Bedlam’s assistant principal, J. Hilliard, was known for neither restraint nor reflection. He tended to either quietly observe everything with a suspicious look, or pound the table repeatedly to make a point to which he was deeply committed. In this case, he was definitely exhibiting the latter tendency. The setting was the after-school meeting of […]
John Walcott introduced the conversation with the following: In discussions of how to combat, or avoid, bullying, the importance of community is often discussed. As teachers, we know it is important to build a classroom community that facilitates learning, helps students feel welcome and secure, and—to the extent that this is possible—reflects and builds the […]
“He’s bullying me,” I hear in the hallway, and when I look over my shoulder, I see two boys who are obviously friends, both with smiles on their faces, playing with each other. I know from watching them that this not a situation qualifying for a referral, even though we have a short conversation about […]
It is the middle of July and prospective parents are discussing with me and a board member why they desire to have their son attend Calvin Christian School. It is moving to hear their testimony about how God has been leading them to this point. This is one of the most rewarding parts of my […]
I was in a store looking to purchase a jacket the other day, and as conversation developed, the salesperson helping me learned that I am an educator. His parting advice to me was, “You do great work; now make sure you do something about bullying. It’s a big problem.” He was, no doubt, struggling […]
We all know the story. Jesus standing next to the woman caught in adultery, looking at the circle of leaders granting them permission to cast the first stone. And they gradually all leave, “the older ones first” (John 8:9). Denise teaches a difficult class of grade 2 students. Owen is by far the most […]
There is a child in your class with her head down on the table. She rarely makes eye contact, but rather glances to the side to check who is in her periphery. Smiles are fleeting. Another girl has been “fired” by her friends and she doesn’t know why. These former friends share private information […]
Dr. Bill Boerman-Cornell and two of his students at Trinity Christian College, Matt Mulder and Kaitlyn Manning, asked other Trinity students for stories of bullying. The following paragraphs are some of the responses they got. “I remember when I was in middle school, I was a new kid (coming into a Christian school from […]
The issue of bullying has become a major area of discussion in schools, especially in light of our growing awareness of the intense injury that stems from bullying. There have been far too frequent reports of suicides and retaliatory violence in school settings that seem to be responses to bullying. In one sense, bullying has […]
When I was eleven years old, my morning walks to the bus stop were filled with trepidation. Depending on her mood, my bully greeted me either with a false smile and cold shoulder or an arsenal of nuclear insults and physical threats. A favorite in her armory was to assert that her lackey, Jenny, […]