf''k/

ucesuahi s; bj: f,c ra''h cs''v cafr vctv uz''k uafrkhnus nmuv vut buyk uv,urv tnrv rtv kns,h t,fo udu'

Page 32: Rayonos 3.4

specialized educationBased on an article published in the ERIC Digest by: James T. WebbReviewed by: Rabbi A.H. Fried Ph.D.

Differentiatingbetween

behaviors associated with

giftedness, which are alsocharacteristic

of ADHD, is not easy.

vi’s teachers say he just isn’tworking up to his ability. He

doesn’t finish his assignments, or justputs down answers without showing hiswork; his handwriting and spelling arepoor. He fidgets in class, talks to others,and often disrupts by interruptingothers. He used to shout out the answersto the teachers’ questions (they wereusually right), but now he daydreams alot and seems distracted.

Does Avi have Attention DeficitHyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), ishe gifted, or both?

As interest in and acceptance ofADHD has grown within the field ofeducation, a number of children withvarious behavioral and/or learningissues have been classified inaccuratelywith ADHD. Bright children in partic-ular have fallen under this misnomer,for just as a severely learning-disabledchild does not learn in the samemanner as his peers, an extremelyadvanced child may not respond tothe classroom in a typical fashion.Because they exhibit some behaviorscommonly associated with ADHD,

(such as restlessness, inattention,impulsivity, high activity level, day-dreaming), such children are fre-quently referred to psychologists orpediatricians for a proper diagnosis.

The Diagnostic and StatisticalManual of Mental Disorders lists 14characteristics found in children diag-nosed with ADHD. To meet the criteriafor such a diagnosis, at least 8 of thesecharacteristics must be present, theymust have been present for a span ofat least six months, and their onsetmust have occurred before age 7.

a

IS IT

ADHDOR IS THIS A

Gifted Child?

32 Rayonos Magazine

Page 33: Rayonos 3.4

Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat(in adolescents may be limited to subjective feelingsof restlessness).

Has difficulty remaining seated when required to.

Is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli.

Has difficulty waiting turns in games or group situations.

Often blurts out answers to questions before theyhave been completed.

Has difficulty following through on instructions fromothers (not due to oppositional behavior or failure ofcomprehension).

Has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or playactivities.

Often shifts from one uncompleted activity toanother.

Has difficulty playing quietly.

Often talks excessively.

Often interrupts or intrudes on others, e.g., buttsinto other people’s games.

Often does not seem to listen to what is being saidto him or her.

Often loses things necessary for tasks or activities atschool or at home (e.g., toys, pencils, books).

Often engages in physically dangerous activitieswithout considering possible consequences (not forthe purpose of thrill-seeking), e.g., runs into streetwithout looking.

14

13

12

11

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

33Specialized Education

DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDERNote: DSM-III-R Diagnostic Criteria For Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder reprinted with permission from the “Diagnosticand Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” Third Edition, Revised, Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 1987.

The difficulty lies in that almost all these behaviorsmight be found in bright, talented, creative, gifted chil-dren. Until now, little attention has been given to the simi-larities and differences between the two groups, thusraising the potential for misidentification in both areas --giftedness and ADHD.

Since professionals sometimes base a diagnosis ofADHD on parent or teacher descriptions of the child'sbehaviors, along with a brief observation of the child, theissue becomes more complicated. Brief screening ques-tionnaires may give more clarity to the diagnosis, but

these questionnaires only quantify the parents’ or teachers’descriptions of the behaviors (Parker, 1992). Childrenwho are fortunate enough to receive a thorough physicalevaluation (which includes screening for allergies andother metabolic disorders) and extensive psychologicalevaluations, (which include assessment of intelligence,achievement, and emotional status), stand a better chanceof being accurately identified. The child may have ADHD.Or he may be gifted. Or he may be gifted and haveADHD. Without a thorough professional evaluation, it isdifficult to tell.

BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH ADHD (BARKLEY, 1990)

Poorly sustained attention in almost all situationsDiminished persistence on tasks not having immediate consequencesImpulsivity, poor delay of gratificationImpaired adherence to commands to regulate orinhibit behavior in social contextsMore active, restless than normal childrenDifficulty adhering to rules and regulations

BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH GIFTEDNESS (WEBB, 1993)

Poor attention, boredom, daydreaming in specific situationsLow tolerance for persistence on tasks that seem irrelevantJudgment lags behind development of intellectIntensity may lead to power struggles with authoritiesHigh activity level; may need less sleepQuestions rules, customs and traditions6

5

4

3

2

1

6

5

4

3

2

1

WHAT DISTINGUISHES ADHD FROM GIFTEDNESS??Differentiating between behaviors associated with giftedness, which are also characteristic of ADHD, is not easy, as

the following parallel lists show:

Page 34: Rayonos 3.4

specialized educationExamining the parallels of

the two lists shown above, one can seethat the gifted child’s responses indi-cate specificity as opposed to the ran-domness of the ADHD child’sbehavior. The ADHD child seems tobe in a continuous mode of inat-tention and distraction, while thegifted child seems to be reacting toa situation. Therefore, one must bevigilant in making clear observa-tions during an incident of prob-lematic behavior. He/She mustconsider the situation and thesetting of each incident carefully.

Gifted children typically do notexhibit problems in all situations.For example, they may be viewedas ADHD-like by one classroomteacher, but not by another; or theymay be perceived as ADHD atschool, but not by their scoutleader or music teacher. Closeexamination of the troublesome sit-uation generally reveals otherfactors that are prompting theproblem behaviors.

Children with ADHD, by con-trast, typically exhibit problembehaviors in virtually all settings“including at home and at school”,though the extent of their problembehaviors may fluctuate signifi-cantly from setting to setting(Barkley, 1990). That is, the behav-iors exist in all settings, but are moreof a problem in some settings than inothers. This creates an area of confu-sion, since the degree of the problem-atic behavior depends largely on thestructure of each situation. Thus,while it can be ignored in one setting,it is unmanageable in another. Beloware described some areas of concern,and the differences to look for whenpresenting evidence for an evaluation.

In the classroom, a gifted child’sperceived inability to stay on task islikely to be related to boredom, cur-riculum, mismatched learning style, orother environmental factors. Giftedchildren may spend from one-fourth

to one-half of their regular classroomtime waiting for others to catch up --even longer if they are in a heteroge-neously grouped class. Their specificlevel of academic achievement is oftentwo to four grade levels above theiractual grade placement. Such childrenoften respond to non-challenging orslow-moving classroom situations by“off-task” behavior, disruptions, orother attempts at self-amusement.

This use of extra time is often thecause of the referral for an ADHDevaluation. 4 It must be noted thatwhen a gifted child occupies himselfwith something of more interest tohim than the lesson, he may “tune

out” or withdraw from the class,and thus perform poorly whentested on the material. Such a sce-nario tends to reinforce theassumption of ADHD as theculprit.

Briefly, the disruptions of ADHDchildren are random; the gifted child’sare the result of “time on his hands”

HYPERACTIVITYHyperactive is a word often

used to describe gifted children aswell as children with ADHD.However, while children withADHD have a high activity level,this activity level will generally bemanifest in all situations (Barkley,1990). The child who is hyperac-tive has a very brief attention spanin virtually every situation (exceptwhen involved with television orcomputer games, which flash newimages continually).

Many gifted children, too, arehighly active: as many as one-fourth may require less sleepthan the average child. However,their activity is generally focused

and directed (Clark, 1992; Webb,Meckstroth, & Tolan, 1982). Giftedchildren can concentrate comfort-ably for long periods on tasks thatinterest them, and do not requireimmediate completion of those tasksor immediate consequences. Theintensity of their concentration oftenpermits them to spend long periodsof time and much energy focusingon whatever truly interests them.

