We have said it before, but this school year has been the hardest one yet. We are all dealing with our fair share of obstacles and it really feels like things won’t be letting up anytime soon. However, what is actually making this year difficult is seeing how much our students are struggling because of these unprecedented times. This is a list of 17 Ways Teachers Manage Bullying and Behaviors in their Classrooms.
As educators, we have dedicated ourselves to providing safe environments for students to grow and learn. And though bullying is defined as a habitually cruel behavior that takes place over time, it is not a pattern we want our students to experience while in our classrooms.
Students are also dealing with the stresses of switching back and forth between in-person and remote learning. This means they are acting out and it is up to us to make them feel secure and show them how to regulate and manage the emotions they are feeling.
Resources like Social Emotional Learning can help both you and your students navigate through tough conversations and establish a trusting relationship. Using routines like daily check-ins will give your students an opportunity to open up and share some of the more difficult parts of their lives with you or at the very least give you the opportunity to see what may be at the root of a behavior. 
For your own education and for a place to get ideas on how to handle difficult behaviors and bullying you can follow along in a blog series like 30 Preventive Strategies to do Before a Behavior, 20 Strategies to do During a Behavior, 15 Responsive Strategies to do After a Behavior, and Creating a Behavior Plan That Works For You.
If it is you that needs support, practicing some of the tips and tricks included in this SEL bundle can help center you. Or you can look to your peers and join a community of teachers on Facebook. This is a safe and supportive place where teachers can look for encouragement and solidarity. The three groups are called Fearless Facebook Groups Fearless Kindergarten Teachers: Education to the Core Facebook Group, Fearless First Grade Teachers: Education to the Core Facebook Group, and Fearless Second Grade Teachers: Education to the Core Facebook Group.
Rewards Teachers are Using to Manage Bullying and Behavior:
1- “I did a sticker chart. I started an hour at a time. Fill in the chart for the reward. Every few days I would add time. It isn’t perfect, but it helps. I would make a big deal about doing a good job. If you do a whole class reward if they are good. Extra reward for the class too. Then everyone is part of it. My class would encourage them too. It’s sort of a lot of work but well worth it. Also, I’ll send them to the principal with a note for good behavior.” – Lisa G.
2- “I do individual rewards with “dollars” they can shop with each week, and they lose these if they are not behaving.” – Morgan J.
3- “I started to pass out a skittle or two, or even a Hershey kiss when this student got this way. Call it maturity, but that seemed to click for them (before winter break, that didn’t even phase the student).” – Amber G.
4 – “I would not implement anything that takes away. If you give something because it’s earned, don’t take it.” – Vera S.
Positive Reinforcement Ideas Teachers are Using to Manage Bullying and Behavior:
5- “Start leaving them little sticky notes telling them positives that don’t depend on their behavior. Like: I think you are wonderful! I love having you with me every day! They will change. They need an adult they can trust. Then teach them HOW they can make their life better at school.” -Mona B.
6- “Today I did “tell me something good.” I gave each of them a post-it and told them during the day to just write down if they see someone do something nice. Just the first name not to take up class time. I then told them if they are telling me something that will help someone from being hurt you can tell me. If it is not then it is tattling, and that will not be okay anymore. When we were lining up at the end of the day the ones that wrote names I had them tell me what that person did well.
I got lots of answers like “she picked up my paper off of the floor. One even (classmate that usually tattles on each other) that her classmate really listen and answered a lot of questions. I know it’s just day one, but so far it went well. They liked to hear nice things about each other. I also said that to them. “It’s so awesome to hear all the good things you guys do for each other. “ Hopefully it will work well tomorrow also.” – Fallon G.
7- “We do Peace Circles. They give each other compliments-deep ones not just I like your shirt. They have to watch their student then at the end of the day, they give the compliment in the sharing circle. Takes time but it helps. I had a girl heavy class last year. This year is the opposite.” – Lisa L.
Teachers are Making a Deeper Connection to Help Manage Bullying and Behavior:
8- “I have to squat or kneel at eye level & make them look at me, sometimes I hold onto their hands and say this is not ok in our classroom. I also have them play with just me at recess sometimes & I tell them because I can’t trust them with the other kids or be safe. They also visit a Pinocchio counselor at school 1x a week. I have them sit near me & away from others students if needed as well. I have done sticker charts in the past but these 2 this yr are already too mature/street smart lol. We also have whole-class rewards. And Blessing stickers anyone can earn when following expectations.” – Beth L.
