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Creating Stop The Bullying!

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 Rayonos { Volume 3 Issue 4 }

Magazine
table of contents
T H E J E W I S H E D U C A T O R S’ M A G A Z I N E F O R P R O F E S S I O N A L E N R I C H M E N T

General Editor
C L A S S R O O M M A N A G E M E N T
RABBI MOISHE BAK

Managing Editor
It’s Time to Stop the Bully ........ 8
RABBI CHAIM WALDMAN
R A B B I A K I VA B A K

Graphic Design
YOCHEVED BRECHER B E Y O N D T H E C L A S S R O O M

Editor/Proofreader The ABCs of Bullying Prevention .. 16

M R S . T. M . C O H E N DR. KENNETH SHORE

M R S . S U R I K AT Z E N S T E I N
MRS. ALIZA TEICHMAN

T E A C H I N G T I P S
Editorial Board
R A B B I YA A K O V B E N D E R Ten Myths About Bullying ...... 22
RABBI OSCAR EHRENREICH
RABBI JOSHUA FISHMAN
RABBI A. HERSH FRIED PH.D.
P R A C T I C A L T E A C H I N G
MRS. WENDY GERSON
RABBI BINYOMIN GINSBERG
Creating Independent Learners .. 24
RABBI TZVI LEVINE
DR. BRIAN GOLDSTEIN
RABBI ELIMELECH GOTTLIEB
RABBI JOEL KRAMER
S P E C I A L I Z E D E D U C A T I O N
RABBI HILLEL MANDEL M.ED.
Is it ADHD or is this
RABBI YITZCHOK MERKIN
MRS. ELAINE RUBINOFF
a Gifted Child? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
REVIEWED BY RABBI A.H. FRIED

F E A T U R E D E V E R Y I S S U E :

5 Editor’s Viewpoint
RABBI MOSHE BAK 36 Education Forum
F E AT U R E D Q U E S T I O N

20 Shared Ideas
P R E V E N T I N G B U L LY I N G 37 Readers Respond
TO LAST ISSUE’S QUESTION

30 Hilchos Melamdim
EXCERPTS FROM wv ,ftkn rpx 39 Magazine Information
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THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE BY THE LAW FIRM OF MICHAEL I. INZELBUCH k"z ovrct ic iubnt ,nab rfzk

4 Rayonos Magazine
 editor’s
viewpoint
RABBI MOSHE BAK

k eeping children safe should be a major priority for

teachers and school administrators. When parents
walk their children to the bus stop or drop them off at
school each morning, they trust that their children will be
in a safe and protected environment until they arrive
safely home at the end of the day.
As educators, it is our responsibility to ensure that
our students are safe. Safe from any physical harm, safe
from emotional harm and, most importantly, that they feel
security and can share with us anything that makes them
feel unsafe or uncomfortable. We need to do this for their
own safety and so that they can focus their attention on
learning and growing, not distracted by the pain of physi-
cal or emotional abuse.
Most, if not all, teachers have a keen sense of their
professional and personal responsibilities. They are con-
cerned about the health, safety and happiness of their stu-
dents. They are aware that they are role models for the
children they teach and that they may be an important
source of support and concern for their students. Teachers
want to do what is best for the children in their care, not
only because this is their professional standard, but also
because the Torah demands it.
Research tells us that bullies are developed outside
the school environment, shaped by a combination of
factors, including lack of parental warmth and attention,
poor supervision, parental modeling of aggressive behav-
ior and an active and impulsive temperament on the part
of the child. The victims of bullies, however, are most
often created at school.
For this reason, we have dedicated this issue of
Rayonos Magazine to Bullying. Our attitudes, behav-
iors, and routines play a large role in the prevalence
of bullying behavior. We hope the articles; tips and
suggestions will raise the awareness of bullying in our
schools and provide the impetus for teachers to take
action. Bullying is a problem that schools can and
must eliminate.

Rayonos Magazine is published six times during the school year and is intended primarily for Mechanchim and Mechanchos teaching elementary,
middle school and high school children. Although it is written for the Torah educator it is also beneficial for anyone interested in curriculum, instruc-
tion, and leadership in Yeshiva Day Schools. Individual One Year Subscriptions – U.S.A.: $2.50 per issue. Canada and foreign: $3.00. Discount Group
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e-mail: Rayonos@ TheTorahEducator.com. Copyright © 2007 by Strategies Inc. All rights reserved.

Editor’s Viewpoint 5
 OW
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 classroom management
Rabbi Chaim Waldman
BASED ON AN ARTICLE BY: MRS. L. LUMSDEN
Published in the Education Resources Newsletter (March 2002)

Bullying is one
of the most
common forms
of social

Bully
posturing
among children, IT'S TIME
and it can have
devastating
TO STOP THE
effects on
its victims.
TAKING A PROACTIVE STANCE
AGAINST BULLYING IN OUR SCHOOLS

s himmy was the new boy last year,

having moved to town from across
the country in January. He had made
some friends, and was looking forward
to seventh grade. This year, his class has
been allowed to join the 7:30 school
minyan, which is followed by a hot
breakfast. Shimmy is a seventh grader
who always shows up, though he is not
yet “bar mitzvah'ed”. Of his several
friends, only Ari comes, but Ari has
been somewhat distant with him this
year. He supposes it's because Ari, like a
number of other boys, grew a lot over
the summer and is almost two heads
taller than Shimmy. Shimmy seems to
be the only boy who hasn't grown even
a smidgen, but he is trying to pretend it
doesn't matter. Still, he hates when kids
pinch his cheeks–really twisting hard–or
pick him up suddenly and dump him
down somewhere.
This morning, after breakfast, in
the basement lunchroom, Shimmy and
some other boys went upstairs to the
classroom. He was hesitant to join a
cluster of kids around Ari, who was not
looking inviting, so he busied himself at
his desk. Suddenly he felt a hard tug on
his collar. As he choked and raised his
hands to his throat, he felt himself
lifted up in the air, and was
flung–smack!–into the garbage can. As
he stared around him, stunned, some
kids began to jeer and throw their
squashed drippy milk containers and

