I address this issue by telling the students that I know they're just picking on each other and being teenagers but it is still considered bullying. We take bullying extremely serious at the school that I teach at and the student usually respond well to my re-direction.

I teach fifth grade, so my students are still fairly young. To help create a classroom community, we are all "bucket fillers." At the beginning of the year, I read the book Have you Filled a Bucket Today? This book talks about how you can be a bucket filler by giving compliments and being nice to others. It explains that when you fill someone else's bucket, you are also filling your bucket because you feel good about yourself. I use this analogy a lot in my classroom. I also have slips of paper students can fill out that says "I want to fill (name)'s bucket because ..... The students love giving and receiving these.

I always tell my students that no one has any room to talk about the other. Each person has their own flaws or misfortunes and they wouldn't want anyone to point theirs out. I also tell them if they want to jive on someone, jive on me. This usually works with my group of students.

I usually hold monthly or biweekly group talks where we talk about different things like bullying, making smart decisions, etc. Then, have the students reply with how they feel and anything they want to add to the conversation.

It is important for students to know that any form of picking or 'jiving' on another student is unacceptable. This should be discussed in the beginning of the year and all jiving that the teacher is made aware of should be stopped. Teachers should create a positive environment where students feel comfortable working together. This can be done by using different "ice breaker" activities at the beginning of the year and even throughout the year. Group work is also great to help students get to know each other and break down walls.

I often make the two individuals apologize to one another and the class for disrupting the flow of learning. Then, I remind the whole class that they are a family. I question the students about their feelings when strangers bother their brothers and sisters. They usually reply that they do not like it. I then tell the students that they should treat their classmates just like their brothers and sisters.

I call it out right when I see it. I feel like if I point it out right away, the students will stop. I try ot allow the students to get a fair chance to not bully, when I see it, I stop it!

Jiving to me is considered insulting other studnet which does not go unoticed. I would consider any insult, jokingly or not to have to place in the classroom. I know what that most of the time it is done in good fun and means no real harm but that at times if comes out hurtful or mean-spirted is one to many times. For this reason I would have a rule posted, do not insult other students jokinly or to that effect the golden rule, to end it there. Just like any other classroom rule once is a warning and if it continues the punismnet can ramp up to removel from the room and talkning to the principal and parents. It see this as a slippery slop that I would just but a wall in front of.