9- “Try the 2×10 strategy. Spend 2 uninterrupted minutes with each talking about anything they want for 10 days in a row. It makes them feel heard and accepted in ways other strategies sometimes cannot. The extra attention only on them feeds their need for more attention in a more positive way and sometimes you learn a lot too about why they are behaving the way they are. It has worked for me in the past with some more challenging behaviors.” – Jennifer P.
10- “Might not work but try a lesson on the president of US and how he is elected since we just celebrated President’s Day. Discuss the fact that we have never had a female president. Discuss what it takes to be a good leader. Make a chart. Have a vote after the discussion. Tell them that they are only voting on a girl. I did this today ( not for girls, for anyone) the shy, quiet sweetest boy in my class won. ( I have 15 boys and 3 girls, do you want to swap a few). This showed them that kind, respectful, well-mannered behavior is noticed.” – Evie W.
11- “Maybe have them create simple social stories for each other and then they could re-read or revisit that with an adult any time an issue arises? I also think sometimes the kindness thing is overplayed and they do it only when someone is watching. Have you tried reading the book Chrysanthemum (aff.) with them and then making a t-chart about what was learned or something along those lines? Again I’m thinking this would be something you could refer back to when new issues crop up.” – Melanie L.
Teachers are Being Vulnerable to Help Manage Bullying and Behavior:
12- “Have you tried healing stories? I find they’re amazing with my second graders” – Maria D.
13- “One day I sat my whole class down and told them the story about this girl named Randi who bullied me and was so hateful to me when I was their age. I told them how I ran into her at a football game and she sat by me and was so nice. She ended up asking me if we could start getting together. I told the kids that I had no plans of being her friend because I can still feel the hurt in my heart from her actions when I was 6 and I am turning 60 and I can still feel how terrible she made me feel in my heart.
I said to the girls “Do you want to be the Randi of our class?” What do your classmates talk about you when they are my age? Because they will!! The look on their faces was complete horror! A few burst out crying while a few went over and hugged each other.” – Jill S.
14- “I always give them a story about when I was picked on and how awful it felt. I lay it on thick about how hurt I was and I needed someone to be nice. I also do some activities together like jump rope and board games at recess to get them to cheer for and support each other.” – Angela L.
Teachers Are Explaining the Problem With Bullying and Behavior:
15- “I tell them that we are a class family and we need to treat each other that way. It works well with my kids. On a different note, in my student teaching years, this happened and I told them how they will be adults one day and the person they are being mean to today may end up being their doctor or their child teacher, etc. Then I ask, how do you want them to remember you? Would you like them to look back and say oh she was always mean to me? That helped them realize what they were doing and how mean it was.” – Natty A.
Other Ideas For Managing Bullying and Behavior:
16 -“Put 5 green, 2 yellow, and a red unifix cube stick on their desk. Take green cubes away one at a time when they make bad choices. Those are warning blocks, don’t say a word just walk over and take one. When you have to start taking yellow have a consequence ( I use parts of recess). When you take a red more severe consequence, I send a Dojo message to parents, have a trip to the principal, miss all recess, etc…their reward will be kept green and not getting a consequence, this puts them in charge of their destiny. They are choosing bad consequences with poor choices. I personally can’t keep up with reward stickers etc. I have high expectations, meet them or you will have a consequence. After the 3rd parent Dojo, I request a conference.” – Evie W.
17 – “ZERO downtime. Turn them away from each other in the classroom. I had extra reading, writing, and math activities. They never had a chance to even think about the others.” – Alice V.
There is a lot to be said for having a community to bounce ideas off of and look to for support. If you enjoyed reading the ways teachers manage bullying and behaviors ideas that some of our colleagues had to offer you can also sign up for our free Teaching Tiny Humans Teacher Course, where you will get weekly emails and guidance on how to navigate challenging situations, along with tips, tricks, activity ideas, and freebies to make this school year a success and constantly be honing your skills even if you are not in the classroom.
In addition, you can follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @educationtothecore for continued information and resources as the school year progresses, or listen to our podcast Where the Primary Things Are.
Written by – Korryna Sanchez
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