34 Rayonos Magazine

Determining whether a childhas ADHD is particularly

difficult to diagnose whenthe child is actually gifted.Careful consideration andappropriate professionalevaluation are necessarybefore concluding that abright, creative, intense

youngster has ADHD.

HOW CAN ADMINISTRATORS/TEACHERS RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENCE?

Page 35: Rayonos 3.4

However, since their specific inter-ests may not coincide with thedesires and expectations of teachersor parents, their subsequent behav-ior may result in a referral for anADHD evaluation.

In short, the activities of childrenwith ADHD tend to be both continualand random; the gifted child’s activityusually is episodic and directed to spe-cific goals.

PERFORMANCE CONSISTENCYOne characteristic of ADHD that

does not have a counterpart in chil-dren who are gifted is variability oftask performance. In almost everysetting, children with ADHD tend tobe highly inconsistent in the quality oftheir performance and the amount oftime used to accomplish tasks(Barkley, 1990). For example, thechild’s grades within a single subjectmay fluctuate erratically. Or a childwho has accomplished a task patientlyand properly in one instance, mayexhibit difficulty with the identicaltask in a second instance.

Gifted children routinely maintainconsistent efforts and high grades inclasses where they like the teacherand/or are intellectually challenged,although they may resist some aspectsof the work, particularly repetition oftasks perceived as dull. Some giftedchildren may become intenselyfocused and determined to produce aproduct that meets their self-imposedstandards (an aspect of their intensity).

In brief, the ADHD child’s perform-ance is inconsistent; the gifted child per-forms deliberately.

FOLLOWING RULES & STRUCTURE

Difficulty with and adherence torules and regulations has only begunto be accepted as a sign of ADHD(Barkley, 1990). However, this appar-

ent resistance occurs sporadically, thechild accepting a rule at one time,rejecting it at another, or followingpart of an order, then balking beforeit’s complete. This follows the patternof inconsistent performance describedabove, and does not indicate rebel-liousness.

Gifted children have questioningand challenging minds, and are oftenirritated by norms that seem wastefulor boring to them. They may activelyquestion rules, customs, and tradi-tions. They can sometimes create theirown set of complex rules, which theyexpect others to respect or obey. Someengage in power struggles. Thesebehaviors can cause discomfort forparents, teachers, and peers.

In short, the ADHD child’s resistanceis sporadic; the gifted child resists inten-tionally.

WHAT TEACHERS ANDPARENTS SHOULD DO

Determining whether a child hasADHD is particularly difficult to diag-nose when the child is actually gifted.Careful consideration and appropriateprofessional evaluation are necessarybefore concluding that a bright, cre-ative, intense youngster such as Avihas ADHD. However, since giftednessis often neglected in professionaldevelopment programs, very few pro-fessionals have had much-if any-train-ing in recognizing the characteristicsof gifted/talented children (Webb,1993).

Therefore, parents and teachersmust not hesitate to raise the possibil-ity of giftedness with any professionalwho is evaluating the child for ADHD.They must insist on the application ofmany instruments, including intelli-gence tests, achievement tests, andpersonality tests, as well as parent andteacher rating scales. These will givethe professional a broader spectrum of

the child’s behavior,and help him determinethe subtle differencesbetween ADHD and giftedness.An individual evaluation, whichallows the professional to establishmaximum rapport with the child, ismost beneficial for ensuring the child’sbest effort on the tests.

Each test plays a specific role inthe evaluation. Portions of the intellec-tual and achievement tests demon-strate attention problems or learningdisabilities. Personality tests aredesigned to reveal the possible pres-ence of emotional problems (e.g.,depression or anxiety), which couldbe causing the problem behaviors.Since the test situation is constant, ithelps the professional make bettercomparisons among children.

After an evaluation has beenmade, appropriate curricular andinstructional modifications must becreated to meet the child’s specificneeds. It must account for advancedknowledge, diverse learning styles, andvarious types of intelligence. It is timeto take the bull by the horns-and outof the china shop!-and offer our manygifted children the space and the mate-rials to help them experience thenatural joy they take from learning.