8 Rayonos Magazine
other stuff at him. He struggled to
climb out, and was roughly shoved
back by Ari, who leered maliciously
down at him.
Shimmy's heart stood still for a
second. Then he wrenched himself up
in fury and went for Ari, but was no
match for the much larger boy, and
was soon fleeing the classroom, fol-
lowed by a crowd of shouting boys. He
panicked. They were all after him! He
ducked into another classroom, but was
followed, and almost cornered. He
dashed to an open window and scram-
bled out in the nick of time. He raced
to the front door, hoping to sneak in
quietly, and go downstairs, where the
Rebbeim were still at breakfast. But as
he pushed the door open, he was met
by some other mocking faces. He fled
around the building, trying for the side
door. No luck. The crowd had
expanded and he couldn't get in. From
the tail of his eye, he saw some boys
rounding the building toward him. In
desperation, he flew down the path,
climbed over the fence enclosing the
school grounds, and began racing
home–more than three miles away.
Parents send their child off to
school believing it is a safe and
secure environment. They expect the
adults to whom they entrust their
child's welfare will guard it as they
would. It is therefore shocking for a
parent to find that his/her child has
suffered from bullying, and that none
of the child’s educators have taken
steps to prevent it.
A school, and a Torah school
above all, should be a place where a
student can count on being treated
with respect. The reality, however, is
that a significant number of students
experience bullying episodes on
school grounds. Unfortunately, since
educators tend to minimize or
underestimate the extent of bullying,
it is often tolerated or ignored. The
tragedy is that bullying often causes
serious harm, which sometimes
results in long-term academic, physi-
cal, and emotional consequences.
Educators' failure to intervene is
generally based on a notion that such
occurrences belong in the private
social arena of children where adults
must not tread, and where all chil-
dren will eventually learn to assert
themselves socially–simply a part of
“growing up”.
How often have we heard an
educator proudly state, “I never
interfere in the children’s private
battles. I leave them to sort out their
differences themselves.”
Or another shrugs, “Well; boys
will be boys, you know.”
Another typical response is to
admonish the victim, or his parent.
A school, and a Torah school above all, should be
a place where a student can count on being treated
with respect. The reality, however, is that a
significant number of students experience bullying
episodes on school grounds every day.
For example: “Your son doesn’t stand
up for himself much. He should
learn to fight back.”
We might imagine that the above
comments were probably for minor,
minimal incidents, but I assure you,
they were not. And in an increas-
ingly violent and self-centered world,
bullying is becoming more virulent
in nature, and must be seriously
addressed.
This article examines the
problem of bullying and some of its
effects, discusses steps schools are
taking, looks at ways peers
can discourage bullying,
and identifies other strate-
gies that are being
pursued.
What Is Bullying?
Bullying occurs when a person
willfully and repeatedly exercises
power over another with hostile or
malicious intent. A wide range of
physical or verbal behaviors of an
aggressive or antisocial nature falls
under the term bullying. These
include verbal abuse, such as insult-
ing and teasing, or physical abuse,
as in threatening, humiliating,
harassing, and mobbing. Bullying
may also assume less direct forms
(sometimes referred to as “psycho-
logical bullying”) such as gossiping,
spreading rumors, and shunning or
exclusion.
How Prevalent Is the
Problem?
Bullying is one of the most
common forms of social posturing
among children, particularly in
groups. Considering that the bully’s
“other side of the coin” is cowardice,
this should not be surprising.
Children are on the most vulnerable
rung of the human social structure.
They live under the arbitrary rule of
adults who can grant or withhold
simple freedoms from them at will,
and they have no recourse. It is
Classroom Management 9
 classroom management
natural for someone who
feels powerless to seek
power, and he will instinc-
tively look for someone
weaker to practice on. He fears
repercussions from those who have
power over him, so he will use his
power when/where he can’t “get
caught”. Thus the term “bully-
coward”.
Children who attack those in the
youngest grades in areas where they
can’t be seen, and children who
create a mob atmosphere–with the
premise that “they can’t punish all of
us”–are typical examples of bullies
found in our schools, and in schools
everywhere.
What Is the Impact of Bullying
on Targeted Students?
Bullying can have devastating
effects on victims. As one middle-
school student expressed, “There is
another kind of violence, and that is
violence by talking. It can leave you
hurting more than a cut with a
knife. It can leave you bruised
inside.”
Students who are targeted by
bullies often have difficulty concen-
trating on their schoolwork, and
their academic performance tends to
be “marginal to poor”. Typically,
bullied students feel anxious, and
this anxiety may in turn produce a
variety of physical or emotional ail-
ments.
Suri had studied long and hard for
the chumash test, and was sure she
knew it perfectly. She sat straight, in
the last seat of her row, looking blankly
ahead of her as Morah passed out the
papers. Miriam, who sat directly in
front of her, turned to give her the
exam, but dropped it-”by mistake/on
purpose”-and stamped her foot on it to
keep it from flying. Suri heard a few
10 Rayonos Magazine
quickly suppressed titters, and turned
red.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Miriam
exclaimed, handing the smudged sheets
to Suri. “Oh, Morah, Suri didn’t take
her paper from me.”
Morah frowned at Suri. “Smooth
out the sheet,” she admonished. “I
haven’t any extras, so you’ll have to be
very neat.”
Miriam’s lip curled in a smirk, and
she stuck her tongue out at Suri before
turning back to her seat with a satisfied
air.
“Why does Morah believe Miriam
all the time?” wondered Suri miserably.
For the duration of the test, Suri’s
mind was filled with dread. All she
could think about was, “What is
Miriam planning to do to me at lunch
today?” “Maybe I can take very long
at my test, and
ask Morah if I
can finish it
during lunch-
and not go to
lunch at all.”
She was
so preoccupied, she
left out or misunder-
stood most of the answers on the exam;
her handwriting was illegible even
where she seemed to know the answers.
Morah had not allowed her extra time,
and could not understand why Suri was
failing so badly. She certainly had not
noticed that anything serious was going
on between her students.
Many targeted children avoid
public areas of the school, such as
the playground, lunchroom, and
restrooms, in an attempt to elude
bullies. For some students, the fear
is so great that they avoid school
altogether. Every day, hundreds of
children stay home from school
because they are afraid of being
bullied. Rates of absenteeism are
higher among victimized students
than rates among their non-bullied
peers, as are dropout rates.
The psychological scars left by
bullying often endure for years.
Evidence indicates, “The feelings of
isolation and the loss of self-esteem
that victims experience seem to last
into adulthood”. Studies have found
a higher level of depression and
lower self-esteem among formerly
bullied individuals at age twenty-
three, even though as adults these
individuals were no more harassed
or socially isolated than a control
group.
Another cause for concern is
that the bullied child may eventually
retaliate in an unprecedented,
exceedingly violent manner. For this
victim has been hurt by all the
members of his school, faculty and
students alike. The horrify-
ing headlines of stu-
dents gunning down
classmates and
teachers are one
frightful result of
bullying.
A well-known mechanech who
works extensively with troubled
adolescents, explains: “Teenagers
who are bullied generally show
higher levels of insecurity, anxiety,
depression, loneliness, unhappiness,
physical and mental symptoms, and
low self-esteem. When students are
bullied on a regular basis, they may
become depressed and despondent,
suicidal, or even homicidal.
Bullying is a precursor to physi-
cal violence by its perpetrators
and can trigger violence in its
victims.”
This leads to a concern that falls
into our realm–the latest plague on
the Jewish scene–the issue of “kids
at risk”. Take a survey, and you may
find that many of these jaded chil-
dren were bullied at some point in
their lives. They may be rejecting the
society that hurt them.
In our Day Schools, children
hear many tales of those who cham-
pioned the underdog; Moshe
Rabbeinu is our prime example, but
we also have “modern” ones, such as
the story of the Chofetz Chaim as a
child, spilling water out of the water
carrier’s bucket, and so on. Children
find it incongruous to hear such
lofty tales, and later observe their
teachers looking the other way when
children are taunting each other, or
telling them to play somewhere else
when they complain that someone
shoved them off the jungle gym.
It is also unconscionable to
encourage a child to stand up and
fight back, when we have carefully
explained how evil
nekamah–revenge–is. When the
grown-ups in their lives don’t appear
to uphold the Torah they teach, is it
any wonder some of our children
view us with skeptiicism? Is it really
so shocking that some children have
a hard time with their commitment
to Judaism?
In the Education Forum of
Rayonos Magazine 3.3, the author
put it best when he said, “In our
community, where character devel-
opment is stressed from a very
young age, victims of bullying suffer
even more. They begin to wonder,
why are the adults, who preach the
importance of good middos, not pro-
tecting me?”
What Can Schools Do To
Counteract Bullying?
A. AWARENESS
Rabbi Kalman Baumann,
Principal of Yeshiva Toras Emes in
Miami Beach, Florida, has imple-
mented an anti-bullying policy this
year that has shown signs of success.
In a phone interview, he shared
some of his secrets. “A written anti-
bullying policy distributed to every-
one in the school community,” he
told Rayonos, “helps send the
message that bullying incidents will
be taken seriously.”
At Yeshiva Toras Emes, an
assembly for all students is called,
where bullying is defined, and the
various consequences meted to a
bully are clearly spelled out.
Secondly, the students are informed
of their own responsibilities.
Consciousness-raising is a key to
squelching bullies, he continues, for
most children join the bully, or
ignore his evil actions, out of fear of
“being next”. “They must be taught
that doing nothing is also a crime.”
A discussion of the concept of
Schools that succeed in anti-bullying programs all
share a common attitude; they take a proactive
stance by implementing programs that teach
students “social skills, conflict resolution, anger
management, and character education”.
arvus [responsibility for one another]
is explored from many angles. The
students were once shown a video in
which the hero first joins a bullying
“mob”, then has remorse, and learns
and rehearses how to act the next
time a similar situation occurs. In
the last scene, he finally stands up to
the bully.
[Editor’s note:Rabbi Baumann gra-
ciously permitted Rayonos to copy the
bulletin Yeshiva Toras Emes distributes
to its school community (this includes
teachers, parents, and students). It can
be viewed on page 13.]
“To be effective,” Rabbi
Baumann concluded, “the
policy must have the
support of school staff, and
it must be fairly and consistently
applied.”
B. SUPERVISION
To discern the nature and extent
of the bullying problem in your
school, the school (principals and
teachers) can distribute surveys to
students, school personnel, and
parents. Once baseline data is col-
lected, the administration will be
better able to judge whether any
subsequent changes are actually
making a difference.
Debra Pepler, director of the
LaMarsh Centre for Research on
Violence and Conflict Resolution at
York University in Toronto, suggests
mapping a school’s “hot spots” for
bullying incidents. This would
greatly reduce the number of bully-
ing incidents on a daily basis. Once
problematic locations have been pin-
pointed through survey responses or
a review of disciplinary records,
supervision can be concentrated
where it is most needed.
Providing better supervision is
not necessarily costly. It simply can
mean ensuring teachers are available
and visible, especially during nonre-
strictive activities. For example,
Classroom Management 11
 classroom management
principals can ask teachers grams all share a common attitude; aloud at rest period.
to stand in the doorways of they take a proactive stance by At the intermediate level,
their classrooms during implementing programs that teach Wendy and the Bullies, by Nancy
transition time so that the students “social skills, conflict reso- K. Robinson, Invisible Lissa, by
halls are well supervised. When lution, anger management, and char- Natalie Honeycutt, A Secret Friend
teachers are assigned lunchroom or acter education.” by Marilyn Sachs, or The Hundred
playground duties, they should There are a number of middos Dresses by Eleanor Estes, can be
understand that they may not gather programs available that can be read aloud to the class as a treat, or
into social clusters, but must be sta- incorporated into a school’s curricu- used in a reading group during
tioned strategically so that they can lum. Many people feel that since secular studies, and followed up
both “see and be seen”. There will be these middos are embedded in their with written commentary and/or dis-
fewer “accidents” with fewer unsu- other subjects, it is not necessary to cussion groups.
pervised locations available. “sacrifice time” for such programs. For junior high and high school
If an incident occurs during a However, teaching children to be ages, I highly recommend the play
teacher’s watch, it is incumbent on aware of their own failings, and Thunder on Sycamore Street by
him/her to crush it immediately. The helping them develop strength of Reginald Rose. This could even be
mildest form of cruelty in acted before the entire
the presence of a role school.
model can never be toler-
ated, or the wrong How Can Peers
message is sent to the Discourage Bullying?
children–the emulators of Schools that take anti-
our behavior. bullying seriously know
Although we don’t that peers often actively or
want to create “scenes”, passively reinforce the
we must somehow find a aggressive behaviors of
way to discipline the In our community, where character deve- bullies through their
bullies. Perhaps by simply lopment is stressed, victims of bullying attention and engagement.
using a code word, e.g., suffer even more. They wonder, “Why are Peer presence is positively
“unacceptable”, or “that’s the adults, who preach the importance related to the persistence
shameful”, when such an of bullying episodes.
of good middos, not protecting me?”
occasion occurs, we will Similarly, psychologist
convey the message that Peter Fonagy says, “The
we have observed and clearly disap- character, is a crucial area in whole drama is supported by the
prove of such behavior. chinuch, and should not be short- bystander. The theater can’t take
changed for the sake of another place if there’s no audience”.
C. REINFORCEMENT PROGRAMS arts-and-crafts project. As long as a In his book, Participant Role
To achieve permanent changes middos program is not competitive, Approach to School Bullying
in how students interact, many it can have a positive lasting effect (published 1999), the author main-
mental health professionals suggest on the children. tains that bullying is increasingly
that educators not only deliver nega- A number of menahalim and viewed as a “group phenomenon,”
tive consequences to those who menahalos recommend books that and intervention approaches should
bully, but teach positive behavior can help children learn to deflect be directed toward witnesses as well
through modeling, coaching, bullies, and grow in self-confidence. as direct participants. Schools need
prompting, praise, and other forms For younger children, stories such as to encourage the development of
of reinforcement. Similarly, schools Herbie’s Troubles, by Carol anti-bullying attitudes among peers
that succeed in anti-bullying pro- Chapman, age level 5-8, can be read through awareness-raising, the
(continued on page 14)

