PhotoVoice Social Action Plan

Every parent sends their child to school every day with the hope, and ideally the

expectation, that their child is included in a safe, accepting environment receiving a

quality education. Unfortunately, there are many factors that can hinder the reality of a

safe environment and quality education. Some may be as seemingly simple as missing

the bus in the morning, and some are so complicated that neither the teacher nor the

student can fully understand. Bullying can range in complexity, but there are many

different kinds of bullying and it can be difficult for a teacher to spot and address every

instance. Its important for educators and faculty to recognize the signs of bullying and

to know how to stop it.

Fuller Elementary is a wonderful school filled with a culturally diverse group of

students, all whom vary in personalities, preferences, and lived experiences.

Differences should most definitely be celebrated in the classroom, but its also very

realistic to recognize that differences have the potential to cause conflicts. After talking

with our mentor teacher, we established bullying is an evolving issue at our school.

There has been a lot of bullying instances where teachers arent physically present in

areas of the school such as the cafeteria, the playground, and on the buses. During the

time that we served as teachers-to-be in the classroom, it seemed that each week there

was a different bullying incident that was reported. The counselor and social worker

worked together to coordinate meetings during lunch time with students that have been

reported as bullies. During these meetings, the students talk about what being a good
leader consists of, how to be a responsible student, and how to respect the people and

things around them. All the efforts are geared towards improving student behavior in

class and preventing them from disrupting their classmates. The counselor also lets

students meet with her whenever a student may want to talk about their issues with

bullying. There is one specific student in our fourth grade class who has been bullied on

the bus and during recess. This student goes to the counselor who has taught him

strategies such as ignoring the bully and walking away. These strategies have

scratched the surface on decreasing bullying in the school, but not to the point of

extinction. We think that there can be more activities introduced, more lesson plans

made available, and more explicit instruction offered to help prevent bullying in the

school. There must be a school wide program that the teachers and students

implement in cooperation to build a positive and caring school community where

everyone respects one another.

Why this issue is problematic and/or unjust

This issue is problematic because bullying can make a student not want to come

to school and unable to engaged in learning because they are too afraid to take on the

burden of being bullied. This also decreases students self-confidence which is

problematic because teachers strive to increase their self-confidence which in turn

improves their performance in the classroom. Students who lack self-confidence are

less likely to participate in school, less likely to complete their work, and most
importantly, less likely to live and learn to their fullest potential. Examples of this are

seen in the Bully movie, when students who are being bullied stop wanting to go to

school and start carrying their struggles all by themselves. Students can bully each

other over differences in physical appearance, interests, cultures, or experiences. As a

teacher, if you hear or see this happening its crucial to address it immediately and to let

your students know that the behavior is unacceptable. It is important to expose students

to immigration, different religions, other cultures and interests so they are more aware of

the backgrounds of their classmates. Teachers are responsible for clarifying

expectations and goals to students, administration, and parents. Everyone involved in

the childrens lives needs to be aware of changes being made and ways that others can

support the students learning and attitudes. Understanding your students and what

cultures/backgrounds they come from help you get to know your community and create

a safe environment for your students. Encourage students to get along and help teach

them confidence in themselves and their education. Bucket filler and self-realization

activities in the classroom will encourage classroom community and increased self

esteem in your students. Including these activities and fostering positivity in your

classroom will help decrease bullying.

A photo that captures the social issue:

Action plan that addresses the social issue that includes the following: (at least 3
pages) What are your social action steps to respond to the issue?

Bullying is an issue that can either be addressed in a proactive or a reactive way.

In an ideal situation, bullying is treated proactively, meaning measures are put into place

to prevent it from happening in the first place. Although its possible to decrease the

potential of a bullying problem with preventative plans, realistically there may have to be

some intervention on a reactive level once a bullying situation has already developed.

The Classroom Promise is a community building exercise that fits seamlessly

into beginning-of-year expectation setting and community building. However, this

doesnt mean this activity cant be carried out successfully in the middle of the year.