35Specialized Education

REFERENCES

American Psychiatric Association (1987). “Diagnosticand statistical manual of mental disorders,” Thirdedition, revised. Washington, DC.

Barkley, R. A. (1990). “Attention deficit hyperactivitydisorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment.”Guilford Press: New York.

Clark, B. (1992). “Growing up gifted.” Macmillan:New York.

Parker, H. C. (1992). “The ADD hyperactivity hand-book for schools.” Plantation, FL: Impact Publications.

Webb, J. T. (1993). “Nurturing social-emotional devel-opment of gifted children.” In K. A. Heller, F. J. Monks,and A. H. Passow (Eds.), “International Handbook forResearch on Giftedness and Talent,” pp. 525-538.Oxford: Pergamon Press.

Webb, J. T., Meckstroth, E. A., and Tolan, S. S. (1982).“Guiding the gifted child: A practical source for parentsand teachers.” Dayton: Ohio Psychology Press.

Page 36: Rayonos 3.4

36 Rayonos Magazine

Let’sTALKLet’sTALK education forum

Dear Teachers,

When is it proper to call home?

On one hand, keeping the lines of communication open between schooland home should pave the way for a more successful school year for ourstudents. Surely the needs of the students can be met more fully whenparents and teachers are sharing the experiences they have with the chil-dren in the home and classroom. Also, having established a generalrapport with the parent makes it easy to pass along a compliment whenthe child has met a goal. The subsequent positive reinforcement from thehome can only prolong his/her success. And of course, when a child hasmisbehaved, there is less unease in nipping the undesirable behavior inthe bud via a quick phone call. The joint efforts of parent and teacher willredirect the child immediately, and help him/her reach behavioral goalssooner.

On the other hand, familiar communication between teachers and parentsoften produces a negative effect. The student may be uncomfortable withany camaraderie between these two authorities in his life. He may con-sider home and school as two separate entities, and view the phone callas a breach of trust, or as an unwarranted consequence. Many studentsconsider it unfair to involve their parents in a “private” issue between thetwo of you. Many teachers experience a “distant feeling” from studentsafter they have called their home. Is it worth it?

Many teachers are torn on this subject. Different teachers have differentapproaches toward contacting a parent. What are yours?

WHEN IS I T PROPER TO CALL HOME?

Led by: Rabbi Yitzchak MerkinDEAN, YESHIVA OF GREATER WASHINGTON

Please send your comments to:

Rayonos Magazine1328 V IRGINIA STREET

FAR ROCKAWAY, NY 11691

FAX: 718-228 -5602

EMAIL:[email protected]

Please share anyideas or suggestions

you may have.

Page 37: Rayonos 3.4

37Education Forum

Let’sTALKLet’sTALK readers respond

LAST MONTH, THE EDUCATION FORUM POSED THE QUESTION,CAN WE COMBAT BULLYING IN SCHOOL?

BELOW IS A SAMPLING FROM SOME OF OUR READERS’ REMARKS.

PARENTS:

1. Encourage your child to share problems withyou with the assurance that it is not tattling.

2. Praise and encourage your child – a confidentchild is less likely to be bullied.

3. Help your child develop new friendships – newpeers can provide a new chance.

4. Maintain contact with your child's school.Keep a detailed record of bullying episodesand communication with the school.

5. Encourage your child to participate insports or physical activity to improveesteem.

SCHOOLS:

1. Establish a bullying preven-tion committee.

2. Create a long-term anti-bullyingplan and raise school and community aware-ness and involvement.

3. Use student surveys to determine if there is abullying problem.

4. Involve parents in planning, discussions andaction plans.

5. Establish classroom rules against bullying.

6. Create positive and negative consequencesregarding bullying.

7. Initiate serious talks with bullies andvictims of bullying.

L.B.