12 Rayonos Magazine
 TORAS EMES ACADEMY OF MIAMI
CREATING A BULLY-FREE SCHOOL
WHAT IS BULLYING?
Bullying is when a stronger, more power-
ful person hurts or frightens a smaller or
weaker person deliberately (on purpose)
and repeatedly (again and again).
Bullying in schools occurs most often when
adults are not in immediate proximity, such as
in the playground, lunchroom, and hallways.
Bullying can be physical, verbal, or even by
innuendo.

Bullying behaviors include Toras Emes has as its goal to protect victims
the following offenses: and potential victims, and to help bullies to
change their ways.
■ Attacking others
■ Bossing others around This is being accomplished through sensi-
■ Breaking others’ things tivity-training of staff, students, and parents,
■ Damaging others’ things and through adoption and implementation of
■ Embarrassing a school policy that deals with bullies and bul-
■ Frightening lying incidents. The policy is outlined below.
■ Gossiping
■ Harassing Hierarchy of Consequences for Students
■ Hitting Engaged in Bullying Behavior:
■ Hurting others’ feelings 1 FIRST OFFENSE – Counseling by
■ Ignoring
teacher/administrator.
■ Insulting
■ Kicking 2 SECOND OFFENSE – Parent is notified of
■ Laughing at others behavior by the teacher/administrator.
■ Making fun Student loses recess time.
■ Making others feel inferior
3 THIRD OFFENSE – Student, parent(s),
■ Making others feel invisible
counselor, administrator and teacher meet
■ Leaving others out
to discuss bullying behavior and are made
■ Telling lies that are hurtful or harmful
aware of potential future consequences
■ Making others do things
should bullying be repeated.
they don’t want to
■ Name-calling 4 FOURTH OFFENSE – Automatic three day
■ Putting others down out of school suspension. Parents meet
■ Refusing to talk to someone and with administrator. Student must turn in
getting others to do the same all missed work upon return to school.
■ Picking on others because they are
“different”
5 FURTHER OFFENSES – If bullying behavior
■ Rejecting others continues, more severe consequences will
■ Saying nasty things to or about others be imposed by the administration, possibly
■ Screaming including expulsion from Toras Emes.
■ Spreading rumors
■ Stealing This bullying policy is in addition to the policy
■ Taking others’ things without already in place that deals with physical
permission attacks, threats and foul language.
■ Teasing
■ Using verbal taunts With the support of parents, staff and stu-
■ Writing nasty or hurtful things dents all children will feel safe and secure at
about others Toras Emes, and everyone will work together
to prevent and stop bullying behavior.

Classroom Management 13
 classroom management
opportunity for self-reflec- What Else Can Be Done? social-service agencies to work
tion and wakening feelings together. Perpetrators are fre-
1. In the public school system,
of responsibility, and role- quently from “hostile family envi-
some states are beginning to
playing or rehearsing new ronments”. They may be victims
require each school to adopt
behaviors. of acts of aggression at home, or
anti-bullying policies. Colorado,
To discourage peers from acting witness aggression among other
New Hampshire, and West
as an “audience” to bullying behav- family members.
Virginia recently passed legisla-
ior, there are schools that have a 3. Parents can play a role in reduc-
tion that makes it mandatory
policy of disciplining bystanders as ing bullying. William Pollack, a
well as bullies. Students and their psychologist, says, “Research
parents sign contracts at the shows that the success of any
beginning of the school year program is 60% grounded in
To discourage peers from
acknowledging that they under- whether the same kinds of
stand it is unacceptable to acting as an “audience” to approaches are used at home”.
ridicule, taunt, or attempt to hurt bullying behavior, there are
other students. If an incident If everyone works together to
schools that have a policy discourage
occurs, it can be used as an
opportunity to educate students of disciplining bystanders bullying and
about alternative ways of resolv- respond to
as well as bullies.
ing similar situations in the
future.
Teaching respect and nonvio-
lence must begin in elementary
for schools to have anti- inci-
school. Some principals allow their
bullying policies. dents,
nonviolence programs to be run and
Massachusetts has allocated one fertile con-
organized by older students, which
million dollars to “bully-proof” ditions are
can be particularly powerful,
its schools. created for students to develop a
because, as one high school student
put it, younger students “don’t look 2. Students who bully often need greater sense of connection to their
up to old people; they look up to intensive support or intervention, peers, and for seeds of respect and
teenagers”. so it is important for schools and acceptance to grow.

