Figure 1.--A teacher from one day to the next is never quite sure of the kinds of behavior they will encunter in the class room.
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Figure 1.--A teacher from one day to the next is never quite sure of the kinds of behavior they will encunter in the class room. |
The school day is a kalidescope of behavior. The children are polite, cheeky, rude, funny, cooperative, obstinate, curious, bored, active, daydreaming, and points in between. Have a look here at some of those behaviors.
Ben Walker: courtesy in the playground
A number of Year 6 children: At the Year 7 (2000) Entrance Tests completed on Thursday last week willingly chatting to children from other schools during the morning tea break.
Middleton Grange, 1999
Kerian
The school and staff try very hard to keep abreast of issues within the the school. A whole school focus day involving all staff and students, was held two
weeks ago on this issue of bullying. Girls are involved as much as boys and the destructive cycle involved in bullying is incredibly difficult to break down. Teaching students
skills to deal with bullying and teaching a whole group to take some ownership and not just turn a blind eye, are two areas where positive growth can be seen. I've included
a reading for parents at the end of this newsletter. Also this issue has nationwide focus, in our 'Links' page you will find a link to NO BULLY (sponsored by NZ Police and
Telecom) which is definitely worth a look at.
On November 5 we hold an in school Anti Bullying day. Bullying is an ongoing issue in schools and all children have the right to a safe
and secure school environment. As with other schools we endeavour to combat bullying and prepare students in ways that can assist them deal with such situations.
It is a fact that bullying escalates through childhood and preadolescent years ( 10 - 13 ) is a time when bullying peaks. Studies show it gradually disappears for the
majority of persons into adolescence and young adulthood.
So, at the Year 7 , 8 and 9 stage of schooling, bullying can be a big issue and some students fall into the trap of being bullies, many students passively look on and some are victims. We spend a considerable amount of time in self esteem, personal growth and health areas in curriculum and it is through these avenues we work against bullying. I have attached a parents flyer with this newsletter which covers teasing and I hope it is useful reading for all parents.
Greymouth Junior High School
We visited school classrroms all over New Zealand. Teachers had all kinds of different approaches. And the children had a wide range of backgrounds. Most of the children were polite and well behaved and serious engaged in their school work. We were especially strucj by the younger children who often were fully involved in class projects. The level of concentration was phonominal. We noticed some classes, mostly in the state secondary sector that were not all thar engaged in their work. In a few cases the teachers seemed to have rather given up on them. In some cases the youths behaved rudely with seeming impunity. This was a particular problem in the students streamed into involved in non-academic classes.
