Reinforce the Skills
Reinforce Skills Using Math and Reading
Bullying and "standing by" bullying are behaviors, and to change behaviors students need lots of practice. This means giving them opportunities to apply the skills they learn in STEPS TO RESPECT lessons outside of lesson time so that they can transfer the learning. Although repetition is necessary for skills to become automatic, that doesn't mean transfer of learning has to feel repetitive to you or your students.
Mix-It-Up Activities
You can incorporate STEPS TO RESPECT skill practice into the other subjects you teach during the week. Here are some classroom activity ideas.
Language Arts
- Create a pamphlet of skills for students to share with their families.
- Read books that exemplify skills taught in the lessons (see our book reviews for ideas).
- Write advice columns on how to use a skill learned in a given week.
- Journal personal reflections on a STEPS TO RESPECT lesson topic.
- Brainstorm a list of vocabulary words related to bullying, then look them up in the dictionary.
- Have students answer an essay question about bullying or friendship. Have them support their opinions with STEPS TO RESPECT information.
- Watch movies or TV shows that exemplify the use (or lack of use) of STEPS TO RESPECT skills.
- Have students write about what it means to be powerful, and how powerful people exert influence over others.
Social Studies
- Read and discuss news articles that focus on situations related to the skills addressed in the lessons.
- Discuss historical events that include examples of bullying.
- Examine how problem-solving skills may or may not have been used to settle conflicts in different historical boundary disputes.
- Find pen pals in other states or countries to build cross-cultural friendships.
- Research how the United Nations works to keep "bullying" in check worldwide.
Art
- Select a personal goal inspired by the program and make an illustration of this behavior.
- Make bumper stickers that reflect the skills.
- Create posters showing examples of the skills.
- Cooperate on a collage that narrates skills taught in the program.
Math
- Create a survey about bullying, collect the data, and graph the results.
- Develop and conduct a simple survey to find out more about the types of issues that arise in conflicts between students, then present the results using bar graphs and pie charts.
Music
- Create new "refusing bullying" lyrics for a familiar song.
- Have students create their own raps or other original songs based on a lesson topic.
Keep posters and projects that students create visible in the classroom, and refer to them when possible. When students use new skills outside of the lessons, remember to acknowledge them. As you know, positive reinforcement goes a long way.
Peggy Carey
Outreach Representative
Committee for Children
