In 3rd, 4th, & 5th grades, our lessons have continued to explore the increasingly complex nature of friendships. At Hudson we teach expectations of respect and kindness. However, as children mature, relationships become more complicated. As adults we often discuss bully behavior with our kids. Sometimes, though, kids hear the word "bully" and have a picture in their heads of a bigger kid pushing around a smaller kid.
In guidance lessons we have begun talking about relational aggression. Relational aggression refers to the harm we can do to each other through our words and actions. Kids identified examples such as purposely excluding someone, eye rolling, spreading rumors, whispering about others, and calling people out. Usually, adults are not witnesses to these actions or are not aware of the undercurrents of aggression. Kids can be left feeling powerless.
Within these discussions, many students recognized that they had participated in relational aggression at one time or another. This was a powerful realization as most people do not see themselves as "bullies." Our purpose in these lessons is to help our kids realize the power that they have as individuals and as a group. Although adults set the tone for the building, our children have the power to ensure that respect is the norm rather than the hope.
As we move forward, we will work together to learn about how to deal with relational aggression and how to avoid participating in it. I will share more with you in the weeks to come about our restorative practices that seek to build connections among students to ensure a positive, forgiving, and nurturing environment at Hudson.
