There Are More Bullies Than Not

What are forms of bullying? What are the effects of bullying?

Bullying is the deliberate and repeated abuse of power that intends to cause harm. It is the continuous attempt to remove power from another. It takes place between genders and ages, families, friends, and strangers, in the home, workplace, and community, and across all social classes, ethnicities, and cultures.

There are many effects and consequences of bullying because it takes many forms: physical, verbal, psychological, emotional, or cyber and social media and there are a wide variety of perpetrators and victims. It can lead a person or an entire group to become extremely uncomfortable and stressed. Bullying leads to discrimination and prejudice, wars and suicide. Specific indicators of bullying and abuse include victims becoming withdrawn and miserable. Specifically in individuals, there could be changes in people’s habits and routines. Their academic and work performances may worsen and their moods will differ. At the same time, many of these signs can also be exhibited in the bullies themselves.   

How can the person being bullied be supported?

Use your instincts and watch for certain indicators. If a person being bullying initiates confides their troubles in you believe what the person says and listen without interruption. Do not give examples about how you were able to deal with bullying – just simply give ‘mms’ and ‘I see’ while attentively paying attention and acknowledging their feelings. Let the person know that they are not alone and reassure that he or she is not the problem. Report the incident if it is happening to a child and encourage an adult to do the same. Violence and bullying cannot be tolerated. Be sure to use assertive behavior when alerting those in charge. Be a role model for taking a stance against bullying. In the future, conduct role plays with the person to deal with different potential scenarios and explain and teach to others that it is OK to take a stance against bullying as well.

How can we support the one who is bullying?

Bullying is serious criminal offense represented as harassment, discrimination, and violence amongst others. There are laws against these social conflicts with zero tolerance policies in schools, government, and work places. At the same time, competition and violence are romanticized throughout culture and the media. Aggressive behavior is a characteristic of many and there are ways to educate people to change.

There are more bullies than not.

To prevent another from bullying, develop and follow clear and consistent rules and policies against it. Share concerns with parents and teachers if the bully is a child and the HR representative if it is an employee matter. It is important to work together with others to send clear and positive messages and get professional support. Praise and reinforce those who have bullied in the past and have changed themselves to have a more positive demeanor. In the case of children use non-physical, non-hostile consequences for rule violations and clear reprimands within personnel notes for employees. Give more concentration and supervision to those who are bullying and be mindful of their activities and friends. A great idea is to build on people’s talents and encourage pro-social activities and non-violent sports.

How can a ‘Zero Tolerance Policy Against Bullying’ be successful?  

It is important that a school or workplace identifies themselves as a ‘safe zone’ for all stakeholders. There has to be involvement from all involved that there are policies in place to manage various social conflicts. There are routines and procedures in place to monitor both pre and post measures to present violence including increased monitoring and supporting. Workshops and conferences should be instituted and targeted to various staff, employees, managers, students, etc to help shape and foster positive attitudes and perceptions. The entire culture of the school should be involved in preventing bullying and safe reporting with no fear of termination or retaliation.

Most importantly – be a great role model.

Time Management Skills.

What are some tips to effectively manage time? Why is reflection important to time management?

Step 1: Make sure that professional work space is a committed one. It is meant to complete business and that alone even if it is at home. Allow it to be comfortable but limit as many ‘outside’ distractions as possible. Additionally, if working from home – shower and dress so that the mindset is on completing business.

Step 2: Have a clear state of mind and body so that you are able to make decisions and prioritize. Eat healthy, have a consistent sleep routine, and exercise regularly. Divide personal and professional business into different categories and do not multi-task. Categorizing the work and to-do lists for each of those groups will hopefully ensure that there is not pressure and become overwhelmed.

Step 3: Manage task deadlines. Break down the steps needed to complete large tasks by setting short and long term goals that are realistically attainable and quantifiable. Make sure that all projects are prepared and can be completed during any potential emergency events. Delegate responsibilities when capable and back burner other priorities until major projects are finished.

Step 4: Reflection is a major process step which takes place during all stages of project development. Review and evaluate work through peer, self, and management review and assessment. Ask for help and support if necessary so that the work flow direction remains progressive and not backward.

