Teachers are one of the biggest links in helping identify and stop bullying. It is important to serve as a rolemodel for your student’s. As an educator, you must support and empower your students. 

This is a local example showcasing teacher misconduct in school:

Flagler Palm Coast High School addressed the influence of a teacher’s words after he made unfriendly remarks about a student’s sexual orientation in class. After this incident, the school created a momement and spoke out against bullying and harrassment. The school broadcasted a public service announcement about bullying by the school’s production program, and had the teacher publicly apologize for his malconduct against the student. 

Students are already being bullied by people their own age, and need to count on their teacher’s for help.

In Florida, there is a Statute for Bullying/Harrassment, which requires, “a procedure for providing instruction to students, parents, teachers, school administrators, counseling staff, and school volunteers on identifying, preventing, and responding to bullying or harassment.”

So as a Florida educator you have the tools you need in order to improve bullying in your school.

StopBullying.gov gives some tips for teacher’s to follow:

 •Assess bullying in your school. Determine where and when bullying occurs.

•Increase adult supervision in bullying "hot spots.” Work with support staff, such as cafeteria staff, bus stop and playground monitors and bus drivers, who may observe bullying incidents that unfold outside the classroom.

•Involve students, parents, teachers, and staff in bullying prevention.  Establish a school safety committee and task force with a coordinator whose job it is to plan, implement and evaluate your school's bullying prevention program.

•Encourage teachers and staff to file incident reports of bullying.  Keep track of critical incidents, and assess and evaluate your bullying prevention program.

•Create policies and rules.  Create a mission statement, code of conduct, and school-wide rules that establishes a climate in which bullying is not acceptable.  Disseminate and communicate widely.

For the full list and more information, visit http://www.stopbullying.gov/educators/preventing/index.html

Does your school have a plan for teaching kids what to do when they witness  bullying? If not, enroll your school in a new program coming to Central Florida. Visit http://www.stopwalktalk.org/ to register your school today.