Monday, December 26, 2011

Tolerance, Bullying Prevention, Acts of Kindness, Emotional and Social Education

     In the words of "Brooks Hatlen" a  Shawshank Redemption character, "The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry." Those words lead me to the thoughts I have for this writing.  It seems that our fast paced, fast tracked world has evolved so quickly that it's so easy to forget the important things that may enhance our ability to live in today's world.
     Today's child is challenged at a far earlier age than when I grew up in the 1950's and early 1960's.  Tying this into today's challenges it seems that social skills, emotional well-being, and random ways in which to deal with one another, being all so critical skills have been put on the back burner for the rigors of the academic skills necessary to compete in our society today.  I'm committed to researching ways to combine the two.  It seems that there have been horrific results to lack of tolerance of individuals in our society.  Bullying seems to be on the rise resulting in horrendous outcomes.  There are countless programs that exist in relation to tolerance(Teaching Tolerance www.tolerance.org) and bullying(Olweus Bullying Prevention Program), two that come to mind.  It's just mind boggling how many individuals from young to old feel intimidated by classmates, workmates, and the like.  I don't know the answers to many of the questions but I'm sure going to try to do my part to help those that I can reach.  Together if we teach our youngsters the importance of tolerance, kindness, and social wellness, that we will have a far better world in the future.
     All of this is not easy. Although I've been out of school for years I still can recall the "bullies" that tried to intimidate others.  The readers of this blog can surely do the same.  What are the answers?  Are we too busy to teach social wellness, emotional well-being, and more.  Was "Brooks" correct in his words that the world has gotten too fast paced, too ahead of schedule, and that we've forgotten the importance of working with one another, sharing the space that we share, and giving one another a chance to breathe so to speak.  It's so sad to see children feeling out of place, bullied, not a part of the crowd.  It's sad to hear the stories and to read the horrific results of those young individuals that have committed to ending their lives rather than deal with life's downright rotten individuals.  I was fortunate growing up to have been taught well by my parents on how to deal with people that were unkind, and downright mean.  It still remains true that I can tell you those that called me names, that tried to bully me, but failed.  It wasn't easy but I managed to get out unscathed. I can't imagine growing up today in this technologically advanced society and having to deal with unkind, socially unkind individuals that choose to make the life of others miserable.
     How can we change the way children, young adults, and adults treat one another?  A random thought is that we have to step back and teach what's most important; social skills, emotional skills, and tolerance.  I can't do it alone but I'm going to do my best to try.  Everyone's Shadow Is The Same Color" is my company that I hope will bring forth the notion that all should be treat fairly, that we should strive for making one another tolerate one another, and that we will succeed if and only we teach one another about ourselves.  This has to take place in the home, in our schools, and in our society. Eventually and hopefully the world will become a better place.
     These ramblings I hope will make sense to you. I'm trying to research what's out there so I can better serve your needs. However, there's a huge amount of research that speaks to this. I want to keep it simple and just teach the importance of being kind, considerate, and respectful for one another.  Easier said than done but I'm going to keep on trying.  Until I write again.  Happy Holidays.

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