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COURSE TITLE:

BULLYING BEHAVIORS: Enough is Enough

NO. OF CREDITS:

5 QUARTER CREDITS
[semester equivalent = 3.33 credits]

WA CLOCK HRS:  
OREGON PDUs:  
PENNSYLVANIA ACT 48:  		 50
50
50

INSTRUCTOR:

Michael Sedler
mike@communicationplus.net

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Is bullying a part of our culture and therefore an expected part of our educational system? Is it possible to make the school environment a place without fear?  Will our classrooms ever be safe places without concern of being teased and picked on?
This class will help educators develop proactive strategies to minimize and prevent bullying and teasing behaviors. We will discuss victims, rescuers, bystanders, and bullies and how they are intertwined in life. Empowering victims, strategies for bystanders, alternative approaches for rescuers, and re-direction in behaviors for bullies will be shared with all participants.
Research based approaches will be presented to help each person feel more confident and qualified at intervening during the bullying cycle of behavior. We will focus on facilitating the change of attitude in each studentʼs life. Name calling, tattling, threats, and physical attacks will all be addressed. Checklists and resources will be shared to support each person. 
This course will benefit all educators, P-12.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon completion of this course, participants will have:

  1. The knowledge to identify bullying characteristics within people.
  2. Gained additional skills and strategies to minimize bullying behaviors within school and community settings.
  3. Analyzed case studies of bullies, victims, bystanders, and rescuers.  Intervention approaches for each category will be addressed.
  4. Observed a minimum of two settings and analyzed the bullying behavior within each.
  5. Successfully developed an intervention plan for a chosen setting and implemented change strategies.
  6. Evaluated several websites, films, and articles regarding bullying tactics and behaviors.
  7. A greater knowledge of group dynamics and ways to help students overcome the patterns of bullying and victimization in their lives.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Completion of all specified assignments is required for issuance of hours or credit. The Heritage Institute does not award partial credit.

HOURS EARNED:
Completing the basic assignments (Section A. Information Acquisition) for this course automatically earns participants their choice of CEUs (Continuing Education Units), Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, or Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours. The Heritage Institute offers CEUs and is an approved provider of Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, and Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours.

 

UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT INFORMATION

REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
Continuing Education Quarter credits are awarded by Antioch University Seattle (AUS). AUS requires 75% or better for credit at the 400 level and 85% or better to issue credit at the 500 level. These criteria refer both to the amount and quality of work submitted.

  1. Completion of Information Acquisition assignments 30%
  2. Completion of Learning Application assignments 40%
  3. Completion of Integration Paper assignment 30%

 

CREDIT/NO CREDIT (No Letter Grades or Numeric Equivalents on Transcripts)
Antioch University Seattle (AUS) Continuing Education Quarter credit is offered on a Credit/No Credit basis; neither letter grades nor numeric equivalents are on a transcript. 400 level credit is equal to a "C" or better, 500 level credit is equal to a "B" or better. This information is on the back of the transcript.

AUS Continuing Education quarter credits may or may not be accepted into degree programs. Prior to registering, determine with your district personnel, department head, or state education office the acceptability of these credits for your purpose.

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION

REQUIRED TEXT

You may choose a book from the Bibliography OR Select a relevant book on your own, with my prior approval.
The Bibliography is located at the end of the syllabus. 
Text books may be ordered directly from the publisher (see the list/emails at the back of your manual), online, or through bookstores. 

None. All reading is online.

MATERIALS FEE

A course manual may be downloaded, from the instructor’s website at http://www.michaelsedler.com There is no charge of the manual. Click on classes, from there scroll down the page and click on the orange lettering ‘Manual’ next to the class “Bullying...”. It will download as a PDF. While there is no fee for the manual, you may have to pay to order a book from the bibliography or one of your own choosing. Or, you may borrow one from a friend or check one out at the public library for free.

ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR HOURS OR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

A. INFORMATION ACQUISITION

Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. Feel free to read and respond to others' comments. 
Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum. 

