Tolerance and Respect

“Bully” is a Four-Letter Word

March 13, 2013 Counselors

Understanding the Concept to Manage the Territory by Dr. Jo Ann Freiberg Columbine was the crucible. Whether because of its scale or because it happened in an upper middle class suburban community, what occurred in Littleton, Colorado forever changed how schools and communities in the United States respond to “bullying.” Prior to this event, the [...]

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Healthy vs. Unhealthy Friendships

March 12, 2013 Counselors

Learning to tell the difference Think about someone in your life who leaves an open space for you to be yourself. No one is more valuable. I would rather have a pillar of trust in my life than a pillar of strength. —Deepak Chopra Do you have friends who leave you feeling happy and uplifted? [...]

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Are We Still Guilty of Gender Stereotyping?

January 27, 2013 Counselors

A self-assessment survey for teachers, childcare workers, and others Ted, a 32-year-old math teacher, meets up with Jack, a 38-year-old PE teacher and Joyce, a 28-year-old science teacher in the hall on the first day of school. As they were discussing the recent departure of Debbie, the former school librarian, Ted suddenly notices Joan, the [...]

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Appreciating Diversity

January 21, 2013 Culture and Community

What kids are really learning Kids get lessons in diversity all the time. Whether in our homes, in school, or out in the world, they receive message after message about how people are the same or different. A great deal of the information they receive will be out of our control and sadly, some of [...]

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Jane Bluestein Discusses Emotionally Safe Schools

December 26, 2012 Assessment and Testing

Interview by Kate Bedford ©2001 Kate Bedford, Six Seconds Jane Bluestein is an award winning author and speaker. Her newest book, Creating Emotionally Safe Schools, is a comprehensive look at how we can make any educational institution safer— from an emotional, academic, behavioral, social, and physical standpoint. Formerly an inner-city classroom teacher, crisis-intervention counselor, and [...]

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You Belong

November 26, 2012 Counselors

You Belong Poem by Naomi Drew Come join in, come join in, no matter your background or color of skin. You are of value for all that you are, your special uniqueness will carry you far. It’s not about the way you look, your size, or weight, or height. What matters most is what’s inside, [...]

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Bullying Checklist for Kids

November 26, 2012 Counselors

Check Your Behavior Take this self-test to find out if you’re doing anything that’s considered to be bullying. Do you do any of the following on a regular basis? –  Purposely try to make another person feel bad. –  Make fun of people to hurt or embarrass them. –  Engage in lots of name-calling. – [...]

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Pretty and Popular

November 17, 2012 Counselors

Bias and Discrimination in School Excerpt from chapter 12, “More Welcome than Others: Discrimination and Belonging,” from Creating Emotionally Safe Schools (Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc., 2001). This excerpt was copied taken from the final draft of the manuscript. The material in the book may vary slightly. She was a Cardinal, one of the children of the [...]

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