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signewhitson
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Posts by signewhitson
10 Signs a Child May be Getting Bullied
07 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
The very first “Key” in my 8 Keys to End Bullying: Strategies for Parents & Schools book is to Know Bullying When You 
See Bullying. To that end, I begin the book by distinguishing bullying from rude and mean behavior so that kids, professionals and parents all know what they are dealing with and how best to respond.
Also in this first Key, I share information about:
- 4 types of bullying (physical, verbal, relational and cyber)
- Who bullies? (Hint: it’s not limited to “kids with low self-esteem,” as many of our parents used to tell us)
- Why kids bully
- Who is most vulnerable to being bullied?
- When does bullying take place?
- Whose responsibility is it to stop bullying?
- Common signs and symptoms of bullying
The 10 Signs a Child is Being Bullied guide, available for free download by clicking the link below, is a handy, printable resource for adults who want an at-a-glance reminder of what to look for in young people who may be on the receiving end of bullying. I hope you find it useful!
Bullying freebie_10 Signs of Bullying
#beknownforbeingkind
Bullyproofing: Is it Tattling or Telling?
07 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
In the 8 Keys to End Bullying Activity Book for Kids & Tweens, I address a very common–and very challenging–issue
among young people: knowing the difference between tattling and telling.
Many kids worry that they may be called a tattletale (or worse!) if they tell an adult about unwanted aggression. And so, out of fear, they make the unfortunate decision to go it alone (which is exactly what a child who bullies wants them to do because it leaves them in an isolated, less powerful position).
Still, other young people become overzealous in seeking adult help at the very first hint of a disagreement or conflict situation. They purposefully tattle on their peers, even in non-dangerous situations, with a singular goal of getting others into trouble. In these situations, kids usually make no attempt to use their own problem-solving skills to manage the situation.
There is a helpful way for kids to understand when a situation calls for independent problem solving and when it calls for the courageous act of reaching out for adult help. Activities 6-7 in the Activity Book teach kids 6 Simple Rules for distinguishing between tattling and telling and show them how to apply these rules to common situation in their everyday lives.
You can find the full activities in the 8 Keys to End Bullying Activity Book and download the free pocket guide to Tattling or Telling? here, using the link below.
#beknownforbeingkind
Kids Do Well if They Can
07 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
I shared this with my awesome faculty today, as we start the school year and remember that “kids do well if they can” and that “looking beyond surface behavior” to understand what’s really going on with a young person is the roadmap to effectively reaching them and helping them learn.
How to Respond to Passive Aggressive Emails
07 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
In a recent survey, Adobe discovered the nine most-hated passive-aggressive email phrases used in the workplace. Business Insider asked Angry Smile author, Signe Whitson, how to best respond to de-escalate the bubbling hostility of a passive aggressive office situation. Check out the article here:
ASCA 2018 Information on Encouraging Kids to Stand Up for Others
07 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
Thank you to all of the amazing & dedicated professionals who are attending the ASCA Conference this week in Los 
Angeles and a special thanks to those who chose to attend my session on Group Activities to Help Bring an End to Bullying. I loved all of the audience participation during the presentation and enjoyed the many conversations with attendees after the session.
A few people asked about the activity I described in which the School Counselor presents to students a set of statistics about the powerful influence of bystanders and the students become engaged by guessing the numbers. The reference for this information comes from:
* Hawkins, D.L., Pepler, D.J. and Craig, W.M. (2001). Naturalistic observations of peer interventions in bullying. Social Development, 10(4). pp. 512-527.
A full activity on this concept can be found in my book, The 8 Keys to End Bullying: Activity Book for Kids & Teens. It is featured as Activity 29: 10 Things to Say and Do to Stop Bullying. Step by step instructions for using the activity with students are detailed in the 8 Keys Companion Guide.
Lastly, for those who did not get a copy of the 4-question Rude, Mean, Bullying assessment tool, it can be found here. Further explanation and activity instructions for using the assessment in schools are also in the Companion Guide, in Chapter 1.
If you have other questions, please feel free to be in touch on Facebook or by email.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the Conference!
#beknownforbeingkind
I’m Speaking at ASCA 2018!
07 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
If you’ll be in Los Angeles at ASCA this week, I’ll be presenting Sunday morning on Group Activities to Bring an End to Bullying. Come visit!
Tech Retreat for 7th-8th Grade Students
07 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
Last week, we offered a Tech Retreat for our 7th and 8th grade students. This day included a total break from regular classes. Instead, students participated in small group activities, heard a panel of speakers from our community, and learned about brain health and screen time. To learn more about how we structured the day and to hear feedback from students, please click on my school’s Blog below.
For more information on teaching kids Digital Citizenship or any questions about setting up this kind of opportunity at your school, feel free to email using the Contact Form.
Breathing Beads to Teach Mindfulness to Young People
07 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of spending the day in beautiful, sunny upstate New York to lead a day-long workshop on How to Be Angry, featuring brain=based strategies for helping young people de-escalate from intense feelings of anger and make positive choices for anger expression.
Among strategies discussed were the benefits of teaching of Mindfulness practices to kids. I showed participants photos of my work with students, including our making of Mindfulness Beads to help us remember to take slow, deep calming breaths. Here’s the video, from the blog, The Middle School Counselor, for all who requested it:
https://www.themiddleschoolcounselor.com/2018/02/teaching-coping-skills-and-self.html
Bullying Prevention Efforts in Elementary School
07 years
by signewhitson
in bullying
Last November, I had the opportunity to bring my 8 Keys to End Bullying presentations to Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School in Baton Rouge, LA. Today, almost 6 months later, I received this heart-warming email from their School Counselor, letting me know the impact of the workshops:
Signe,
I hope you are doing well as we approach the end of another school year! I have been thinking about you and your brilliant wisdom, and I thought I’d give you a shout out. I want you to know how much your bullying material has impacted my 3rd and 4th graders this year. The number of bullying reports have significantly gone down, and I’ll get statements in my office like, “Ms. Alaine, I went over the three P’s, and I don’t think it’s bullying. But I still need some help!” We also spent a long time in 4th grade talking about our Bully-Busting Spirit Animals, so I’m able to point out in individual sessions when someone is acting like a “Tiger” and they know exactly what I’m talking about. It has been so neat to give such clear directions for helping my kiddos navigate their world. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us!
Warmly,
Alaine Dawson, M.Ed.
School Counselor Grades PK-4
(shared with permission)