RESOURCES
Ballard, Mary; Tucky Argus; and Theodore P.
Remley, Jr. “Bullying and School Violence: A
Proposed Prevention Program.” NASSP
Bulletin (May 1999): 38-47.Phi Delta Kappan
Barone, Frank J. “Bullying in School: It
Doesn’t Have to Happen.” Phi Delta Kappan
(September 1997): 80-82. EA 533 807.
Bowman, Darcia Harris. “Survey of Students
Documents the Extent of Bullying.”
Education Week on the Web (May 2, 2001).
Clarke, E. A., and M. S. Kiselica. “A
Systemic Counseling Approach to the
Problem of Bullying.” Elementary School
Guidance and Counseling 31 (1997): 310-24.
Labi, Nadya. “Let Bullies Beware.” Time
online, March 25, 2001.
Colvin, G.; T. Tobin; K. Beard; S. Hagan; and
J. Sprague. “The School Bully: Assessing the
Problem, Developing Interventions, and
Future Research Directions.” Journal of
Behavioral Education 8, 3 (1998): 293-319.
Garrity, C.; K. Jens; W. Porter; N. Sager; and
C. Short-Camilli. Bully-Proofing Your School.
Longmont, Colorado: Sopris West. 1996.
Hoover, J. H.; and R. Oliver. The Bullying
Prevention Handbook: A Guide for Principals,
Teachers, and Counselors. Bloomington,
Indiana: National Education Service, 1996.
Khosropour, Shirin C., and James Walsh. “The
Effectiveness of a Violence Prevention Program:
Did It Influence How Children Conceptualize
Bullying?” Paper presented at the annual
meeting of the American Educational Research
Association in Seattle, April 2001.
Nansel, Tonja R.; Mary Overpeck; Ramani S.
Pilla; W. June Ruan; Bruce Simons-Morton;
and Peter Scheidt. “Bullying Behaviors
Among U.S. Youth: Prevalence and
Association with Psychosocial Adjustment.”
Journal of the American Medical Association
286, 16 (April 25, 2001).
National Association of Attorneys General.
Bruised Inside: What Our Children Say
About Youth Violence, What Chauses It,
and What We Should Do About It. Author,
2000.
Naylor, Paul, and Helen Cowie “The
Effectiveness of Peer Support Systems in
Challenging School Bullying: The
Perspectives and Experiences of Teachers and
Pupils.” Journal of Adolescence 22, 4 (August
1999): 467-79. EJ 609 417.
O’Connell, Paul; Debra Pepler, and Wendy
Craig. “Peer Involvement in Bullying:
Insights and Challenges for Intervention.”
Journal of Adolescence 22 (1999): 437-52.
Salmivalli, Christina. “Participant Role Approach
to School Bullying: Implications for Interventions.”
Journal of Adolescence 22 (1999): 453-59.
U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment
Center. Safe School Initiative: An Interim Report
on the Prevention of Targeted Violence in Schools.
Washington, D.C.: Author, October 2000.
Vail, Kathleen. “Words That Wound.” The
American School Board Journal (September
1999): 37-40.
Walker, Ruth. “To Stop Bullying, Involve the
Whole School.” Christian Science Monitor
(March 13, 2001): 19.

14 Rayonos Magazine
 Nobody Likes a Bully
CBRE HEIAN T ING A BULLY-FREE SRCOHOOMOILS
D EVERY SUCCESSFUL CLASS
UN DE RS TA ND IN G AN D PR EV EN TIN G BU LLY IN G IN
YO UR SC HO OL

Workshop Description: Highlights will include:

Bullying is something someone does or says to
FORMS OF BULLYING
gain power and dominance over another.
Bullying includes any action, or implied action TYPES OF BULLIES
such as threats, intended to cause fear and dis- THE IMPACT OF BULLYING
tress. In this workshop you will learn techniques
to observe, detect and overcome bullying in your WHERE DOES BULLYING
HAPPEN?
classroom or school.
THE VICTIM AND THE BULLY
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO BRING
THIS WORKSHOP TO YOUR SCHOOL, REPORTING BULLYING
CALL STRATEGIES: (718) 233-3724 EXT. 3
THE ROLE OF PARENTS AND

‘‘
BYSTANDING STUDENTS

STRATEGIES I really
1328 VIRGINIA STREET • FAR ROCKAWAY, NY 11691 appreciated your presentation on
(718) 233-3724 ext. 3 • FAX (718) 228-5602 ‘‘
"Bullying". It was very thorough and

‘‘
EMAIL TeachMeTorah@aol.com informative. As the mother of three girls,
the topic comes up often in our home!
MRS. RIVKA GINSPARG,
As a teacher PARENT
OTHER QUALITY TEACHER WORKSHOPS BY STRATEGIES: of 25 years, I was tired of the bully-
! THE PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING ! SCHOOL: A HAPPY PLACE FOR ALL ing that took place in my classroom. Your
!
!
!
THE ELEMENTS OF INSTRUCTION
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
THE QUALITIES
OF THE GREAT TEACHER
!
!
!
DISCIPLINE WITH DIGNITY
OBJECTIVE BASED TEACHING
UNDERSTANDING
ALL THE MODALITIES
‘‘
presentation gave me helpful and practical
solutions to an ever increasing problem. Your
workshop empowered me to succeed -
Thank you.
RABBI SHALOM RUBIN
HIGH SCHOOL REBBI
 beyond the classroom
Written by: Dr. Kenneth Shore
P S Y C H O L O G I S T, N E W J E R S E Y

Strategies for
a school-wide
anti-bullying

The ABC’s of
campaign that
involves staff,
students, and
parents.
BULLYING PREVENTION
b ullying is a serious and perva-
sive problem in our schools.
For those who are the targets of bul-
lying, the incidents can be the most
painful experiences of childhood,
often leaving lasting scars. Victims
can experience anxiety, fear, and even
depression for years to come.
Bullying also can affect those stu-
dents who witness the incidents – the
bystanders. Bullying can give rise to a
climate of fear and anxiety in a
school, distracting students from
their schoolwork and impeding their
ability to learn. Students who witness
their classmates being victimized
wonder, “Am I going to be next?”
The possibility of being bullied can
cause students to live in a state of
fear, focusing on little else. This isn't
surprising when you consider that
children who were surveyed rated
bullying the second worst experience
of childhood — second only to the
death of a loved one.
Despite the pervasiveness and
potential seriousness of bullying, it is
a problem that often escapes detec-
tion by teachers. One study found
that only four percent of bullying
episodes were observed by school
staff. Even when teachers are made
aware of bullying, they sometimes
turn a blind eye. They might view it
as a harmless rite of passage that is
best ignored. The reality, however, is

