I am often asked about the topic of bullying and what we do to about it. As both an educator and parent, I understand the immeasurable value in being proactive in our approach to this challeng. In our district's elementary schools, we have invested a lot of time and resources in a program called, Responsive Classroom. In fact, just this last August, 30 district teachers had a week long training in the philosphy and implementation of Responsive Classroom. The Responsive Classroom approach is a widely used, research-backed approach to elementary education that increases academic achievement, decreases problem behaviors, and improves social skills by emphasizing a community approach to classroom processes and ideas. When a teacher and classrom are able to do these things, acadmics are also impacted, leading to quality instruction and achievement. One of the most important things for us to be successful in any environment is to feel safe. When that occurs, students can focus on their learning, and Responsive Classrooms help all students to feel safe and welcome in school. If we teach what it means to be a community and family, students are much less likely to hurt or be intentional in their wanting to hurt or harm someone due to the relationships they have formed.
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