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signewhitson
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Posts by signewhitson
Kidding vs. Teasing at Pohatcong Township School
06 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
Today, I had the pleasure of spending my day with the 4th-7th graders at Pohatcong Township School in New Jersey. This is my fourth visit to the school in recent years and it’s so awesome to be invited back again and again by a team that is truly dedicated to social-emotional learning in addition to traditional academics.
Last year, I spoke with kiddos about how the small, daily acts of kindness that they do in school are the most powerful way to bring an end to bullying. We also talked about the difference between rude, mean, and bullying behavior and how to best respond to each one.
This year, we got into even more of the gray area and nuances of peer interactions, talking about the key differences between kidding around with friends and the kind of teasing that creates hurt and upset feelings. We were all on the same page with the fact that we like to laugh with our friends and that joking around is fun! Because they could so easily agree that kidding around is one of the best parts of being friends, the kids did a great job at thinking through and identifying when a joke crosses the line into being offensive or unkind–and how to prevent this from happening whenever possible. We talked about what to do when we have inadvertently crossed the line and made a list of topics that should never (read: ever) be joked about.
With the younger students, I also shared the story, Just Kidding, by Trudy Ludwig. The kids loved it! I got to share 
this autographed copy of the book (courtesy of the author) with one winner of a random drawing, which was a great keepsake!
I taught eight back to back classes and loved every single one of them. Great kiddos with fantastic insights and lots of say.
Our Children are Our Best Teachers
06 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
Our children are our best teachers.
Check out the LSCI Institute’s new book and training programs, Parenting the Challenging Child, to learn strategies for de-escalating conflict situations and more effectively responding to the child that you have.
Making Kindness a Part of School Culture
06 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
This month, I’m working with my first grade students on the power of kindness and the idea that the “little,” daily things we do to reach out to others can make the biggest difference.
Making kindness a part of school culture is the most effective Bullying Prevention strategy.
KidsPeace Certifies 7 New Associates inn LSCI
06 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
Congratulations to these 7 newly certified LSCI practitioners from KidsPeace National Centers in Pennsylvania!
To inquire about attending LSCI training at KidsPeace, click here.
To bring an LSCI Trainer to your school or organization, email signewhitson@lsci.org
Follow these links to learn about other LSCI training opportunities, including LSCI Skills for Parents & Caregivers or LSCI online training.
10 Rules for Kids on How to Text Respectfully
06 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
One of the most popular workshops I offer for upper elementary and middle school students is called 10 Rules for Enjoying Life Online & Deleting Cyberbullying. In my 45-60 minutes with students, we talk about, watch videos about, and share real life examples about how fun and engaging and USEFUL technology can be…and how to avoid reputation-damaging mishaps that can occur through texting and social media. The students and I tend to laugh a lot but we also get real! I think I open their eyes to some of the unanticipated long-term consequences of their online activities…and they always teach me a thing or two about a new app or game. We all have so much to learn…
Here is a list I posted on Psychology Today of 10 Rules for Texting Respectfully that shares some of what I talk about with students and may be helpful to you as a professional or parent working or living with kids.
FREE Parenting Webinar on Parenting the Challenging Child
06 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
Did you catch my webinar earlier this evening on Parenting the Challenging Child? I hope it was helpful to you! If you missed it, it’ll be posted on YouTube within the next 1-2 days. Stay tuned for the link.
Mark your calendar for the next FREE webinar on April 24th. We’ll do a Q&A on Parenting the Challenging Child, so order your copy today!
Helping Girls Cope with Bullying
06 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
I love it when two of my worlds collide! Today, I received the kindest email from a woman who I had recently helped access an LSCI online training. She subsequently read an article I wrote about bullying among girls and sent me this note: (Shared with permission)
Thank you for that info, Signe. I am able to log on from my phone and will do the training that way.
–
I also wanted to let you know that I just read your article in Psychology Today, “Helping Girls Cope With Bullying and Frenemies”. What a great piece of writing! It’s so accessible and right on point. I shared it with my staff and we’ll be discussing it during our next PLC, as we are dealing with exactly these issues in both our third and fourth grade classes. Thank you for writing it and for sharing it-SO helpful!
–
With kindness and gratitude,
Laura E., M.Ed.
Behavior Specialist
–
Thank you, Laura, for all that you do to make a difference in the lives of young people! You made my day.
#beknownforbeingkind
Is it Rude, Is It Mean, or Is it Bullying?
06 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
Easily the most shared post I have ever written, here’s a link to the original article, Is it Rude, Is It Mean, or Is it Bullying?
I begin every Bullying Prevention presentation that I offer to professional, parents, and students by defining and distinguishing these very important behavioral terms and explaining that words really do matter when it comes to how we talk about the behavior of young people. By lumping all bad behaviors into the bullying basket, we run the risk of creating a “little boy who cried wolf” phenomena and causing this incredibly important issue to lose its urgency.
Please read on and share this post with anyone you know who is struggling to figure out what is going on for their child and how best to intervene.
What Does it Mean to “Hold Space?”
06 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
I recently encouraged a teacher to “hold the space” for a young student who was going through a very tough emotional period. When she looked at me with confused eyes, I realized this phrase often needs explanation. Here’s the best one I’ve seen:
