author_by_night | Entries tagged with school

This isn't part of the original meme, but it is a proper blog.

So, let's talk about bullying. It's hard to ignore it, because everyone's talking about it these days; what it means, how to prevent it, will implementing experiments where kids have to shun one another help, etc.

Here's my question - what exactly constitutes bullying? In my opinion, the term can not only be overrused, but in fact, underused.
( When bullying's not the right word )

All thoughts are welcome!

What do you guys think of school uniforms?

I used to be very much against them, perhaps partly because I went to private school and was forced to spend winter shivering in my skirt because leggings didn't do one thing to warm me up. However, I do wonder if I would have minded had we been allowed to wear pants more often.

Now I'm very conflicted.

-: It might inhibit self expression.

+: Of course, I speak as someone who rarely wore nice clothing to school until college. Meanwhile, a close friend of mine who was one of those people who'd shop at the same store for hours missed wearing a uniform and not having to worry about what she was going to wear. (Maybe she would have gotten better grades? Seriously, maybe she would have.)

+: School is a place where you're supposed to be learning.

-: School is also a place where you learn to interact with your peers, and that includes peers who might be wearing clothing you find distracting, that's more expensive or less expensive than your own clothing, or outfits that express beliefs and/or ideas you disagree with.

-: Skirts make for cold legs in the winter.

+: Schools wouldn't have to require skirts.

Where do you guys stand?

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Back then, I would've chosen Sabrina Spellman. I loved that show.I loved the characters. Especially Sabrina and Aunt Hilda.

I'm not sure what came first - being too old for the show or getting sick of it. I do know that I eventually just lost interest.

Now... I dunno, I've gotten into more serious sci-fi/fantasy, so I don't think I could get into the show, much less the characters. Plus, IIRC Sabrina was a little annoying. I didn't even want her to be my best friend by the time I started watching the last season.

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1. Fitness. Gone with the old days of either being able to play baseball or hiding in the nurse's office. If kids want to play baseball, they can go to the park or join the school team. Or, if they simply can't part with their game controllers, they can get Wii Sports.

Fitness would teach kids the fundamentals of exercising for physical and mental health. Pilates! Carido walking! Strength training!

This would encourage kids to maintain a healthy lifestyle without popularity contests, but at the same time being taught to do their best and recognize their strengths and weaknesses.

2. Family Living. We actually had this class in school, and I think it should have been a requirement. (Only certain "tracks" required you to take it - I think mine was the Social Studies track or something.) I took it my senior year, and I learned more about life than I had in the entire four years I attended high school.

3. American Law. This was another class I took because of my track, and it was such a great class. So many people don't understand the legal system and how it works. It made me willing to go to Court when I got summoned for Jury Duty. (Well, the second time. The first time I was about to go away, so I wasn't so willing then. I had a Harry Potter movie to see, after all - oh, and right, my friends.)

4. World Religion. Sure, someone would probably get offended and the class would be canceled after the second week, but it'd be worth a try if it got more people aware and promoted tolerance.

Girl commits suicide because of bullies

First, I want to emphasize that I'm not entirely sure I think suicide can be entirely blamed on these girls. The temptation, perhaps - I know people who were bullied and while they otherwise had no depression, the feeling of being hated by people they had to sit in class with five days a week drove them crazy. And these people weren't even physically harmed. However, they never went through with it, and even they very well may have had issues.

The sad thing is that I feel this article shows how bullying really is not taken seriously.

A few weeks ago, I found a disturbing YouTube video of a girl who was being told to kill herself, that she was fat, that she was ugly. Luckily, this girl was saying she didn't care, but the point is, she was being harassed. Because I care about kids, I went to report the incident.

The "abuse form" on YouTube doesn't exist, as a google search proved. I emailed several address (help@youtube.com, abuse@youtube.com, etc), and they either didn't work or were ignored. Meanwhile, the harassment continued.

YouTube did not provide a way for me to help this girl, and google research took me to a parent who claimed even calling YouTube didn't help. Please bear in mind that this is the internet, so who knows if she was being honest - however, if she was, that's pretty disturbing. Despite all the hooplah about YouTube's "moves" to prevent cyberbullying, it doesn't seem much is being done.

But that's another issue.

I think that people need to all take part in bullying prevention, and while I'm no expert, I do have thoughts on how.
( Slightly tl;dr thoughts )

I know it's a bit after Banned Books Week by now, but I'm posting a speech I did on book censorship anyway, at the request of ladyaelfwynn. I gave this speech for a class last year. :)

( On Book Censorship )

Just a poll based on an article I saw a while ago, where schools were banning kids from sending invitations in class, and another one where kids were banned from playing tag. It made me think.

There is no "right answer". I will give my opinion, but later. And if you think you know my opinion, don't base your answer on that.

Please comment! :)

On an OT note, fish update: I renamed her "Luna." :)

[Poll #789453]

Okay. I'm going to attempt a cut yet again.

This poll is on what books you read between preschool and grade twelve - if you're unfamiliar with the American School system, that's age three through age seventeen/eighteen.

I didn't include grade level. Well, they are in order with some grade level/age in mind, but truthfully, everyone reads books at a different rate, and everyone's version of "grade level" differs. I know people who thought I was very mature for reading Baby-Sitter's club at eight years old; I know others who stopped reading them at seven years old. Same with Harry Potter - I've seen reading lists with Harry Potter for third graders and lists with Harry Potter for sixth graders.

I got some of these books out of memory, and some from lists. I tried to keep it as not-exclusively-American as possible, but some of these books are not too specific with their location (such as The Giver), and others, I have no idea what they are about, let alone where they come from. Plus, I used to live in Europe, and I read a lot of these American books.

Please do share other books you've read - my aim is to see what books kids read, and when. I was well read when I was younger, yet I never once touched most of the books I see on the book lists. (I keep seeing books that I've never heard of, and don't know if I don't remember them, or if they were never read to me, or if they were published when I'd outgrown that level).

ETA: You can pick a book you read then, or one you've read recently.

Okay, pray the cut works.

[Poll #772446]

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	31

Occasionally Snarky and Meta

Entries tagged with school

NaNoBloPo: Bullying - What is it really?

School Uniforms

Writer's Block: BFFs

Writer's Block: Tolerance 101?

Another innocent life lost senselessly

Book Censorship

Education Poll

K-12 Reading Poll

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January 2025

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