Step 5: A well rounded career includes generous breathing room and free time. 

Be sure to check out other areas of the blog to get other tips and skills in regards to professional development. 

 

Students and Their Time Management

Why is time management for students important? How does healthy time management enrich students’ lives? What type of distractions affect students from managing their priorities?

Fostering positive attitudes towards sustainable and healthy independent time management will enrich students during their primary and middle years and ultimately support them in becoming responsible for their own learning. The International Baccalaureate program is fashioned in this way to ensure the development of global citizens.  This is a primary reason why I chose to join and teach its’ curriculum because it is a tool which I only learned later in life - in university - when I was juggling a variety of different “essential” priorities. 

There are many different ways to review and monitor time whether by a school diary, calendar, or a watch. The students are required to actively use their diaries though usually other methods and practices must be developed to monitor chores and responsibilities. With the advent of technology people can choose between great numbers of ways to manage time but there are even more to distract and deflect it.  Thanks to our blessed life, students are able to have first hand access to the internet, Ipads, Ipods, smart phones, personal laptops, PS3, DS, and other mind-shaping devices and integrate them into the learning process while also having a selected – and monitored – time to play. It becomes a large duty to ensure that these “priorities” are met i.e. being sure they are used. 

In comparison, there are the even more time consuming extra-curricular courses which have seemingly taken over students’ ability to acquire proper and respectful social personas and recognize all of their individual responsibilities. This creates a chaotic situation because the students are unable to prioritize their responsibilities with a clear and mature mind or reflect on why they are in fact required to perform and adhere to these day-to-day activities which most importantly include their religious duties and the Al Jabr academic program.

As the students continue through the program, they will spend more time outside the classroom and become even more familiar with the environment around them while at the same time, their academics will only become more rigorous. It is crucial that the students – right now – develop their own successful and self-sufficient time management routine before their learned unhealthy practices meet them at a point in which they are unable to cope or simply have time to learn new.  Both teachers and parents must foster the development of these skills with the students in order to demonstrate a mutual respect and consideration for all involved. There is a vested interest in the students succeeding in all areas of the integrated program. The studying which is assigned to do at home is not meant to be a burden but rather a determined prerequisite for further learning the next day but the required three-way conference between parents, students, and teachers is an excellent time to further discuss each individual student’s goals and the ways that time is being managed at school and at home to ensure that those goals are being met. 

For further research investigate other blog posts. Learn more about the International Baccalaureate program as well.

Collaboration for Professional Development

How does collaborative planning and reflection incorporate differentiation for learning needs and styles? What are the benefits of differentiating learning needs and styles?

Collaborative planning and reflection incorporates differentiation for learning needs and styles because it ensures that the office training is employee centered. It allows for leaders to offer advice and experience personally and professionally. Those who have been to different professional workshops, seminars, or had specific employees on their teams or underneath their supervision previously are capable of giving ideas on how to implement tips and advice that encourages different learning styles so that employee will feel empowered, be proactive and ultimately exceed expectations.

Within an office environment there are daily professional development meetings which include project development, reflections, sharings, leaders’ gatherings, team meetings, and trainings. The ‘Minutes of the Meetings’ (MOM) should be recorded, socialized, and reflected on via an email group, blog postings, and/or then placed on the network server for future reference. Additionally, employees should meet regularly with their coordinators and teammates to discuss goals, targets, and weekly planning with concerns, hesitations, or excitement from others in the office.

Positive open office communication guarantees that there is integration and understanding of the special skills of each individual and what they can offer the team to encourage reaching goals. By engaging everyone into the process there will be better results. It allows for everyone to be a leader and take ownership of their work. Employees prove capable of making their own targeted accomplishments and strive for the mission of being great employees.

At my workplace, employees are encouraged to set targets and complete self and group assessments. The assessments are then reflected upon to assure that progression can be made. This allows for the staff to have ownership within their activities and document their own progression and journey. Having transparency within these processes also ensures that there is balance, inquiry, and risk taking being engaged by management and the employees.

Read other postings for further understanding.

Reading Comprehension

How can I better comprehend what I read?

