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Tips for teachers on how to keep students safe from physical harm and embarrassment
Good teaching is about more than just content delivery. Consider the long-term impact you'll have on your students, both in terms of their education and their social skills. Some teachers take this incredibly seriously, but even the best education falls short if a student is left with physical injuries or emotional scars.
Teachers have a tremendous responsibility on their shoulders. It’s not just about teaching students the basics of math, science, language arts and history, but it’s also about teaching them self-defense, safety, and protection tactics.
This article includes tips that can help teachers to keep students safe from physical harm and embarrassment.
Protect your students from physical harm caused by inappropriate jokes, bullying, and even weapons
Teachers have a difficult job, especially at the middle school level. It's difficult to keep students on track academically, and it can be even harder to teach them social skills when they're in middle school. However, there are several ways you can help your students avoid physical harm or embarrassment caused by inappropriate jokes, bullying, or even weapons.
Teach good social skills. Students who know how to interact with others will be less likely to do things that embarrass them. For example, students may not realize that calling someone by a derogatory name is unacceptable. You can teach them this skill by having a class discussion about appropriate behavior and using examples of inappropriate behavior so they know what you're talking about.
Don't single out students who make mistakes. If you constantly call out students who make mistakes, they may feel embarrassed and avoid the activities you do with the class. Instead, use positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior. For example, if a student asks a good question during class discussion, give him more opportunities to participate in discussions throughout the day.
Do not allow bullying in your classroom or on your school grounds. If you allow bullying to occur in your classroom or on school grounds, it will continue after you leave for the day and may cause physical harm or embarrassment.
Make sure your students aren't embarrassed or put in an uncomfortable position
Teachers handle their students' physical, mental and emotional well-being. A teacher's job includes keeping their students safe from physical harm or embarrassment.
Don't keep a tally of students' infractions. Students should not be made to feel like they are on a 'tally' and being watched for infractions. Ensure that you stay professional at all times, even when a student is acting out/disruptive. It is important to remember that any interaction with a student must be appropriate, fair and just and that you must have the right to show restraint if necessary.
Be clear about your expectations. Be clear about the rules of your classroom and enforce them consistently. This will help your students know what is acceptable behavior in your classroom and what isn't. Being clear about your expectations will also ensure that each student knows exactly what they have done wrong, which may lead to better consequences (if needed).
Be consistent. It is important to be consistent with your discipline policy in order to keep discipline issues from getting out of hand. If you make one exception for one student, you will likely be expected to make similar exceptions for others. By establishing and enforcing a strict but fair discipline policy.
Having a plan for managing student behavior and safety is vital for every teacher. As educators, we have a responsibility to keep our students safe from physical harm, as well as from embarrassment or being put in an uncomfortable position.
Trying to prevent every possible incident is unrealistic. However, having a plan will help you think through everything that could happen in your classroom and prepare accordingly. Creating an environment where students feel safe and respected is also an important part of teaching. Here's how to keep your class safe:
Think about the types of behavior you typically see in your classroom. What kinds of situations do you need to prepare for? Do you have any students who are known troublemakers? How might they behave in certain situations? If you anticipate that a student may cause problems during a test, talk with him before the test and establish some rules with him.
Make sure all students know what behaviors are acceptable in your classroom and what isn't appropriate. Be clear that disrespectful behavior won't be tolerated. Slamming books on desks, kicking chairs, and yelling are all examples of disrespectful behavior that should be addressed immediately. It's important that everyone knows what's OK, so they know when lines are being crossed or have questions about appropriate actions.
Be aware of the dangers of cyberbullying
In the modern world, it is difficult to keep children safe and protected from all the dangers that they encounter daily. One of the most prevalent problems that teachers face is bullying, which can happen both in person and on social media. No matter what type of bullying your student is experiencing, you want to guide them through their problem as effectively as possible, giving them the tools that they need to prevent further instances from taking place.
Make sure that you keep an open line of communication with your students. Let them know you are there for them should they have questions about bullies or have any concerns about how they are being treated by their peers.
Try to focus on building up your students' self-esteem. This will help keep them from becoming frustrated and angry when they get picked on by their classmates or friends.
Teach your students how to handle bullies in a healthy way. Many people think it's best just to ignore cyberbullies when they come across them online, but this can build up frustration in your children, causing them more harm than good. Be sure that you teach them how to react properly if they are bullied online.
One of the most concerning issues related to cyberbullying is that it's difficult to monitor. Students might use their own personal devices to harass other peers, and parents may not even know this is happening in their homes, as many cyberbullies hide behind anonymous accounts.