The purpose of this activity is to help students realize that their words and actions have
direct impacts on others that arent always fixable. The Classroom Promise starts with a

blank poster in front of the class. This is an interactive opportunity for students to

discuss guidelines for the class to follow. Collectively, the class decides on

expectations to hold themselves and their peers to. Its important to keep the list

relatively short as to not overwhelm them (no more than 7 guidelines) and use positive

language so avoid a long list of don'ts. Some examples of common classroom

expectations include be kind to one another, keep hands and feet to yourself, and

treat others with respect. Once students have talked about and agreed upon their list

of expectations for the classroom, make sure they are written on the poster clearly and

that each student understands and supports the guidelines. Allowing students to come

up with their own guidelines gives them a sense of ownership and they are more likely

to abide by rules they have helped create. When guidelines have been written and

reviewed, crumple the paper into a ball. The teacher can even add some drama by

throwing it on the floor and stomping on it. The point is to show disrespect to the

poster, and by extension the guidelines that were just written. Some students may be

surprised and ask why youve just destroyed their work. Say to the class Im sorry and

ask them to return the poster back to the way it was. Students can work together to un-

ball the poster and smooth out the wrinkles. Eventually students will smooth the poster

out as best they can and give up on trying to make it perfect. Thank them for doing their

best to fix it and ask the students if the Classroom Promise is back to normal. Whats

different now that the Promise was crumpled up and disrespected? The important

connection to make here is that you cant unsay mean words or undo unkind actions.

Just because you say sorry doesnt mean you fixed the problem. There will still be
residual damage that no amount of apologizing or making up can fix. Have a discussion

on how we can prevent this metaphorical damage to the Classroom Promise from

happening in real life among each other in our classroom. How can we build each other

up instead of tear each other down? This classroom community building exercise

addresses bullying in a proactive, rather than reactive, manner. Through creating the

Classroom Promise, students recognize how they want to be treated by their

classmates and think critically then about how they should treat others.

The following two books speak on the issue of bullying in ways thats

developmentally appropriate and relevant in an elementary classroom. Were All

Wonders, by RJ Palacio, addresses the harmful effects bullying can have on other

people and The Sneetches, by Dr. Seuss, highlights how ridiculous it is to treat

someone as inferior based on differences in appearance. I think the benefit to these

books is that they focus on the underlying causes and problems of bullying without

making the story explicitly about a bully. There are plenty of those books out there and

many are useful in the classroom, but these two books in particular are an innovative

way to teach and talk about the issue without turning students away. Some children

compartmentalize bullying into a stereotypical view of the big, mean student who

steals kids lunch money. While such a situation would definitely be a problem that

needs addressing, bullying encompasses much more than that. Bullying can be small

things like rude comments, or passive actions such as leaving an individual out during

group work or recess. To avoid students shutting down at the mention of bullying,

instead target potential causes of the bullying behavior and make the damaging effects

of bullying known to students. Children begin developing a sense of empathy when

they learn how other people may feel and react to certain situations. For example, its

possible a child may have never experienced feeling left out, so discussions and

examples are important to talk about, ensuring the whole class is involved. After an

interactive read aloud of these books, hold a class discussion about connections

students can make to their own lives (and hopefully within the setting of the classroom).

You can incorporate literal reading comprehension strategies, but a focus on the theme

and lesson of the books should be implemented if they are to be used in the context of

bullying prevention and elimination.

Teachers and staff members should be educated to recognize the signs of

bullying and be informed on how to prevent and address it. Campus Safety Magazine

online (http://www.campussafetymagazine.com/article/7-Ways-You-Can-Address-

Bullying-at-Your-School/) lists 7 ways to address a bullying problem once it has

developed. The first step is to recognize that there is a problem. An individual wont

attempt to fix something if he or she doesnt believe it exists. After the problem is

recognized, determine who could be acting as the bully. This is not as always

simple as it seems. As previously mentioned, there are many different forms of bullying,

including cyberbullying, and the bully is not always physically bigger and stronger.

Students should also be encouraged to report incidents of bullying and

harassment because its unlikely teachers and staff will be able to witness every

individual circumstance. This embodies 2 ways to address bullying- both victims and

witnesses should know they can reach out and inform an authority figure with

confidence the issue will be resolved. Ensure bully-frequent areas are closely

monitored by teachers and faculty. Physical presence alone will decrease the
likelihood of one student targeting another in an area where the student might not have

anticipated being watched. Be sure to collect evidence on cases of bullying; this can

include first hand account from a witness or victim, notes passed in class, and in

cyberbullying cases, screenshots and messages. Lastly, always keep reports on file

and take each student account seriously. If students are trusting teachers enough to

come to them with sensitive, potentially embarrassing information, the teacher should

respect the childs account and emotions.

A timetable to support your action steps

Beginning of the year-

Get to know your peers. There are tons of games and activities that engage students in

meeting and forming relationships with their classmates. Some examples include

Spotlight (each student gets to share about themselves), Autographs (students

collect classmates signatures for personal and cultural characteristics), I Have.. (ex.

students are in a circle and the students in the middle states I Have.. flown in an

airplane. Everyone who has flown finds a new seat and there is a new person in the

middle), Cultural Artifact (students bring an item to school that represents something

that is culturally significant in their lives), Classmates Graphs (students poll one

another on hobbies, favorites, and experiences. This can be tied into math lessons as

well). This is not an inclusive list- there are many other classroom community building

activities that are appropriate for allowing students to connect with their classmates at

the beginning of the year. When kids make meaningful connections to their peers, they
are less likely to pick on or exclude them. This is based on a preventative model and

even though its unrealistic to expect every student to hold equal friendships with every

one of their classmates, you can expect them to treat each classmate with respect.

