Bravery Over Bullying Help Guide
For Teachers

Teachers are often the first line of defense against bullying in the classroom. Many times, teachers are often the first to report it. We believe it is your responsibility to report ANY/ALL negative behaviors that might cause harm to a student, or those around them, including, but not limited to- acts of violence be it threats, insults, injury, or re-occurring behaviors that would disrupt your classroom environment.
Creating a climate of trust in the classroom between both parents and students should be the goal of every classroom every day. Teachers can help do this by answering these few questions with regard to bullying:

Is your student at risk? If so, then Ask the following:

1. Recognize WHO may be targeting your student?
2. WHAT efforts are currently in place to protect the student victim?
3. WHEN is mediation an option for BOTH students and their families?
4. WHERE can the student and their family go to seek help academically, emotionally, spiritually, and physically?
5. Why is this particular student the target?

Teachers CAN help combat bullying by:

• Communicating effectively their goals and expectations of every student
  Maintaining daily communication with parents regarding their students struggles, strengths, and performance in the classroom
• Handling conflict between students at the moment it is witnessed
• Offering mediation between students
• Logging and documenting behaviors that would seem the student might be struggling with or witnessing at home
• Lending an ear when a student has gone through a recent divorce, loss of a loved one, or illness, injury, or upset
• Communicating to other teachers, school counselors, and those in charge of after school activities
• Teaching a curriculum that includes social responsibilities and help to build friendships and a culture of kindness

Teachers can help identify children who are being targeted, children who are bullying, and how to put a stop to various kinds of destructive behavior within the confines of the classroom. You see them every day, and you will notice those students whom are struggling, or have recently become withdrawn.

We applaud the efforts of our teachers whom act on behalf of our students to protect them, and who communicate this to parents.

We know that every school has District-Level Anti-Bully Policies in place. Teachers should all be familiar with their specific school’s policy and State Laws that protect students from harassment at school. And if not, there are many models available online—

Stopbullying.gov 

HHS.gov

Teachers CAN help combat bullying by:

• Communicating effectively their goals and expectations of every student
  Maintaining daily communication with parents regarding their students struggles, strengths, and performance in the classroom
• Handling conflict between students at the moment it is witnessed
• Offering mediation between students
• Logging and documenting behaviors that would seem the student might be struggling with or witnessing at home
• Lending an ear when a student has gone through a recent divorce, loss of a loved one, or illness, injury, or upset
• Communicating to other teachers, school counselors, and those in charge of after school activities
• Teaching a curriculum that includes social responsibilities and help to build friendships and a culture of kindness

Teachers can help identify children who are being targeted, children who are bullying, and how to put a stop to various kinds of destructive behavior within the confines of the classroom. You see them every day, and you will notice those students whom are struggling, or have recently become withdrawn.

We applaud the efforts of our teachers whom act on behalf of our students to protect them, and who communicate this to parents.

We know that every school has District-Level Anti-Bully Policies in place. Teachers should all be familiar with their specific school’s policy and State Laws that protect students from harassment at school. And if not, there are many models available online—

Stopbullying.gov 

HHS.gov

How to implement The Bravery Over Bullying Project© Toolkit in your classroom—

The Project Toolkit is available for download and includes:

1. A poster of The BRAVE Pledge ©
2. A coloring page of our mascot, Bob the lion
3. Student Campaign Ambassador Information & Application
4. A Teachers Help Guide
5. A Student Help Guide
6. A Parent Help Guide
7. The Bravery Over Bullying brochure

• I will-
  Be a Friend,
  Rally FOR one another not AGAINST one another,
  Aim for acceptance
  Victory over bullying,
  Everyone matters. ©

• Have your students write The Brave Pledge and sign their name
• Hang The Brave Pledge poster in your classroom
• Show the video of Joseph’s story and Video animation of Bob the lion to your class
• Ask questions and have students share their own stories about bullying
• Listen
• Ask them ways they can be a friend to one another
• Talk about things each student has in common with others
• Talk about differences we share both in and outside the classroom, and how we can embrace our differences
• Note which students are feeling bullied, and encourage them to come to you when these things happen
• Note which students might be bullying others, and encourage them to remember.

  The BRAVE Pledge when they are at school

• Spend a few minutes introducing Bob, the Lion, our mascot.
• Ask questions to your students about what they think he represents?
• Teach The B-R-A-V-E Pledge:

Finally, it will be of much comfort and relief to parents to know that you have talked about and discussed bullying in your classroom at the beginning of the school year.

Parents will want to be included, so we ask that you send home The Bravery Over Bullying Project© Guide for Parents with each child after you have introduced and presented the curriculum to your class, or a link to our website via email, so that they can familiarize themselves with what their children learned, and how they can actively support your classroom by encouraging positive behaviors at home.

We at The Bravery Over Bullying Organization want to help you. 

We know Teachers desire an effective and safe classroom for EVERY student. We want to help you, and we are here for you. 

We thank you for the sacrifice you make each day to help students reach their full potential, and we recognize that your job is not an easy one. 

We believe if we can reach just one student who is struggling in or out of the classroom that it is worth the efforts, we make to help children #bebravenotabully

A note about at-risk students–

These are troubling times we live in, complicated by many factors, and our students are inundated with many situations that often times they don’t have the skillset to navigate, but every day in your classrooms you have the opportunity to help teach these skills by effectively communicating to them that it is okay not to be okay. 

They can overcome the many obstacles they face at home and at school by talking to you, and learning from those around them. 

It’s okay to make mistakes, as long as we learn from them. 

Many students don’t have a mentor. Often students are experiencing homelessness, an incarcerated parent, a parent or sibling with addiction, and you may be the only consistent thing in their life. 

We want to help you help them navigate through obstacles with strength and direction. 

Mental health in the life of a child is key to success. If we can help them identify certain factors that may be contributing to them being bullied, or bullying others, then you will have reached the heart of the problem.

Information is available to helping students who are at-risk, and every community has services available, and we at The Bravery Over Bullying Organization want to help point them in the right direction.