Here's some soundtrack music to this post. Listen to it while you read.
It's seventh period. There's a substitute. The class is anything but quiet. I'm sitting across from her. Everyone nearby is staring. Small pieces of paper fly through the air and animal noises come from the mouths of numerous classmates. She must feel humiliated. But I'm not looking at her. I'm looking at the teacher. She's in the back of the classroom at her desk watching. Aren't you going to say something, I ask her in my head. This is bullying. Something has to be done. But the substitute just keeps watching.
This is a true story and it's something I don't like talking about because I feel responsible. I feel disgust for everyone in that classroom, including myself and with the exception of that girl who I will not name. Someone should have said something. The girl isn't really popular and she has a few strange habits about her but that is no way a reason to single her out and make her life miserable.
No one deserves to get treated as badly as she does.
The next day, our teacher was present and class carried on like normal. Nothing was done about it. It was like nothing ever happened. I had previous personal reasons to have little respect for teachers before this incident, but this really added to my disgust.
I believe situations like these should be a part of your teaching requirements. Something like getting students to set up a fake bullying scene to see how a teacher reacts to it. Maybe have the same thing for students. If an act of bullying is reported, everyone who was present during the time should get a degree of punishment for not being the ones to speak up.
I also believe that something like making even the smallest comment or giving the smallest look to someone can be bullying. I think people do it because they can't get written up for looking at someone the wrong way or saying something in the wrong tone but if you perform any action that makes a person feel singled out, humiliated, threatened, or worthless, then yes, this is bullying.
And by bullying, I mean having it happen over and over throughout a period of time.
The hurt really does stay with you. I've had it happen and years later, I feel threatened just being in the presence of some people. It really is awful how one person can make you feel like the most worthless person in the world.
We don't have to take this, back against the wall. We don't have to take this. We can end it all.