Reading is extremely important. It serves as a way to give directions, instructions, and new information for us to explore. Thanks to our hectic lifestyle and competitive education system, many of us have learned to ‘read’ without fully comprehending or understanding what we are actually reading.

Below are several steps which were created for students who were learning English as a Second Language. These steps are for people of all ages and professions whether reading for pleasure or work and in any language.

Steps

1. Review and identify the pieces of the article

a. Title

b. Author

c. Source

d. Publisher

e. Illustrations

f. Captions

2. Create Open Questions for Understanding

a. What are my expectations for finishing this article?

b. What is this article about?

c. What does the title tell me the content will be about?

d. How will this article help my project?

3. Skim and Scan for new words

a. Look for new words

i. If appropriate, circle the word or write it in a notebook

b. Try to understand the words through the context of the sentence

c. If absolutely necessary – search within the dictionary

4. Read one paragraph at a time

a. Ask an open question at the conclusion of the paragraph about its contents

b. Answer the open question

i. If you can answer, move to the next paragraph

5. Continue Step 4 throughout the reading

6. Answer the ‘Open Questions for Understanding’ from Step 2

a. If able to answer then move to Step 7

b. If unable to answer, complete the entire reading and steps again

7. Reflect on the reading

a. How successful were you at meeting your expectations?

b. What were the author’s intentions of the writing?

c. Why is this writing an example of a certain theme?

What materials do you usually read? Where do you usually read? How can these steps help to improve your knowledge and performance at work?

Be sure to read the other professional blog posts which provide tips for different areas of life and work.

Dos and Don'ts of Giving a Presentation

What are the dos and don’ts of giving a presentation?

Giving presentations is something that we do all the time whether we know it or not. Informally, we put ourselves on display every time we talk to others, walk down the halls, or eat in the cafeteria. Formally, we may give speeches or Power Point presentations to people in a board room, court room, or auditorium setting.

Here are some professional tips and skills that we can use to ensure that we improve our styles and mannerisms as we present ourselves to others.

Do be prepared

Knowing the expectation, requirements, and deadlines is always the first stage. We have to answer a number of questions before we can move forward to deliver our work. Where will the meeting take place? Who will be in the audience? What is the speaking list? How much time will we have for the presentation? Which type of technical equipment is available?

There are pitches that we give again and again but it is never to the exact same of people or for the same amount of time. The audience and environment always change along with the technical and audio equipment that is available. A great idea is to create a list of essential questions which match the various types of presentations which are routinely given that will serve as a checklist and guide for preparation. A soundness and realism is developed of the upcoming presentation by answering these questions and preparing the actions which have to be done prior to it.

Don’t forget the task at hand

During the presentation make sure to stay on topic. If needed, bring small note cards which can help to ensure that the major points are addressed. Never forget that the most important thing when giving a presentation is to stay in the moment. Turn off the cell phone and smart phones. There will be no text message or email checking.

Be sure that there is time for Q & A during the allotted meeting time and also that there is personal time open immediately after the meeting for networking and answering any additional questions. It is an excellent idea to create a list of challenging questions that may be asked on the presentation topic to guide our own personal understanding so we are not caught off guard. Again, practice makes perfect and role playing several times before the big day serves as a way to calm anxiety and nerves.

Do be engaging

It is important to keep the audience on their toes. Being interactive with the audience begins with wearing a smile the entire day. Make the presentation relevant and not overly repetitive. If giving a Power Point presentation keep the slides active but do not use too much text and animation which can be distracting. Investigate different Power Point rules and tips that fit a style that is fitting for the audience. Be updated on the knowledge of the materials of the topic and the current events of the day which can serve as ice breakers, leads, and fillers if the presentation gets slow.

Do not be culturally unaware

When facilitating presentations and meetings it can be very easy to let our nerves get ahead of ourselves and choose to mistake cultural insensitivity as ‘humor.’ Presentations are no time to be blasting off politically incorrect opinions. Of course, specific organizations each have their own topic and agenda but there is a difference between style and manners. Being politically correct and culturally diverse are characteristics which are found in great leaders. Use presentation opportunities as a moment to present ourselves as a role model for others not the person who gives insensitive jokes and opinions.

Be sure to check out other professional tips that this blog has offered.