Dear Rayonos,Kudos to you for your topic of discussion inlast issue's Let's Talk. As a parent andeducator, I find myself many times on bothends of the stick. I often find myself havingno patience for bullies now that I've comeinto contact with this pain experienced bymy own children. Recently, my fellow teach-ers came up with a small brochure that wehanded out to the student and parent-bodyof our school. The administration agreed topublish it because they wanted to demon-strate to the community that we would beaccountable.

Bullying Prevention Tips

STUDENTS:

1. If bullied, tell your parents. Telling is nottattling.

2. Tell a trusted teacher, counselor, princi-pal, or have your parents talk to theschool.

3. Do not retaliate or get angry.

4. Respond evenly and firmly or say nothingand walk away.

5. Develop friendships and stick up foreach other.

6. Act confident.

7. Take a different route to and fromschool.

8. Avoid unsupervised areas of school.

9. Do not bring expensive items to school.

Page 38: Rayonos 3.4

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Miami Beach FLNorth Miami Beach FLAtlanta GAAugusta GASavannah GAHonolulu HADes Moines IAPostville IABoise IDChicago ILSkokie ILIndianapolis INMishawaka INSouth Bend INLawrence KSOverland KSTopeka KSLouisville KYMetairie LABrighton MABrookline MALongmeadow MALowell MANewton Centre MASharon MAStoughton MAWorcester MABaltimore MDColumbia MDGaithersburg MDOwings Mills MDRockville MDSilver Spring MDPortland MEFlint MIGrand Rapids MIOak Park MISouthfield MIMiineapolis MNSt. Louis Park MNSt. Paul MN

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!"THE PIRKEI AVOS TREASURYThis magnificent anthology includes insights and anecdotes. Commen-tary by Rabbi Moshe Lieber. Overview by Rabbi Nosson Scherman.Available in a one-volume 8!” x 11” gift size, and in a 3-vol. slip-cased gift edition: 4”x 6” size.

!THE BIRNBAUM EDITION

PIRKEI AVOS TEACHINGS FOR OUR TIMESBy Rabbi Berel Wein. A noted historian, Rabbi Wein liberally punc-tuates his commentary with enlightening historical references and demonstrates his firm understanding of our era. 8!” x 11” coffee-table size edition, head-gilded

!"SFORNO ON AVOSRabbi Ovadia Sforno's Commentary on Avos now available in Hebrew and English. By Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz.

!VISIONS OF THE FATHERSRabbi Abraham J. Twerski, MD focuses on what the Sages say to us in our daily lives. He illustrates his thoughts beautifully with anecdotes from his own experience and from the rich archives of chassidic lore.

!"THE ILLUMINATED PIRKEI AVOS Illumination, calligraphy, full-color presentation, commentary, and insights: 8!” X 11” page size. By Rabbi Yonah Weinrib. Available in both regular binding and leather-bound gift editions !"YOUTH PIRKEI AVOS

Translation and commentary by Rabbi Avie Gold. 8!” X 11”page size, full-color illustrations, with a simplified translation andcommentary.

!"THE SCHOTTENSTEININTERLINEAR PIRKEI AVOS

!"RAV LAU ON PIRKEI AVOSAdapted from Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau multi-volume Yachel Yisrael on Pirkei Avos. by Yaakov Dovid Shulman.

!"PIRKEI AVOSAnnotated by Rabbi Meir ZlotowitzAlso available in a pocket-size Edition including Grace AfterMeals and Sheva Berachos.

!IDEAS AND INSIGHTS OF THE SFAS EMESand other Chassidic Masters on Pirkei Avos. Edited by Rabbi Yosef Stern

!MAHARAL OF PRAGUERabbi Tuvia Basser extracts and clarifies many of the complex ideas found in Derech Chaim, Maharal’s commentary to Avos.

All Artscroll Pirkei Avos Volumes contain the full Hebrew text of Pirkei Avos,a contemporary translation as described below.

!rtScroll Classics on"irkei!vos

Available at your local Hebrew bookseller or at www.artscroll.com