Assignment #1: Read the Manual.

Read the entire manual and send a one page summary of what you hope to learn in this class. Everyone taking the class, including in groups, must complete this assignment. Download the current manual from my website.

Assignment #2: Read Your Chosen Text.

Read a book from the bibliography or one of student's choice. If taking this course in a group, each person should read a book.  Only one person needs to write a summary. 

Critique the book based on personal experiences and insights.  Write a 2-3 page paper.

Assignment #3: Complete Manual Worksheets.

Complete assignments for:

Case Study  (p. 9)   (write a 1-2 page summary of your answers)
Classroom Level Strategies  (p. 36-37)    (write a 2 page summary with personal reflection). 

 


 

Assignment #4: Going To The Movies.

View a movie (or television show) from the list located in the back of the manual, p. 53,  (or one of your own choice that fits within the topic of this class). Be sure to take notes on what you watch as it
pertains to the subject matter in this course.

Once you have completed watching the movie (or TV show), respond in a two (2) page paper.  

  • List behaviors that you would categorize as bullying tactics.
  • How did people respond to the actions by the bully/bullies? Be sure to organize behaviors into the subgroups of bully, victim (bullied), and observer when appropriate.
  • Based upon your experiences in your school/community, in what ways were the actions and responses depicted realistic?
  • Give an example of bullying behaviors in your school/community and how these actions influence the general environment.

Assignment #5: Observation.

Observe a setting within your school or community noting areas of bullying and victimization as
discussed in the manual. Write a one (1) page summary.

Assignment #6: Website Review.

Review a minimum of three websites on bullying behavior.  

What similarities did you notice between these websites?
Choose one website and share a one page summary of it.

Assignment #7: Discussion with a Non-Educator.

Discuss the course content with a non-educator. Obtain feedback from the person as to his/her
perspective of schools and the community as it relates to bullying behavior. Share this person's
insights and ideas in a 1-2 page paper.

Assignment #8: Student/Child Interview.

Interview a student at your school or a child within your community regarding bullying behavior. A
few areas to discuss may include:

  • Have you ever seen bullying behavior? What did it look like?
  • Have you ever bullied anyone? Have you ever been bullied?
  • When the problem of bullying occurs, what can students do about it?
  • Does your school/community attempt to minimize bullying tactics in the specific setting?

Write out the responses (1-2 pgs) from the child along with your own personal thoughts.

ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

B. LEARNING APPLICATION

In this section, you will apply your learning to your professional situation. This course assumes that most participants are classroom teachers who have access to students. If you do not have a classroom available to you, please contact the instructor for course modifications. Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. ​Feel free to read and respond to others' comments. Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum. 

 

Assignment #9: Action Plan.

Develop an action plan for reducing bullying within your school/district or chosen setting. Use the
"sample action plan"  outline found on page 47 as guidance.  Write a 2-3 page plan.

Assignment #10: Lesson Development.

Assignment #10:  You must choose either “A” or “B”  (Required for 400 and 500 Level) 

Assignment #A:

Develop a lesson to reflect what you’ve learned in this course.
Implement your lesson with students in your classroom.
Write a 2 page commentary on what worked well and what could be improved.
Include any student feedback on your lesson.


OR


Assignment #B:

Use this option if you do not have a classroom available.

Develop a lesson to reflect what you’ve learned in this course. (Do not implement it.)
Write a 2 page summary concerning any noteworthy success you’ve had as a teacher with one or more students.

Assignment #11: (500 level only)

Option A)  Mentor another individual in the concepts of this class. Have them share two or three key concepts that they would like to implement within their work or social setting.  Develop a plan for the implementation of these ideas.  (1-2 pages).

OR

Option B)  Create a PowerPoint presentation for your staff based on this course and focused on perspectives or strategies you feel would be beneficial for your school. Minimum of 15 slides.  Save this as a pdf.

OR

Option C)  Another assignment of your own design, with instructor prior approval.

