2017 Annual Conference

Dr. Amy M. Smith

Learn ways to directly engage and inspire students to take personal responsibility and lead positive change with active bullying prevention, intervention and respect-building strategies. This session is based on research-based content developed for HEAR – Helping Everyone Achieve Respect. HEAR is an interactive workshop developed for middle and high school students by experts at Harvard Graduate School of Education and The University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

The content of this session is intended to help counselors support students' understanding of ways to build a more respectful, supportive school environment. This includes supporting students with social emotional learning that fall under ASCA's Standard A, such as recognizing that everyone has rights and responsibilities, respecting diversity, respecting individual differences, effective communication skills, decision making and consequences, seeking help when needed, identifying resources, making safe choices, developing a positive attititude and applying appropriate behavior in social situations. 

Session attendees will leave the session with ideas for enaging students in discussion about the following:

• Forms and consequences of kindness/respectful behavior vs. forms and consequences of disrespectful behavior, what is and is not bullying, strategies for what to do if you witness or experience bullying, including cyberbully
• How to use case studies and literature to talk with students about difficult topics, such as bullying
• Simple, practical ways to inspire students to lead positive change in the school (The Harvard Graduate School of Education has created a list of 10 questions that students can act on to improve school climate.)

Like the interactive, discussion-based HEAR student workshops, participants will participate in short role play scenerios, brainstorm solutions, read and respond to brief written bullying scenerios and benefit from time for Q&A. 

Participants will also leave the session with a printed educator guide that list tips for supporting students in bullying situations, as well as other free resources, such as a free parent guide that can be provided to families.