16 Rayonos Magazine
that bullying is not harmless and it
must not be ignored.
It is critical that teachers be on
the lookout for signs of bullying.
Although teachers might not actually
witness a bullying incident (bullies
are very adept at tormenting their
victims outside the presence of
adults), they should see the results of
the bullying. A child who is bullied
might show any or all of the follow-
ing characteristics:
1. anxiety in class.
2. frequent visits to the school nurse.
3. a decline in academic
performance.
4. unusual sadness or withdrawal
from peers.
5. unexplained bruises.
This article describes strategies
teachers can use to deal with bullying
in the classroom. If schools are to
make real headway preventing inci-
dents of bullying, however, the
strategies need to be part of a school-
wide anti-bullying campaign that has
the commitment of staff, students,
and parents.
Act immediately if you
observe or hear of bullying
taking place. Don't let it continue
on the assumption that children need
to learn to stand up for themselves.
Bullies are often bigger and stronger
than their victims, who often lack the
physical ability or verbal skills to
adequately defend themselves.
Allowing bullying to continue might
result in the bullied child being hurt
physically or psychologically.
Talk privately with the
bully. Give the bully an opportu-
nity to explain his behavior, but
expect him to downplay his actions
or place the blame on the victim. If
you are confident that he was engag-
ing in bullying, let him know that
further incidents will not be toler-
ated. Tell him that you and other
staff will be monitoring his behavior
very closely and disciplinary action,
including notifying his parents, will
be taken if another incident occurs.
(Or you might decide that the inci-
dent warrants disciplinary action
rather than just a warning.) After
putting the bully on notice, try to
elicit his cooperation. Tell him you
don't believe that he really wants to
hurt another child and ask for ideas
about resolving the problem. You
might find that a sympathetic
approach elicits kinder and gentler
behavior. Bullies bully for a reason
— to gain status with or power over
peers, to punish a child they are
angry at or jealous of, to vent frus-
Children who were surveyed rated bullying the
second worst experience of childhood – second
only to the death of a loved one.
tration with problems at home or in
school. Try to identify what is
behind the bullying and provide
appropriate support.
Keep in mind that the
purpose of disciplining bullies
is to deter their aggressive
actions, not to humiliate or
embarrass them. Insist that the
bully return any items she has taken
from the victim. You also might
want to exclude the bully from
places or activities where she has
harassed other students, remove
classroom privileges, or give her
detention. Notify her parents imme-
diately of what she
has done and ask
that they have a
serious talk with
their child about
her behavior. You might want to
consider having the parents in for a
conference. Solicit their support for
the steps you are taking in school.
The principal also might decide the
incident is serious enough that it
warrants a suspension from school.
On the day of the student's return to
school, she might be required to
come in with her parents and sign a
contract in which she agrees not to
engage in any further bullying
behavior. The contract should define
the prohibited behaviors in a spe-
cific manner and set out conse-
quences if she does not abide by the
contract
Don't neglect the victim.
Just as the bully warrants your atten-
tion, so does the victim. Ask him
what happened and listen sympathet-
ically and attentively. Let him know
that he is not to blame for the bully-
ing. Encourage him to tell you of
other incidents and reassure him that
you will make every possible effort to
stop it. You also might want to help
him learn how to be assertive with
bullies without being aggressive. Try
role-playing, suggesting what he
might do or say during a bullying
incident to project a greater air of
confidence. Make sure the student
knows that he should not respond
Classroom Management 17
 beyond the classroom
physically, however.
Retaliation only
escalates a bully's
aggression. You might
want to inform the victim's parents
about what happened and what
actions you have taken. (Let the child
know you will be doing that.) Give
the student frequent pats on the back
to boost his confidence and increase
his feelings of comfort. Talk with him
periodically to ask if the problem is
continuing; if so, take action.
Survey the class about
bullying. The results of an anony-
mous survey might help you gauge
the extent and types of bullying
taking place, as well as the places
where it is occurring. Of course, that
also can be done on a school-wide
basis, and serve as a benchmark to
assess the success of any programs
intended to lessen the occurrence
of bullying.
Hold a class meeting to
discuss bullying. With
younger students, you might
want to begin by reading a story
suited to their age, such as The
Berenstain Bears and the
Bully. Make it clear that bullying
other children is a serious matter
and that it will not be allowed in
your classroom. Talk with stu-
dents about what bullying is; give
examples of bullying and ask for
examples from students. Consider
writing their ideas on the black-
board. Discuss how children who
are bullied might feel; write those
ideas on the board as well. Ask if
any students want to share their
experiences of being bullied, but do
not let them talk about specific stu-
dents. Ask students what they might
do if they see another student being
18 Rayonos Magazine
bullied. Encourage them to either
take action to stop the
bullying or report it
to an adult.
Pay attention to
students who are
isolated from their
peers. Isolated stu-
dents are the most likely
targets for bullies. Help
those students become
involved with their peers
by arranging for friendly
and accepting students to
invite them to join in classroom
or playground activities. You
also might arrange for students
who are loners to engage in
activities together. Those stu-
dents might need your help to
learn what to say and do when
Despite the pervasiveness
and potential seriousness
of bullying, it is a problem
that often escapes
detection by teachers.
One study found that
only four percent of
bullying episodes were
observed by school staff.
interacting with peers. They might
not know what to say to initiate an
activity with a classmate or to join an
ongoing activity.
Encourage children to be
kind to one another. Praise chil-
dren who act in a kind or sensitive
way to classmates. Announce to the
whole class incidents that displayed
kindness. You also might recog-
nize children who display
those behaviors by giving
certificates or rewards at
school assemblies. You can
promote the kinder and
gentler side of students by
offering them opportunities to
help others. Perhaps the most
important step you can take to
help children treat one another
respectfully is to model that
behavior in your own interactions
with your students. That means
avoiding the use of sarcasm or put-
downs, for example.
Advocate for your school to
develop an anti-bullying policy.
Talk with your principal about
putting an anti-bullying policy in
place or bring up the topic at a
staff meeting. The policy should
specifically define what consti-
tutes bullying, describe its impact
on individuals, discuss ways of
preventing bullying, and list a
graduated series of consequences
for those who continue to bully
others.
Dr. Kenneth Shore is a psychologist
who has worked in public schools for
more than 25 years. He is now in
private practice and works in various
Yeshivas in Lakewood, NJ. He has
authored six books and produced a
book and video series on bullying for
schools and parent organizations called
The ABC's of Bullying Prevention. In 2001
he was awarded the Peterson Prize by
Rutgers University, which goes to a distin-
guished alumnus for “outstanding contri-
butions to professional psychology.” Dr.
Shore was also named School Psychologist
of the Year in New Jersey for 2004. For
further information, go to his web site:
http://drkennethshore.nprinc.com.
 A collection of classroom-tested ideas
for motivation and success.
Your ideas are welcome:
Email: Rayonos@aol.com.

PREVENTING BULLYING
Shared Ideas
All-about-Me Books imaginary vacation. Outline the resources
Setting the Rules they have available to them, including a
Creating “All-about-Me Books” is a wonderful budget. Instruct children to choose a destina-
opportunity to build esteem in children and Before starting any of tion, plan meals, purchase supplies, and so
help them to identify their strengths. It can the following activities... forth. A project such as this can enhance
also help students understand the importance math and geography skills, as well as plan-
of diversity and respecting differences. Before beginning any activity ning, problem-solving, and life skills.
Distribute blank pages to each child. Instruct that involves potentially sensi- Teachers can observe groups but should not
them to write the following titles on each page: tive material, it is important to intervene with the group process unless it
“My Name Is,” “My Address Is,” “My Favorite begin by creating rules. Having becomes too problematic. This will allow stu-
Color (food, sport, hobby, Music Tape, etc.) Is,” ground rules can help students dents to learn the value in working through
“When I Grow up I Will,” and so on. After each to feel safe. Discuss possible their problems, compromise, and even
page has been titled, allow children to answer rules with the students who will arguing effectively.
the questions. Students can cut pictures from participate in the activity.
magazines, draw pictures, or write answers
Rules might include:
Defining Bullying
depending on their grade level. After books are
complete, return to the group circle and allow ■ No one has to talk unless Prepare a list of simple scenarios to present to
each student to share his or her book with they want to children in your class. Scenarios should
others. Do not force students to share. describe an interaction between children that
■ Respect what other people
could be perceived either as teasing or bullying.
After a child has shared the book, allow others say; no laughing
For example, “Dovid took the basketball from
to ask questions about what was in it. Offer ■ One person talks at a time Yaakov during recess and wouldn’t let him play
encouraging words. Point out students who
basketball,” or “During gym class Sarah pur-
have similar likes or goals. Point out students Post rules in a visible place posely tripped Zehava while they were playing a
who have differences and emphasize the value during any activity and encour- game,” or “Nechama refused to allow Tikva to
in respecting these differences. age students to hold one sit at the lunch table even though there was
another accountable to the plenty of room.” Create a variety of scenarios
rules. This prevents the teacher that deal with many different problems—exclu-
Cooperative Learning Projects from becoming the referee of sion, name-calling, fighting, and so on. Read
Cooperative learning projects are a creative the activity. each scenario to the group and have the chil-
way to combine academic learning with dren vote whether the problem described is bul-
socialization and group-building skills. lying or harmless teasing. Encourage discussion
Rather than allowing students to form their own groups, assign of each scenario. Ask questions such as, “How would that make
students to groups. Yaakov feel?” or “What should Tikva do in that situation?” This activ-
ity is a good place to begin. It allows teachers to better understand
For lower elementary-aged students, assign a project such as a their students’ perceptions of bullying.
group book report. Instruct children to create a diorama or a
skit about the book. For upper elementary students, assign It will also help students begin to think critically about conflict, feel-
more involved projects. For example, allow children to plan an ings, bullying, and so forth.

