Social Inclusion     



Calendar
 

Guest Book

 

  		 
Back to Workshops

SOCIAL INCLUSION & THE NEW RITES OF PASSAGE
Addressing Isolation,Teasing & Bullying

Seclusion, Endurance, Change and Belonging. 

These are four qualities are present in all traditional initiations where a balance between freedom and responsibility is learnt.  However fewer and fewer children experience these ceremonies. So where are the new rites of passage?  The answer is intense human encounter?  It is in our daily struggles with each other that we define ourselves and experience the four qualities of initiation. How can we 'elder' our children knowing that...peace is not the absence of conflict but the beginning of it. 

A process designed to give practical playground, classroom and home based tools to work with social exclusion issues. We will explore. ...

  • Not waiting for the crisis.  Emphasizing politeness and courtesy as keys to establishing social impulse control and empathetic relationships at home and school. 
  • The 'Put Down Diet'.  Bringing much greater awarness to our verbal and non verbal communication.
  • Disaprove-Discover-Do over.  The three foundations of helping children change negative social patterns without needing to be blamed and shamed.
  • “It’s only teasing.” Acceptable and unacceptable teasing. How to make teasing guidelines the children understand and use.
  • Trauma. Cumulative Stress Reaction and its significant impact on the learning, social and emotional life of children.
  • Problem solving meetings. How to facilitate class and home meetings around social exclusion issues.
  • “We want to help”. How to actively engage students in developing and implementing the Social Inclusion Approach.
  • “Why is this such an issue?” The deeper, aspects of anti-social behavior.
  • “Why me?” A target / bully role profile. Why certain children get picked on while others bully?
  • Teachers and parents working together. How to develop a whole community approach and policy that is supported in your school and home.
  • One size fits few. Different approaches for different ages and the role of story and art.
  • The 'Social Inclusion Approach'. A step by step guide into this tried and proven method. By expressing disapproval while not seeking to give punishment and apportion blame but rather dealing with the matter openly, not judgementally but firmly, this approach encourages and involves….
  • The fostering of 'telling environment’.
  • The children and parents fell free to speak up knowing this will not place the victim in further danger or get the, bully in trouble.
  • The bullies do not gain status for their negative actions.
  • Encourages and exemplifies how a positive caring approach can be effective.
  • Support structures and for students, teachers and parents applicable in the home as well as at school.

The Social Inclusion Approach can be given on a level that is right for your school community; an evening lecture, working with students and faculty devlopment/training are all possible.  However what is most common is that a community will seek to bring real focus and change into breaking the patterns of bullying and teasing.  To do this they will move through a full three phase process of training that moves towards implementing a policy. 

What is listed here in the following page is typical, however, each school community is free to design their own process.  For this reason the fee are not listed on this page but after working out what you want and how many days this will take you can easily calculate the cost by going to the 'Fee Schedule' at the bottom of the 'Workshop' page.Click here to see how the Social Inclusion Training & Implementation process works

*                        *                            *                                *

Some comments on the Social Inclusion work in school communities...

 "Being bullied is absolutely the worst thing that can possibly happen at school, really the worst.  A lot of us knew it wasn't right but since Social Inclusion has come to our school we know that we can speak up without feeling that we will get picked on.  I guess it's because no one gets blamed but everyone has to try and work it out.  It's really better now, much better."  Stephanie 9th Grade student. 

"It used to be sort of hard to know when joking around became teasing.  I think that's where a lot of trouble started.  Now that the teachers and older kids are helping us more, it doesn't get like out of control."  Jake 5th Grade Student  

"When we began the Put Down Diet I thought it would be weird because everyone does it all the time but it's made it way better in our class."  Sophie 3rd Grade Student

 "Introducing the Social Inclusion Approach in our school has not just been like fresh air, it actually 'is' the air..  I feel like I can breathe now.  I feel like there is a clear way that we can work out the social problems that inevitably arise.  My confidence in the school and trusting relationships with the teachers has really improved."  Jessica.  Parent of three children.

 

 "I've been so impressed at how willingly the children take on the Social Inclusion work.  I'm the kind of teacher that stays pretty close to the kids but I was very surprised how much subtle teasing I missed. We still have problems that come up but now the children have the confidence to tell me about it.  I used to have a lot of pretty complex teasing situations to deal with, now we can all work through it in a much more practical yet accountable way.  It takes a lot less time and has seemed to build a healthier social life in the class."  Jean  5th Grade Teacher.

Back to Workshops
 		 
 
  | Home | About | Catalog | Workshops | Calendar | Comments | Leaders |