Making personal connections a priority at the beginning of the year minimizes risk for

certain individuals to be targeted. Make all expectations for a respectful and accepting

community clear at the beginning of the year and avoid leaving gray area with what

constitutes as bullying. There seems to be an abundance of characteristics of which

people choose to bully others on. In Its OK to be Neither, Melissa Bowel Temple

wrestles with the best way to address gender norms in her first grade classroom in

order to avoid an environment conducive to bullying. Some students werent even

conscious their words and questions could be hurtful to the biological female student in

their class who chose to wear traditional male clothing. If students are able to get to

know the persons character underneath the outside appearance, they are more likely to

consider how their words and actions might affect their classmates.

Middle of the year-

Address any problems or potential problems you see developing. If youve noticed your

students have settled into comfortable groups and cliques, make an effort to shake

things up. Its developmentally normal, and even important, for students to have a core

group of close friends, but students should also be seeking to interact with a variety of

their classmates. Have families been encouraged to get involved in their childs

academic endeavors? Organize a joint family and student night where students are

able to see a part of what their classmates home life may be like. This continues to
build on the idea that if students are connected and invested in their classmates lives, it

is unlikely tense and damaging relationships will develop between them. Any time

during the middle of the year would be an appropriate time to read Were All Wonders

and The Sneetches, previously mentioned in the Action Plan. As educators, its

imperative that we explicitly teach children to embrace diversity. Just like curriculum-

based standards, almost everything must be modeled and explained for students to

accept the information. If the childs first experience of interacting with a diverse

population is in the classroom, we cannot expect them to come to school already

equipped with that knowledge. The teacher must introduce concepts of tolerance,

acceptance, and celebration. Tools like books, videos, interactive games, and engaging

activities can act as the vehicle for valuable lessons on how students will be expected to

treat one another.

End of the year-

It always feels good to be recognized and appreciated for the work youve completed.

Children are no different. This is a good time to bring your school year to a close on a

positive note! Think about how your individual students can celebrate each others

successes. What have your students completed during the year that theyre proud of?

Some appreciation activities are listed: Student Scrapbook (Each student completes

one page that represents them as an individual- include pictures, stickers, and artwork.

Students are paired up and a peer presents their classmate's scrapbook page. This

ensures the project is collaborative and social in nature), Compliment Cards (Students

use index cards or sticky notes to write a compliment about a classmate. Students can
draw names for classmates they will write compliment about, OR students write a

compliment for each of their classmates. In this version, each student ends with a

collection of compliments to reflect on and appreciate), Kind Words (This can be used

during morning meeting- students must say kind words for the person to their right.

Kind words must be about character and cannot be superficial. For example, you could

not say I like your hair or You have nice clothes.), Best Memories (Students are

allowed flexibility in expression of their favorite school memory from the year that

involves their classmates. This could be a drawing, a song or poem, a vlog, or another

form of creative expression). By focusing on positive aspects of ones classmates,

students are able to draw on how theyve grown from one another and appreciate the

value of having a diverse classroom.

Who will you collaborate with?

To implement this activity and lesson throughout the school, we will need

everyones cooperation and promise that they will implement the plan with their

respective classes. We will collaborate with all the teachers in the school across grade

levels to have them read both books and incorporate the mini lessons highlighting the

so what? of bullying. We will also need support from the administration, the school

counselor and the social worker on campus to make sure the teachers are

implementing these activities. Everyones support will be vital in helping prevent and put

a stop to bullying. All students need to know that bullying is a serious and relevant

issue and its something that we will not tolerate because it hurts and discourages their
classmates and peers. Partnership with the parties listed will ensure we communicate

the detrimental effects of bullying and take a stand against it, united.

Who are the constituents you need to engage? How will you engage them? What

do you need from the constituents?

This action plan can only succeed with the cooperation from teachers, students,

and parents working together. The teachers will engage in the primary explicit

instruction of how to end bullying. Teachers must be willing to making time in their

schedule to introduce this concept, hold discussions with students about why bullying

might be a problem, and read the two books in partnership with the mini lessons. A

newsletter to each teacher explaining the purpose and how-to of this action plan will

get teachers informed. Meeting in-person with teachers, as time allows, will allow us to

speak with them directly on how to modify the lesson for their specific class. Without

teacher engagement, the direct link to the school environment is lost and students will

most likely not connect good choices with preventing bullying in schools.