20 Rayonos Magazine
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minds in an entertaining way.

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Features include pointers from the parashah, tales of tzaddikim, fiction stories, science pages, a serialized story,
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 10
MYTHS
about
BULLYING
———
MYTH I :
Bullies suffer from insecurity and
low self-esteem. They pick on
others to make themselves feel
more important.
THE RESEARCH:
Most bullies have average or above-
average self-esteem. They “suffer” from
aggressive temperaments, a lack of
empathy, and poor parenting.
—————
MYTH II :
Bullies are looking for
attention. Ignore them and
the bullying will stop.
THE RESEARCH:
Bullies are looking for control, and they
rarely stop if their behavior is ignored.
The level of bullying usually increases if
the bullying is not addressed by adults.
22 Rayonos Magazine
If teachers are to successfully prevent or eliminate
bullying in their classrooms, they need to under-
stand the characteristics of bullies and their victims.
According to Olweus, an organization that has been
studying those characteristics for 30 years, much of
what we have always believed about bullying is wrong
– consequently many of our techniques for dealing
with bullies and their victims have simply made the
problem worse. Bullies are not, the research indicates,
cowardly misfits with low self-esteem. Their victims
are rarely chosen because of the color of their hair or
skin or the shape of their glasses. And, perhaps most
importantly, bullying is not a problem that will go
away without adult intervention.
Following are ten myths about bullying that Olweus
has identified through his research:
MYTH III :
Boys will be boys.
THE RESEARCH:
Bullying is seldom outgrown; it's simply
redirected. About 60 percent of boys
identified as bullies in middle school
commit at least one crime by the time
they are 24. In addition, bullying done
by girls is at times more cruel than that
done by boys.
—————
MYTH IV :
Children can be cruel about
differences.
THE RESEARCH:
Physical differences play only a very
small role in bullying situations.
Most victims are chosen because they
are sensitive, anxious, and unable to
retaliate.
MYTH V :
Victims of bullies need to learn
to stand up for themselves and
deal with the situation.
THE RESEARCH:
Victims of bullies are usually younger or
physically weaker than their attackers.
They also lack the social skills to develop
supportive friendships. They cannot deal
with the situation themselves.
—————
MYTH VI :
Large schools or classes are
conducive to bullying.
THE RESEARCH:
No correlation has been established
between class or school size and bully-
ing. In fact, there is some evidence that
bullying may be less prevalent in larger
schools where potential victims have
increased opportunities for finding sup-
portive friends.
MYTH VIII :
Bullying affects only a small
number of students.
THE RESEARCH:
At any given time, about 25 percent of U.S.
students are the victims of bullies and about
20 percent are engaged in bullying behav-
ior. The National Association of School
Psychologists estimates that 160,000 chil-
dren stay home from school every day
because they are afraid of being bullied.
—————
MYTH IX :
Teachers know if bullying is a
problem in their classes.
THE RESEARCH:
Bullying behavior usually takes place out of
sight of teachers. Most victims are reluc-
tant to report the bullying for fear of embar-
rassment or retaliation, and most bullies
deny or justify their behavior.
—————

————— MYTH X :
MYTH VII : Victims of bullying need to follow
the adage “Sticks and stones will
Most bullying occurs off break your bones, but names can
school grounds. never harm you.”
THE RESEARCH: THE RESEARCH:
Although some bullying occurs outside Victims of bullying often suffer lifelong
of school or on the way to and from problems with low self-esteem. They are
school, most occurs on school grounds: prone to depression, suicide, and other
in classrooms, in hallways, and on play- mental health problems throughout their
grounds. lives.

TEACHERS ARE A DECIDING FACTOR Bullies, Olweus notes, many times, are produced in the home, shaped by
a combination of factors, including lack of parental warmth and attention, poor supervision, parental modeling of
aggressive behavior, and an active and impulsive temperament on the part of the child. The victims of bullies,
however, are most often created at school. “Teachers' attitudes, behaviors, and routines,” Olweus said, “play a large
role in the prevalence of bullying behavior.” Bullying is a problem that schools can — and must — control.

Teaching Tips 23
 practical teaching
Written by: Rabbi Tzvi Levine
E L E M E N TA R Y S C H O O L R E B B E

Providing a
Creating
Independent
variety of
methods,

Learners
activities
and resources
is the simplest
and fairest
way to reach all THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING
your students.
TOWARDS DIVERSE LEARNING NEEDS

e very year, teachers enter a

classroom filled with 20-30
individual students, each with their
own learning styles, interests, and
abilities. Providing optimal learning
for such a diverse group can be a
daunting task. However, if we recog-
nize that a teacher’s essential role is
guidance, and the goal is to create
independent learners, we will follow
a simple approach – one that will
enable all our students to succeed.
This approach is simply about
variety and choice.
While it is certainly necessary
to maintain the structure of a
classroom environment (e.g., rou-
tines, rules, procedures), one can
still provide a variety of learning
opportunities.
Examples of varied learning
opportunities are:
■ Lectures
■ PowerPoint presentations
■ Inquiry-based instruction
■ Hands-on experiments
■ Project/problem-based
learning
■ Computer-aided instruction

24 Rayonos Magazine
 Providing variety is the simplest
and fairest way to reach all your stu-
dents. Firstly, when planning your
lessons, include as many of the senses
and/or Gardner’s multiple intelligences
(verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical,
kinesthetic, visual- spatial, musical,
interpersonal, intrapersonal, and natu-
ralist) as possible.
Providing a variety of activities
will enable students of all ability
levels to succeed.
Embed several activities
within your lessons, such as:
■ Songs
■ Games
■ Experiments
■ Field trips
■ Real world experiences
■ Interviews
■ Guest speakers
■ Physical movement/exercise
■ Small group or individual
activities
■ Partner activities
■ Cooking/food/snacks
■ Hands-on experiences
Secondly, this approach exposes
the students to new and different
learning styles, and enables them to
develop flexibility in their personal
learning style. For although most
people have a learning-style prefer-
ence, it doesn’t mean they must
depend strictly on that style to
learn. They may find they are com-
fortable with and able to learn from
several other styles as well.
Therefore, such a setting actually is
an aid in providing optimal learning
for all students.
There are many options and
choices of devices and resources to
make available in your classroom,
and these, too, should be varied. Technology has
Since children also have preferred made available a wide range
learning devices, making as many of resources, such as PowerPoint
kinds available as possible provides presentations, live video feeds, chats,
for this diversity. and communication. PowerPoint pre-
sentations are a great way to present
information using a mixture of audio,
video, animation (movement), and
Diversity makes text. These presentations can also be
the classroom made available to the students via the
computer to review at their own
more interesting pace.
and exciting. PREPARATION FOR LEARNING
Teachers should Pre-exposure to material also aids
honor and respect in learning. The more familiar stu-
dents are with a subject, the more
the uniqueness interest they will take in it.
of each student Therefore, a number of pre-exposure
materials, which consider the various
by offering learning preferences of all students,
variety and choice should be available to browse
through at their leisure, in prepara-
in their tion for a new learning unit.
classrooms.
Some learning-prep
materials are:
■ Monthly calendars that list
Below are some examples of areas
the upcoming themes
to implement this approach:
■ Books
LEARNING & REVIEWING ■ Appropriate Magazines
Besides the typical classroom ■ Maps
lecture, one can implement different ■ Computer software
methods or devices for presenting ■ Manipulatives
information, such as: ■ Posters
Various methods and devices
for teaching:
■ Audio (songs, speeches, MEANINGFUL LEARNING
interviews, etc.) Novelty always gets students’
■ Video attention. People naturally show
■ Books interest in things that have per-
■ Posters sonal value or are personally mean-
■ Hands-on manipulatives ingful to them. Therefore, relating
learning to your students’ real life
■ Food and smells
experiences or interests can catch
Practical Teaching 25

and keep their atten-
tion. “Shock” them with
an unusual sound, experiment,
video, song, etc. Gain their atten-
tion at the beginning of a unit by
presenting them with an idea, a
problem, or a project that relates to
their real world. Issues such as
environmental problems, problems
with long lines in the cafeteria,
designing the perfect playground,
planning a field trip within the
budget, local traffic issues, etc. can
all be considered. Making learning
meaningful, relevant, and interest-
ing to your students not only gains
their initial attention, but keeps it
throughout the lesson.
practical teaching
EMPOWERED LEARNING of empowerment over their learning,
and can aid them in deciding what
When applicable, offer students learning styles and assessments
choices in activities and assessments. work best for them, thus helping
This gives them opportunities to them become more responsible for
showcase their individual talents, their own learning.
and is also an asset to classroom It would be a pretty boring
management. Students who are con- world if all learners were the same.
Offering students choices in activities and assess-
ments gives them opportunities to showcase their
individual talents and a sense of empowerment
over their learning, thus helping them become
more responsible for their own learning.

BIO-COGNITIVE LEARNING
Not only do students have
diverse learning styles, but varying
bio-cognitive cycles as well. Some
students learn best in the morning,
some in the afternoon. Therefore,
having a flexible classroom schedule
can provide for these differences.
Also, varying the times and types of
assessments can give all students a
fair chance of showing their true
abilities.
stantly dictated to, with no voice or
choice, can grow resentful and
uncooperative. It is beneficial to
offer a variety of classroom activities
to choose from during structured
and unstructured times. Assign proj-
ects such as posters, PowerPoint
presentations, reports, interviews,
videos, brochures, etc. to choose
from when assessing their knowl-
edge. These will give them a sense
Diversity makes the classroom more
interesting and exciting. Teachers
should honor and respect the
uniqueness of each student by
offering variety and choice in their
classrooms. Not only will this
address the diverse needs of the
students, but it will help them
become independent learners as
well. Which, after all, is the goal of
education!

