This is what we did at Kaitaia Intermediate School in 2001 to reduce bullying/ violence by 90% in 12 months.
1. We got GSE personnel to observe in classrooms over three days (about 5 hours in total) to note every incident of ‘violence’ (anything from taking a rubber without asking, name calling, pushing, shoving, fighting etc) so that we had baseline data on the extent of the problem. There were 40 incidents in that time.
2. We surveyed all students asking them two questions. (1) Have you been bullied in the last month? (2) What is the name of the bully?
3. We were able to identify the same 3-4 names popping up and worked with them and their parents. (In some cases when working with the family it was easy to see where the bullying/ violent behaviour comes from).
4. We sorted out our discipline system, so there were instant consequences that the students understood, and teachers didn’t have to spend teaching time dealing with misbehaviour.
5. We provided professional development for teachers to improve their behaviour management strategies.
6. We provided professional development so that teachers improved their teaching. A lot of bullying/ violence occurs when there is ‘down time’ in class.
7. We tidied up our ‘systems’. e.g. walking in quiet lines around the school, lining up for buses after school, sitting down to eat lunch. basic stuff really, but children appreciate order. Disorderly behaviour in an ordered environment stands out.
8. We invited the same GSE people back 12 months later to observe in the same classes for the same amount of time.
9. Bullying/ violence had reduced by 90%. (4 incidents were noted in that sameobservation time).
My concern for the $62m set aside to address bullying is that it will be squandered on high level and complicated ideas when simple solutions based on what works on the ground are required.
Make this man Minister for Education!
Silly people, putting all that work in, when you could have just written a letter to the Board of Trustees!
(Seriously, well done, sounds like a success.)
The $62 million will pay for a lot of travel and accommodation for a lot of bureaucrats to attend a lot of meetings and seminars and workshops … and their Koru Club memberships of course …
Great Kelvin. I saw your explanation on Maori TV and was very impressed. I commented on it to Brian Edwards and on The Standard and to Kathryn on Nine to Noon, as a simple direct intervention with demonstrable results.
Interesting to note your linking “bullying/violence.”
This matches what my wife tells me of her own experiences.
Unfortunately a lot of her colleagues (probably not the majority, but a large enough minority to undermine everyone else’s efforts) don’t think that this sort of thing is important. So often, when asking kids not to eat in her classroom, she gets told ‘Ms X lets us…’
“We got GSE personnel to observe in classrooms over three days (about 5 hours in total) to note every incident of ‘violence’ (anything from taking a rubber without asking, name calling, pushing, shoving, fighting etc) so that we had baseline data on the extent of the problem. ”
That would have to be a far from accurate baseline. The worst bullying behaviors happens in the playground – away from the teachers. It can be far, far, far worse than ‘taking a rubber without asking’. It can be hell. If you think that is the data identifying the ‘extent of the problem’ you are being delusional.
Yet – based on a very small (and I would say fundamentally flawed) ‘baseline’ you say we reduced bullying / violence by 90%.
And what kind of kids is that school putting out now? Lets see: http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/local/news/rampage-causes-10000-of-damage/3912819/
Bullying is often learnt behaviour, schools can only deal with their own environment and cannot control what happens at home (where the behaviour often has its genesis) or out of school hours.
As a Far North resident with a partner who worked with various BOTs, Kelvin’s record is well known and appreciated. It is good to have real world events related on the blogoshpere where hot air so often predominates.
Chris, my understanding is the bully int he playground has other behaviours which those in the know can recognise and may only manifest in small ways in front of authority figures.
We all need to think like kids when addressing bullying and abuse, not like adults. Kelvin, glad to see it worked so well. I dont presume that all things work in all places, but we need to at least try stuff we know works.
I like this policy, it will create jobs, it will not stop bullying so people can keep their jobs, and be taxed!
Go labour! Spend! Spend! Spend!
I thought were bad because they ran surpluses for years Ryan.
Excellent. What I would have done for that when I was at school in the late 1970′s. But the Marist Brothers were happy to ignore the problem, and even contribute to the problem.
I absolutely tautoko the GSE project. Great changes were made at our inner Auckland City School.
bullying was not only in the classrooms but in the playground where supervision was minimum with one teacher on duty. We made no go areas for kids and put two teachers on duty as we were a fairly big school. Yes we looked at our teaching but also ourselves as bully’s. Each Friday at assembly we graphed the number of days in the week that bullying took place until it was down to zero. It took a lot of hard work and commitment on all sides. Students who had issues spent part of their lunch with a designated teacher who took them through steps of appropriate behaviour. None of this being sent out of class, sitting on the seat, staying in class at lunchtime or writing inane lines.