The issue that I chose to focus on during this capstone project is diversity in schools. Diversity means differences and differences can lead to disrespectful and bullying behaviour. I am looking at early intervention strategies to help prevent bullying and to encourage acceptance and tolerance of differences. I live in the Netherlands so for this assignment I have searched for groups in my area that are working to prevent bullying especially in primary school.
The first organisation that I found is called "School en Veiligheid Stichting" (http://www.schoolenveiligheid.nl) which roughly translates to "School and Safety Foundation". Their main goal is to support schools in the creation of a safe, social climate. They do this through workshops, conferences, information on their website and a live help desk. The foundation is supported by the Dutch government and is targeting education leaders, teachers, parents, and other trusted adults as well as students. They promote social behaviour through the creation of rules and strategies to combat unacceptable behaviour in the areas of bullying, violence, aggression, discrimination, racism, intimidation and extremism. I chose this group because their mission fits in with what I think of when I think about anti-bias education. I also like the way they give concrete advise to schools and parents both on their website and through the help desk.
"Stichting Aandacht voor Pesten" (http://www.aandachtvoorpesten.nl) is the second group that I looked at. This group tries to bring attention to bullying and give people correct information about it. Their target group is, in their own words, "iedereen die anders is" (Stichting Aandacht door Pesten, 2012) or everyone who is different. This foundation works on getting everyone, not just those who have been bullied, involved in stopping this kind of behaviour in all areas, schools, work places, and care homes among them. Their goal is to promote a social discussion around bullying and what we, as a society, can do to stop it. I liked the way this group tries to involve everyone, to make bullying visible in the community and therefore encourage victims to seek help. The website states as a part of their mission the connecting of people seeking help with those who provide it.
The third is called "Kanjertraininging" (http://www.kanjertraining.nl) which literally translates to "Whopper training". This organisation works with schools, teachers, parents, students and other interested parties to maintain a good atmosphere in the class, prevention, or to help fix the atmosphere in the class, curative. Teachers can get a license and there are follow up sessions if needed. I chose this organisation because of the name to start with. While kanjer translates as whopper it is used to show that you are a champion. I like the positivity of this and the idea that there are things you can do to create and maintain a safe learning environment.
I love my job and can not envision a time when I would give it up. If circumstances required me to look for something else, I would try to find a position where I could train others and share experiences. I could do this by joining a team as a workshop leader or being a content manager for a website. In order to do these types of jobs, experience with many cultures and problem solving skills would be a must. I would need to be a very effective communicator and know how to inspire people. I would need to work with many different ages and I would have to be able to modify and tailor my message to the group in front of me.
References
Kanjertraining. (n.d.). Welkom bij de Kanjertraining. Retrieved from http://www.kanjertraining.nl
School en Veiligheid Stichting. (n.d.). Over ons. Retrieved from http://www.schoolenveiligheid.nl/over-ons/
The first organisation that I found is called "School en Veiligheid Stichting" (http://www.schoolenveiligheid.nl) which roughly translates to "School and Safety Foundation". Their main goal is to support schools in the creation of a safe, social climate. They do this through workshops, conferences, information on their website and a live help desk. The foundation is supported by the Dutch government and is targeting education leaders, teachers, parents, and other trusted adults as well as students. They promote social behaviour through the creation of rules and strategies to combat unacceptable behaviour in the areas of bullying, violence, aggression, discrimination, racism, intimidation and extremism. I chose this group because their mission fits in with what I think of when I think about anti-bias education. I also like the way they give concrete advise to schools and parents both on their website and through the help desk.
"Stichting Aandacht voor Pesten" (http://www.aandachtvoorpesten.nl) is the second group that I looked at. This group tries to bring attention to bullying and give people correct information about it. Their target group is, in their own words, "iedereen die anders is" (Stichting Aandacht door Pesten, 2012) or everyone who is different. This foundation works on getting everyone, not just those who have been bullied, involved in stopping this kind of behaviour in all areas, schools, work places, and care homes among them. Their goal is to promote a social discussion around bullying and what we, as a society, can do to stop it. I liked the way this group tries to involve everyone, to make bullying visible in the community and therefore encourage victims to seek help. The website states as a part of their mission the connecting of people seeking help with those who provide it.
The third is called "Kanjertraininging" (http://www.kanjertraining.nl) which literally translates to "Whopper training". This organisation works with schools, teachers, parents, students and other interested parties to maintain a good atmosphere in the class, prevention, or to help fix the atmosphere in the class, curative. Teachers can get a license and there are follow up sessions if needed. I chose this organisation because of the name to start with. While kanjer translates as whopper it is used to show that you are a champion. I like the positivity of this and the idea that there are things you can do to create and maintain a safe learning environment.
I love my job and can not envision a time when I would give it up. If circumstances required me to look for something else, I would try to find a position where I could train others and share experiences. I could do this by joining a team as a workshop leader or being a content manager for a website. In order to do these types of jobs, experience with many cultures and problem solving skills would be a must. I would need to be a very effective communicator and know how to inspire people. I would need to work with many different ages and I would have to be able to modify and tailor my message to the group in front of me.
References
Kanjertraining. (n.d.). Welkom bij de Kanjertraining. Retrieved from http://www.kanjertraining.nl
School en Veiligheid Stichting. (n.d.). Over ons. Retrieved from http://www.schoolenveiligheid.nl/over-ons/
Stichting Aandacht voor Pesten. (2012, December). De missie en uitdagingen van de Stichting Aandacht voor Pesten. Retrieved from http://www.aandachtvoorpesten.nl/ organisatie/de_missie_en_uitdagingen_van_de_stichting_aandacht_voor_pesten/index.html
I like the topic you have chosen for your project. Bullying is something we all need to response to in our classroom. I believe if we can stop children who bully in preschool we can stop this from going up with this problem. Good luck on your project.
ReplyDeleteThese look like really wonderful organizations, right in your own community. I love that the one focuses efforts on educating the entire community. I think it's a very comprehensive and novel approach, rather than only educating those who have been bullied, or even those at risk. This is a great endeavor you're taking on, and I'm looking forward to hearing more about it!
ReplyDeleteIt is always nice to read about organizations that are new to me. You mentioned that you wish to train others; have you looked into pursuing this? What type of credentialing might you need?
ReplyDeleteLaura
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteLove your focus on diversity. The focus on bullying at a young age can help prevent serious actions in our future society. A local accredited center is offering a training on these types of actions and is opening it up to parents. We feel working closely with parents and being on the same page is important.
enjoyed your post I see where we are continually losing our cohorts. That is sad, but happy we all made it thus far.
ReplyDeleteVery informative post!
ReplyDeleteI choose the topic of how pregnant homeless women receive prenatal care. I respect the topic on diversity because, diversity is something that the world needs to learn to embrace. Diversity happens around us everyday. If we embrace diversity then we can educate our children to embrace diversity. I would love to hear more about your research in detail as it progress.
It was also interesting to hear about positions open in the fielded in the Netherlands, thanks for sharing!
Ashley Baldwin
Educating the community is so important! I think often that is overlooked, at least in my area. The organizations that you shared sound wonderful! The families in your community are lucky to have access to these!
ReplyDeleteDear Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI think your courage for fighting against bullying is a worthy issue. The organizations you selected are equally passionate about the issue of bullying and that will work in your favor. Training the community (initially the child's family) about bullying and the signs of bullying is a great thought. You would make a great impact in that area.
I would also suggest that you reach out and make a connection with professionals in the organization. That would really serve you well as they have knowledge first hand and would allow you to how to handle bullying situations that you might be aware of. Good information and I too believe you would make a great trainer.