It’s Anti Bullying Week this week, 11-17th November, but what does that mean for the classroom teacher who sees their students one period, maybe less than an hour a week? Or even the supply teacher teaching new students for the first and perhaps last time?
With the pressures of modern day classroom teaching and the ever increasing amount of curriculum content to deliver; we might not feel we have the time to give to an initiative like ABW, or we might feel that it’s not ‘our department’ to deliver these aspects of Citizenship in our normal subject lessons.
But take the time to invest in these charitable days, these awareness events, and you will see that the students respond well to the humanity, and the soft skills they develop are there long after the event itself.
When planning your sessions this week, see how you can incorporate the message of Anti Bullying Week into them. We don’t have to ignore our content, but with imaginative and considered planning, actually bring our curriculum to life by placing it in a real world context.
Maths?
Bullying surveys, statistics and graphs.
Science?
The biology of loneliness
Art and Design?
Create that poster or that logo, construct that sculpture to symbolise the AntiBully drive
Food Tech?
Comfort food
French?
Anti Bullying Tweets
English?
Poems for wellbeing; or take a look at the book ‘Wonder’ for a heart-warming story of standing up to bullies.
The list goes on. There are lots of resources here:
https://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/anti-bullying-week/anti-bullying-week-2019-change-starts-us
http://www.antibullyingweek.co.uk/
And why stop there? Linking your curriculum to real world gives the students a reason to learn and a context to apply their new knowledge. Next week why not do a follow up? Or look into the work of a local charity?
Here there are tonnes of days and initiatives to lean on in your learning, to pillage for your planning.
https://www.awarenessdays.com/
http://www.un.org/en/sections/observances/united-nations-observances/index.html
Look at some of these in your lessons and you will see engaged and inspired students, improved behaviour and relationships and deeper learning.
Shouldn’t every week be Anti Bullying Week?