Students must be engaged because they are the group that the issue of bullying

applies to. If students disregard the action plan, no habits will be broken and no

behavior will be changed, resulting in a failed action plan. Students must be willing to

learn and involve themselves in trying to understand others perspectives. A child who

has a positive attitude and contributes to discussion and activities surrounding the topic

will grow as a successful student and as an individual as a whole. Respecting one

another is a life skill they will carry out into the real world and benefit from for the rest of

their lives.
 Parents must be educated and involved as well. As with many concepts and

ideas taught in school, its more likely to stick if a parent facilitates home learning or

review on whats happening in school. For example, stronger readers tend to come

from homes where parents are reading with the child and encouraging the child to read

independently. Similarly, parents play a huge role in teaching and reinforcing moral and

ethical principles. Sending an email or flyer home on how to talk to your kids about

bullying would be a great place to start with getting parents involved. The information

sent out by the school should be applicable to potential victims as well as potential

bullies. An at-home conversation can broaden the action plan as students will

recognize bullying isnt just an issue confined within the school. Parent cooperation is

vital so that students are getting a consistent message on how and why bullying will not

be tolerated.

What individuals may resist social change, and how?

We worry that some individuals might resist this social change. Some of the

students, and even school staff, might not believe that bullying is a severe issue at the

school disregard the fact that conditions need to be improved. Students might refuse to

actively participate in the stories that are being read aloud and discussions that are held

in the classroom. Some of the students may believe they dont need to change their

attitude or alter the way they treat other students because they dont see anything

wrong with their personal behavior. We want to avoid the blame game and put

emphasis on accepting personal responsibility for a large problem that encompasses all

students at the school. Educating children on bystander intervention is an effective way

to involve students who believe they do not contribute to the bullying problem. While it

may technically be true that these particular students are not bullies themselves, its

extremely likely they have witnessed bullying and should be held accountable for

standing up for their peers.

I think the staff may refuse to implement this in their schedules because they

dont think that this information is important enough to the students. Realistically, they

might not be willing to cut valuable instruction time from their day to do the activity.

Teachers could potentially take the easy way out and just summarize the lesson or not

even implement it at all.

What resources exist in your school/community, and what resources will you

need?

There are a few great resources that already exist in the school. The school

counselor is made available for students when they need to talk about any issues or

problems they are having. The students are able to visit the counselor whenever they

want if they need to talk to a trusted adult and receive some advice or help. The social

worker at the school also has various activities and programs available, and holds

meetings with students across classrooms and grade levels. The students she normally

works with are typically referred to her because of behavior issues in the classroom.

The meetings focus on leadership, responsibility, respect and integrity. The staff is also

very supportive with one another. All the teachers work very well with their grade level

teams and encourage and advocate for one another.

At least 1 photograph captures the resource that could use to address the social

issue:

What are your desired outcomes that would support social change?

In doing this activity with the students, our desired outcome is to eventually have a

classroom and school community that consistently treats others with respect and

kindness. We want our students to be able to show empathy and compassion to their

peers and staff in everyday situations. The motto treat others the way you would want

to be treated is something that our school should establish and make known. After
completing this activity and going through the action plan steps with the school, we

hope that bullying decreases and eventually stops altogether.

Explain the following in your write-up: (at least 1 page)

What were the results of you beginning to implement your social action plan?

We talked to our mentor teach about the bullying issue and she agreed that there

was a problem and expressed she would like to see a change as well. She agreed to

implement the plan in her classroom and the encourage the rest of her team to get on

board. They would be reading the two books, The Sneetches and Were All Wonders,

and completing the two activities that we listed in the beginning section as well as

choose from some of the activities listed in the end of the year section. Our teacher has

not implemented the activity yet, but hopes to do so soon. She intends to start next

school year with proactive plans to decrease the chances of bullying developing in her

classroom. We are all hoping that the books and activities will stick with the students

and diminish bullying at Fuller Elementary.

What are your future steps and/or changes to your social action plan?

In our original plan we were only going to read The Sneetches with our class. But we

added to our action plan and decided to read Were All Wonders as well. The

Sneetches addresses a potential cause of bullying pertaining to physical differences

among individuals, while Were All Wonders focuses on the effects of bullying through

the eyes of a little boy who is bullied. We felt it would be best to include both of these

books in our plan to show cause and effect. This way, the student can see different

ways that people can be bullied and also how it can affect someone in a negative way.

Implementation across the school will be a gradual process, but teachers are now

equipped with materials and resources available to aid in putting a stop to bullying.