How would a teacher approach the subject of "Bullying?"

Bully (noun) = a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people. (dictionary.com)
Bully (verb) = to act the bully toward; intimidate; domineer. (dictionary.com)

Even though some parents and teachers may not think that bullying is an issue in "their" school, it is a problem that students and children face everyday.  Bully can take many forms.  It doesn't  have to be physical.  Kids are using the internet to bully and also using their cell phones to bully.  There are two different categories of bullying.  The first category is direct bullying.  Direct bullying is what most people would think of when they think of bullying.  It is a physical type in which a bully or group of bullies may beat up or physically hurt another person.  The second type of bullying is indirect bullying.  This type is not as easy to understand.  Indirect bullying could be gossiping about someone, or sending very mean text messages to someone.  It could even mean sending messages over the internet that are just cruel.  Since I plan on being a teacher in the next year or so, I need to realize that bullying IS an issue and it NEEDS to be addressed no matter what grade level the students are in and what subject is being taught. 

So.....how would a teacher go about addressing the topic of bullying??????

1. I think I would start the class off with some horrifying pictures or stories.  I want to get their attention and give them the ability to see that bullying DOES take place. 
2. Then, I would talk about what bullying is and what it means to be a bully. 
3.  I would go over the different types of bullying and maybe put two headers on the board "Direct" and "Indirect" and we could list some examples of each as a class.
4.  Then I want to have a class discussion about bullying.  This discussion would address questions like:  Have you ever been bullied?  If so did you tell anyone?  Did the bullying get worse or stop?  Have you ever been a bully?  Why do you think kids bully other kids?  What are some reasons behind the issue of bullying? 
5.  I really want the students to understand that they have probably been a bully and been bullied before and didn't even realize it.
6.  This may make them more aware of the signs of bullying and maybe what to do.
7.  The goal would be to try and get everyone involved in the discussion.
8.  I would not give a grade for this discussion because I think most of it is opinion and doesn't have to do with the subject that I would be teaching.   

Here is my screenr url

http://screenr.com/record/post

Educational Quote.....I like this one :)

"One of the things that may get in the way of people being lifelong learners is that they’re not in touch with their passion. If you’re passionate about what it is you do, then you’re going to be looking for everything you can to get better at it."
~Jack Canfield~

For Those Of You Who Grew Up Loving Sesame Street

Interesting science fact #1

10 percent of all human beings ever born are alive at this very moment!!!

Reply: "Parents In Denial About Sexually Active Children."

To read the full article visit
 http://conversationsonthefringe.com/2010/05/04/parents-in-denial-about-sexually-active-children/

     In this article, parents of children are in total denial that their children are sexually active.  The parents also blame the other children for peer pressuring their child.  Parents with a boy think that a girl with seduce him and parents with girls think a boy will take advantage of her.  Neither side come to the conclusion that their child might be the initiator...
     I have a strong opinion about the "sex talk."  This is because I never got one.  I think that as soon as a child starts asking questions about sex or things of that matter, that's when it's time.  At this day and age this could be when they are ten years old.  I do believe that with the right information children can make better educated decisions.  Obviously, this is to the parents' discretion, but believe me, the children are probably already hearing about it at school from their friends or peers.  Wouldn't you want to be the person to tell them about it?  To make sure they have the right information?  Anyways, sex is everywhere and it is hard to keep young children away from sexual content, material, and language.  

Ron Berger...Why doesn't everyone just listen to him???

I have begun to read a book by the author Ron Berger.  It is titled, An Ethic of Excellence.  Reading this book was not a choice, it is for a class, but after reading the introduction and preface, I am glad that my professor chose this book for the class to read and use.  Ron Berger writes about his struggles as a teacher and also his achievements.  Not only does he write about himself, but he includes his students throughout the entire book.  I am working on becoming a teacher myself and who better to learn from than another teacher who already has had experience in the classroom? I am excited to find out more about Ron Berger and how I can help create a culture of ethics within my classroom someday.