It would be a pretty boring world

if all learners were the same.

26 Rayonos Magazine
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 :,nab rfzk lrgb
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ibhrnts tk ujry rfa kct vumnv ,hhag rfa tkt rx,hn
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aseku ,uzvk vkyc u,usg shgvk ohkyc uhbhs iusk urfa
uvtnyu ivf vhv otu vken rpt urptu vrgn hn uhnhn
runjv kg uchfrn iez vhv otu ufxu uveanu ukhftn u,nur,n
/kyc kgupf urfa uk i,ubu
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/vftkn v,ut ka kgupf
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30 Rayonos Magazine
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vp kgca vru, kct rfac snkk r,un rfac c,fca vru,

Hilchos Melamdim 31
 specialized education
Based on an article published in the ERIC Digest by: James T. Webb
Reviewed by: Rabbi A.H. Fried Ph.D.

Differentiating
IS IT
ADHD
between
behaviors

Gifted Child?
associated with

OR IS THIS A
giftedness,
which are also
characteristic
of ADHD,
is not easy.

a vi’s teachers say he just isn’t

working up to his ability. He
doesn’t finish his assignments, or just
puts down answers without showing his
work; his handwriting and spelling are
poor. He fidgets in class, talks to others,
and often disrupts by interrupting
others. He used to shout out the answers
to the teachers’ questions (they were
usually right), but now he daydreams a
lot and seems distracted.
Does Avi have Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), is
he gifted, or both?
As interest in and acceptance of
ADHD has grown within the field of
education, a number of children with
various behavioral and/or learning
issues have been classified inaccurately
with ADHD. Bright children in partic-
ular have fallen under this misnomer,
for just as a severely learning-disabled
child does not learn in the same
manner as his peers, an extremely
advanced child may not respond to
the classroom in a typical fashion.
Because they exhibit some behaviors
commonly associated with ADHD,
(such as restlessness, inattention,
impulsivity, high activity level, day-
dreaming), such children are fre-
quently referred to psychologists or
pediatricians for a proper diagnosis.
The Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders lists 14
characteristics found in children diag-
nosed with ADHD. To meet the criteria
for such a diagnosis, at least 8 of these
characteristics must be present, they
must have been present for a span of
at least six months, and their onset
must have occurred before age 7.

32 Rayonos Magazine
DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER
Note: DSM-III-R Diagnostic Criteria For Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder reprinted with permission from the “Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” Third Edition, Revised, Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 1987.
1 Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat
(in adolescents may be limited to subjective feelings
of restlessness).
2 Has difficulty remaining seated when required to.
3 Is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli.
4 into other people’s games.
Has difficulty waiting turns in games or group situations.
5 Often blurts out answers to questions before they
have been completed.
6 Has difficulty following through on instructions from
others (not due to oppositional behavior or failure of
comprehension).
7 Has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play
activities.
The difficulty lies in that almost all these behaviors
might be found in bright, talented, creative, gifted chil-
dren. Until now, little attention has been given to the simi-
larities and differences between the two groups, thus
raising the potential for misidentification in both areas --
giftedness and ADHD.
Since professionals sometimes base a diagnosis of
ADHD on parent or teacher descriptions of the child's
behaviors, along with a brief observation of the child, the
issue becomes more complicated. Brief screening ques-
tionnaires may give more clarity to the diagnosis, but
WHAT DISTINGUISHES ADHD FROM GIFTEDNESS??
Differentiating between behaviors associated with giftedness, which are also characteristic of ADHD, is not easy, as
the following parallel lists show:
B E H AV I O R S A S S O C I AT E D W I T H A D H D (BARKLEY, 1990)
1 Poorly sustained attention in almost all situations
2 Diminished persistence on tasks not having
immediate consequences
3 Impulsivity, poor delay of gratification
4 Impaired adherence to commands to regulate or
inhibit behavior in social contexts
5 More active, restless than normal children
6 Difficulty adhering to rules and regulations
8 Often shifts from one uncompleted activity to
another.
9 Has difficulty playing quietly.
10 Often talks excessively.
11 Often interrupts or intrudes on others, e.g., butts
12 Often does not seem to listen to what is being said
to him or her.
13 Often loses things necessary for tasks or activities at
school or at home (e.g., toys, pencils, books).
14 Often engages in physically dangerous activities
without considering possible consequences (not for
the purpose of thrill-seeking), e.g., runs into street
without looking.
these questionnaires only quantify the parents’ or teachers’
descriptions of the behaviors (Parker, 1992). Children
who are fortunate enough to receive a thorough physical
evaluation (which includes screening for allergies and
other metabolic disorders) and extensive psychological
evaluations, (which include assessment of intelligence,
achievement, and emotional status), stand a better chance
of being accurately identified. The child may have ADHD.
Or he may be gifted. Or he may be gifted and have
ADHD. Without a thorough professional evaluation, it is
difficult to tell.
BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH GIFTEDNESS (WEBB, 1993)
1 Poor attention, boredom, daydreaming
in specific situations
2 Low tolerance for persistence on tasks
that seem irrelevant
3 Judgment lags behind development of intellect
4 Intensity may lead to power struggles with authorities
5 High activity level; may need less sleep
6 Questions rules, customs and traditions
Specialized Education 33
 specialized education
HOW CAN ADMINISTRATORS/TEACHERS RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENCE?
Examining the parallels of
the two lists shown above, one can see
that the gifted child’s responses indi-
cate specificity as opposed to the ran-
domness of the ADHD child’s
behavior. The ADHD child seems to
be in a continuous mode of inat-
tention and distraction, while the
gifted child seems to be reacting to
a situation. Therefore, one must be
vigilant in making clear observa-
tions during an incident of prob-
lematic behavior. He/She must
consider the situation and the
setting of each incident carefully.
Gifted children typically do not
exhibit problems in all situations.
For example, they may be viewed
as ADHD-like by one classroom
teacher, but not by another; or they
may be perceived as ADHD at
school, but not by their scout
leader or music teacher. Close
examination of the troublesome sit-
uation generally reveals other
factors that are prompting the
problem behaviors.
Children with ADHD, by con-
trast, typically exhibit problem
behaviors in virtually all settings
“including at home and at school”,
though the extent of their problem
behaviors may fluctuate signifi-
cantly from setting to setting
(Barkley, 1990). That is, the behav-
iors exist in all settings, but are more
of a problem in some settings than in
others. This creates an area of confu-
sion, since the degree of the problem-
atic behavior depends largely on the
structure of each situation. Thus,
while it can be ignored in one setting,
it is unmanageable in another. Below
are described some areas of concern,
and the differences to look for when
presenting evidence for an evaluation.
34 Rayonos Magazine
In the classroom, a gifted child’s This use of extra time is often the
perceived inability to stay on task is cause of the referral for an ADHD
likely to be related to boredom, cur- evaluation. 4 It must be noted that
riculum, mismatched learning style, or when a gifted child occupies himself
other environmental factors. Gifted with something of more interest to
children may spend from one-fourth him than the lesson, he may “tune
out” or withdraw from the class,
and thus perform poorly when
tested on the material. Such a sce-
nario tends to reinforce the
assumption of ADHD as the
culprit.
Briefly, the disruptions of ADHD
children are random; the gifted child’s
are the result of “time on his hands”
HYPERACTIVITY
Hyperactive is a word often
used to describe gifted children as
well as children with ADHD.
However, while children with
Determining whether a child ADHD have a high activity level,
has ADHD is particularly this activity level will generally be
difficult to diagnose when manifest in all situations (Barkley,
1990). The child who is hyperac-
the child is actually gifted.
tive has a very brief attention span
Careful consideration and in virtually every situation (except
appropriate professional when involved with television or
evaluation are necessary computer games, which flash new
images continually).
before concluding that a
Many gifted children, too, are
bright, creative, intense highly active: as many as one-
youngster has ADHD. fourth may require less sleep
than the average child. However,
their activity is generally focused
to one-half of their regular classroom and directed (Clark, 1992; Webb,
time waiting for others to catch up -- Meckstroth, & Tolan, 1982). Gifted
even longer if they are in a heteroge- children can concentrate comfort-
neously grouped class. Their specific ably for long periods on tasks that
level of academic achievement is often interest them, and do not require
two to four grade levels above their immediate completion of those tasks
actual grade placement. Such children or immediate consequences. The
often respond to non-challenging or intensity of their concentration often
slow-moving classroom situations by permits them to spend long periods
“off-task” behavior, disruptions, or of time and much energy focusing
other attempts at self-amusement. on whatever truly interests them.
However, since their specific inter-
ests may not coincide with the
desires and expectations of teachers
or parents, their subsequent behav-
ior may result in a referral for an
ADHD evaluation.
In short, the activities of children
with ADHD tend to be both continual
and random; the gifted child’s activity
usually is episodic and directed to spe-
cific goals.
PERFORMANCE CONSISTENCY
One characteristic of ADHD that
does not have a counterpart in chil-
dren who are gifted is variability of
task performance. In almost every
setting, children with ADHD tend to
be highly inconsistent in the quality of
their performance and the amount of
time used to accomplish tasks
(Barkley, 1990). For example, the
child’s grades within a single subject
may fluctuate erratically. Or a child
who has accomplished a task patiently
and properly in one instance, may
exhibit difficulty with the identical
task in a second instance.
Gifted children routinely maintain
consistent efforts and high grades in
classes where they like the teacher
and/or are intellectually challenged,
although they may resist some aspects
of the work, particularly repetition of
tasks perceived as dull. Some gifted
children may become intensely
focused and determined to produce a
product that meets their self-imposed
standards (an aspect of their intensity).
In brief, the ADHD child’s perform-
ance is inconsistent; the gifted child per-
forms deliberately.
FOLLOWING RULES
& STRUCTURE
Difficulty with and adherence to
rules and regulations has only begun
to be accepted as a sign of ADHD
(Barkley, 1990). However, this appar-
ent resistance occurs sporadically, the
child accepting a rule at one time,
rejecting it at another, or following
part of an order, then balking before
it’s complete. This follows the pattern
of inconsistent performance described
above, and does not indicate rebel-
liousness.
Gifted children have questioning
and challenging minds, and are often
irritated by norms that seem wasteful
or boring to them. They may actively
question rules, customs, and tradi-
tions. They can sometimes create their
own set of complex rules, which they
expect others to respect or obey. Some
engage in power struggles. These
behaviors can cause discomfort for
parents, teachers, and peers.
In short, the ADHD child’s resistance
is sporadic; the gifted child resists inten-
tionally.
WHAT TEACHERS AND
PARENTS SHOULD DO
Determining whether a child has
ADHD is particularly difficult to diag-
nose when the child is actually gifted.
Careful consideration and appropriate
professional evaluation are necessary
before concluding that a bright, cre-
ative, intense youngster such as Avi
has ADHD. However, since giftedness
is often neglected in professional
development programs, very few pro-
fessionals have had much-if any-train-
ing in recognizing the characteristics
of gifted/talented children (Webb,
1993).
Therefore, parents and teachers
must not hesitate to raise the possibil-
ity of giftedness with any professional
who is evaluating the child for ADHD.
They must insist on the application of
many instruments, including intelli-
gence tests, achievement tests, and
personality tests, as well as parent and
teacher rating scales. These will give
the professional a broader spectrum of
the child’s behavior,
and help him determine
the subtle differences
between ADHD and giftedness.
An individual evaluation, which
allows the professional to establish
maximum rapport with the child, is
most beneficial for ensuring the child’s
best effort on the tests.
Each test plays a specific role in
the evaluation. Portions of the intellec-
tual and achievement tests demon-
strate attention problems or learning
disabilities. Personality tests are
designed to reveal the possible pres-
ence of emotional problems (e.g.,
depression or anxiety), which could
be causing the problem behaviors.
Since the test situation is constant, it
helps the professional make better
comparisons among children.
After an evaluation has been
made, appropriate curricular and
instructional modifications must be
created to meet the child’s specific
needs. It must account for advanced
knowledge, diverse learning styles, and
various types of intelligence. It is time
to take the bull by the horns-and out
of the china shop!-and offer our many
gifted children the space and the mate-
rials to help them experience the
natural joy they take from learning.
REFERENCES
American Psychiatric Association (1987). “Diagnostic
and statistical manual of mental disorders,” Third
edition, revised. Washington, DC.
Barkley, R. A. (1990). “Attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment.”
Guilford Press: New York.
Clark, B. (1992). “Growing up gifted.” Macmillan:
New York.
Parker, H. C. (1992). “The ADD hyperactivity hand-
book for schools.” Plantation, FL: Impact Publications.
Webb, J. T. (1993). “Nurturing social-emotional devel-
opment of gifted children.” In K. A. Heller, F. J. Monks,
and A. H. Passow (Eds.), “International Handbook for
Research on Giftedness and Talent,” pp. 525-538.
Oxford: Pergamon Press.
Webb, J. T., Meckstroth, E. A., and Tolan, S. S. (1982).
“Guiding the gifted child: A practical source for parents
and teachers.” Dayton: Ohio Psychology Press.
Specialized Education 35
 Let’s Led by: Rabbi Yitzchak Merkin