C. INTEGRATION PAPER

Assignment #12: (Required for 400 and 500 level)

SELF REFLECTION & INTEGRATION PAPER
(Please do not write this paper until you've completed all of your other assignments)

Write a 400-500 word Integration Paper answering these 5 questions:

  1. What did you learn vs. what you expected to learn from this course?
  2. What aspects of the course were most helpful and why?
  3. What further knowledge and skills in this general area do you feel you need?
  4. How, when and where will you use what you have learned?
  5. How and with what other school or community members might you share what you learned?

INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS ON YOUR WORK:

Instructors will comment on each assignment. If you do not hear from the instructor within a few days of posting your assignment, please get in touch with them immediately.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHING THIS COURSE:

Mike Sedler, M.S.W., D. Min., brings over 40 year of educational experience as a special education director, social worker, behavior specialist and teacher to each of his classes.   He provides consultation and seminars throughout the United States and Canada for schools, agencies and businesses. He has a graduate degree in Social Work, a Doctoral degree in Ministry, a Counseling license, as well as his teaching certification. Mike has worked with children of all ages, specifically with children exhibiting behavioral challenges, mental health concerns, and characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder.  In addition, he taught general education classes in the elementary school and middle school arenas.   All of Mikeʼs classes are practical and “field tested” in schools and classrooms. Educators have found success in implementing Mikeʼs clear and concise approaches. All of his course material may be immediately implemented into a school or a home.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BULLYING BEHAVIORS: Enough is Enough

You may choose a book from this list or one of your own choosing that is compatible to this course.  Please let the instructor know if you choose a book that is not on this list.

 Barron, Laurie, and Kinney, Patti.  We Belong, 50 Strategies to Create Community and Revolutionize Classroom Management, ASCD, 2021,  www.acsd.org  (Grades P-12).

Bunting, Bryce and Baldwin, Amy.  Promoting Belonging, Growth Mindsets, and Resilience To Foster Student Success.  National Resource Center, 2020.  www.safesupportivelearning.ed.gov  

Carlson, Cassada.  The Cyber-bullying Survival Handbook for Teens.  Independently published, 2024.  Guidelines for educating people about cyber bullying.  (7-12).  www.amazon.com

Coloroso, Barbara. 2016. The Bully, The Bullied, and The Not So Innocent Bystander. New York, NY.    William Morrow/Harper Collins.  Grades 5-12.  www.harpercollins.com             

Fitzell, Susan Gingras.  Transforming Anger to Personal Power. Research Press. 2019. Teaching anger management (grades 6 – 12).  www.researchpress.com 

Grogan, Master Rich.  Becoming Bully Proof. AME High Publishing, 2022.  A story book about a 12 year olds journey in bullying.  (2nd – 7th grade).  www.amegroups.com

Harris, Sharon.  The Bully and The Bullied.  Page Publishing, 2023.  Looking into the reason a bully and a victim act the way they do.  (P-12).  www.pagepublishing.com 

Romero, Victoria and Robertson, Ricky.  Teaching Resilience in Students Impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences.  Corwin Publishing, 2018.  Shares the basic needs of children and strategies to teach skills (grades – P-12). www.us.corwin.com  

Southam-Gerow, Michael.  Emotional Regulation in Children and Adolescents.  Guilford Press, 2016. This books integrates the science of the mind with application for social regulation.  (grades 5-12).  www.guilford.com

Stagg, Jacquelyn.  Kindness Starts With You—At School.  Jacquelyn Stagg Publisher, 2018. www.amazon.com  An excellent book to help children understand about empathy (grades P-3). 

Step by step format to help children gain a greater independence in academics and social skills.

Trenton, Nick.  Stop Overthinking: 23 Techniques to Relieve Stress and Negative Spirals.  How to get out of the loop of negative thinking and patterns.  Independently published, 2021.  www.nicktrenton.com

BULLYING BEHAVIORS REV 5/23/24