Think Nonviolence Before You Act

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Nearly 160,000 students stay home from school on a daily basis due to being victims of bullying. Bullying can start in classrooms as early as Pre-K. Employed as an assistant teacher in a Pre-K classroom I already experienced an alarming amount of bullying, and it has only been two years. Attacking this issue at a young age is imperative in order to educate students about the importance of nonviolence. Simply stating as a classroom rule “bullying, teasing, or fighting is not allowed” is certainly not enough. Bullying in schools is so common, that it is not taken as dangerous, or in worse cases, life threatening as it should be. The side effects of being bullied is long-term and detrimental; classes, techniques, awareness, possible solutions, and an understanding of how harmful the outcome of bullying is needs to take place immediately so students will not be afraid to attend school anymore.
Theme 1: Nonviolence in the Talmud – Reuven Kimelman
The approaches the Haggadists of the second, third, and fourth generation of Amor aim take on Nonviolence in the Talmud are inspiring and thought-provoking. Its focus is how to respond to conflict in a nonviolent and intelligent way by including readings and interpretations of stories from the Midrash approach that focuses on conflict, violence and solutions. Responding to violence with violence only creates more unwanted violence. According to R. Alexandri “If you see the ass of one who hates you lying under his burden . . . help him to lift it up.” Using this approach will have the “enemy” feeling confused about the hate presented towards someone who helped him or her, causing a nonviolent response. “If he was my enemy he would not have helped me, but if he is my friend, then I am his ene...

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... at an early age that is it okay to be whom you are, and to always stand up for yourself in a nonviolent way, then we can possibly create more peace at schools.
As an aspiring elementary education teacher the thought of having to see students become victims of bullying is heartbreaking, and I will be willing to spread these ideas to younger ages in a more modified way. I don’t want students to be afraid to come to school because of name calling, and bullying. School should be a place where students feel safe, warm, and welcomed, not nervous, and threatened. I believe that these methods if taught correctly can make a difference in the school systems, and make the bullying rates decline. “We need to lean alternative approaches to conflict that don’t demonize people and instead produce win-win solutions that build strong relationships and communities.” – Carol Bragg.

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