TALK
D E A N , Y E S H I VA O F G R E AT E R WA S H I N G T O N

education forum
WHEN IS IT PROPER TO CALL HOME?

Dear Teachers,
When is it proper to call home?

On one hand, keeping the lines of communication open between school

and home should pave the way for a more successful school year for our
students. Surely the needs of the students can be met more fully when
parents and teachers are sharing the experiences they have with the chil-
dren in the home and classroom. Also, having established a general
rapport with the parent makes it easy to pass along a compliment when
Please share any the child has met a goal. The subsequent positive reinforcement from the
ideas or suggestions home can only prolong his/her success. And of course, when a child has
you may have. misbehaved, there is less unease in nipping the undesirable behavior in
the bud via a quick phone call. The joint efforts of parent and teacher will
redirect the child immediately, and help him/her reach behavioral goals
sooner.

On the other hand, familiar communication between teachers and parents

often produces a negative effect. The student may be uncomfortable with
any camaraderie between these two authorities in his life. He may con-
sider home and school as two separate entities, and view the phone call
as a breach of trust, or as an unwarranted consequence. Many students
Please send
consider it unfair to involve their parents in a “private” issue between the
your comments to:
two of you. Many teachers experience a “distant feeling” from students
Rayonos Magazine after they have called their home. Is it worth it?
1328 VIRGINIA STREET
F A R R O C K AWAY, N Y 1 1 6 9 1 Many teachers are torn on this subject. Different teachers have different
approaches toward contacting a parent. What are yours?
FA X :
718-228-5602

EMAIL:
Rayonos@TheTorahEducator.com

36 Rayonos Magazine
 L A S T M O N T H , T H E E D U C AT I O N F O R U M P O S E D T H E Q U E S T I O N ,
C A N W E C O M B AT B U L LY I N G I N S C H O O L ?
BELOW IS A SAMPLING FROM SOME OF OUR READERS’ REMARKS.
Dear Rayonos,
Kudos to you for your topic of discussion in
last issue's Let's Talk. As a parent and
educator, I find myself many times on both
ends of the stick. I often find myself having
no patience for bullies now that I've come
into contact with this pain experienced by
my own children. Recently, my fellow teach-
ers came up with a small brochure that we
handed out to the student and parent-body
of our school. The administration agreed to
publish it because they wanted to demon-
strate to the community that we would be
accountable.
Bullying Prevention Tips
STUDENTS:
1. If bullied, tell your parents. Telling is not
tattling.
2. Tell a trusted teacher, counselor, princi-
pal, or have your parents talk to the
school.
3. Do not retaliate or get angry.
4. Respond evenly and firmly or say nothing
and walk away.
5. Develop friendships and stick up for
each other.
6. Act confident.
7. Take a different route to and from
school.
8. Avoid unsupervised areas of school.
9. Do not bring expensive items to school.
Let’s
TALK readers respond
PARENTS:
1. Encourage your child to share problems with
you with the assurance that it is not tattling.
2. Praise and encourage your child – a confident
child is less likely to be bullied.
3. Help your child develop new friendships – new
peers can provide a new chance.
4. Maintain contact with your child's school.
Keep a detailed record of bullying episodes
and communication with the school.
5. Encourage your child to participate in
sports or physical activity to improve
esteem.
SCHOOLS:
1. Establish a bullying preven-
tion committee.
2. Create a long-
term anti-bullying
plan and raise school and community aware-
ness and involvement.
3. Use student surveys to determine if there is a
bullying problem.
4. Involve parents in planning, discussions and
action plans.
5. Establish classroom rules against bullying.
6. Create positive and negative consequences
regarding bullying.
7. Initiate serious talks with bullies and
victims of bullying.
L.B.
Education Forum 37
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