In order to protect your students from cyberbullying, make them aware that there are steps they should take if they feel they are being harassed. For example, they should report the incident to a trusted adult immediately so that school administrators can handle the issue. The faster you respond to a case of cyberbullying, the quicker you can put an end to it and help your students feel safe and secure at school.
Inspect your school's technology policies as well. Cyberbullying is much more likely to happen for students who have access to electronic devices like phones, tablets, and laptops during class time or in the hallways between classes.
If you think that your students' behavior online could affect their grades or overall safety at school, consider a technology-free period during the day. This could be a time where students are required to put down their devices while they get in some extra studying time or take part in physical education.
Protect your students from inappropriate pictures or videos on social media
When you are a teacher or a parent, you should know that if your children post inappropriate pictures or videos on social media, it can cause them embarrassment and physical harm. These days, teenagers live their lives on social media. They don't even realize how much information they are posting about themselves for the world to see.
The best way for teachers and parents to help their students protect themselves from physical harm and mental anguish is to educate them about how to use social media responsibly. Here are some of the things that teens need to know about protecting themselves on social media:
Never post anything you wouldn't want your parents to see.
It seems so simple, but teens really don't take this seriously enough. Just because there is an "X" in the box that says your post is private doesn't mean that you should post any old picture out there without thinking first. You never know who might see it.
Always think about whether it is appropriate for other people to see what you are posting before you hit "share."
If you are not sure, take a few minutes to think about it and ask your friends or teachers what they would think of what you plan to share. You'll be glad you did.
Many young people are not aware of the risks of sharing personal information online, and should be educated about the potential consequences of posting embarrassing or compromising images.
Position yourself as a resource to help students better understand why they shouldn't share inappropriate content. By educating them on the dangers of over-sharing engagingly, you can help students feel empowered to make smart decisions about their digital presence.
Posting pictures or videos that could be seen as embarrassing or hurtful to others is never appropriate for students at school. Even if a student takes a picture or video just for themselves, it may not stay private for long. Once it's posted online, it's no longer under your control and can be shared with the entire world.
Prepare yourself to handle emergencies, like school lockdowns or natural disasters
What if you're teaching a health class, and a student spews blood or projectile vomiting in front of the class because they have the stomach flu? Do you know what to do?
What if a major earthquake hits while you're teaching? Do you know the procedure for keeping students safe and keeping them calm?
What if there's a shooting in your city, causing schools to go into lockdown mode while police search for the shooter? How will you keep your students safe and calm?
As a teacher, you have one of the most important jobs in the world: keeping your students safe. With so many moving parts for you to manage, it's easy to forget about keeping yourself safe.
The last thing you want is to get caught slipping and put a student at risk because you're unprepared. Here are some steps you can take today to stay vigilant, so that both you and your students stay safe in the classroom.
You play a major part in protecting your students by being prepared for potential dangers. Being prepared and knowing how to handle emergencies can help save lives and prevent injury.
Determine what constitutes an emergency at your school and what procedures you should follow. Do you need to evacuate the building? Do you need to notify authorities? What kinds of injuries do you need to worry about? Are there any dangerous chemicals or other threats in your classroom?
Be familiar with the location of all emergency exits, as well as fire extinguishers and first aid kits. Post evacuation maps around the school so that everyone knows where to go if there's an emergency evacuation.
In case of an emergency, check that all students are accounted for before you begin any search or rescue operations. Keep a list of student names and phone numbers on hand so you can quickly reach their parents if necessary.
Teachers are often the first line of defense in protecting your students from harm or embarrassment. They know their students well and are able to know what might trigger particular responses from their class members.
A teacher's job is to prepare his students for life outside of school, and that means keeping them safe both inside and outside the classroom.
It’s always a good idea to alert students to the potential dangers of the real world, especially in these times of social unrest, political uncertainty, and general unease. But the key takeaway from these tips is to not scare them off.
It might be uncomfortable for some of your students to think about getting mugged, being bullied, or having their car stolen, but the more prepared they are with knowledge and solid guidelines for safe behavior, the better equipped they will be to deal with whatever situations may arise throughout their lives.
In the end, it’s about common sense, and there are certain things that we all need to do to help keep life safe for everyone. If we all do our part to make sure that the people around us are safe and protected, keeping our eyes open for danger, hopefully basic tips like the ones above will go a long way towards keeping all teachers — and their students — safe from physical harm.