Osmium

Today was Bullying Awareness Day and what a surprise that I would experience bullying in my classroom in a new, overt, and frightening way. To give you a taste, here is an excerpt that I wrote to my victimized student:

"I am hoping that you never have to hear someone tell you those things again, but if it does happen, don't be afraid to stand up for yourself. When you assert yourself, act in a way that maintains your integrity as a good person. From experience, I can tell you that making rude or disrespectful remarks back at people does not help the situation. During high school I was just like you - tall and thin. People called me "skeleton," "matchstick," and "ruler" constantly, but those remarks stopped when I acted like I wasn't phased by those comments. While it still hurt to be called those names, acting like I didn't care did not give people the reaction they wanted and eventually the name-calling stopped altogether.

"I want to take this time to remind you how wonderful a student you are to have in class. My mornings always start on a positive note with your "good mornings" and it is always nice to see your hand up when I ask a question in class. I am so impressed that as a 9th grader you treat people with so much respect - that is a rare and valuable quality."

I admit - I had my bullying days in high school - where I was the bully, the victim, and the bystander. And many times we revert to being a bystander and say "kids will be kids." But when does it go too far?

Fun Fact: Osmium is the hardest pure metal, which allows for its use in pen nibs and old phonograph needles.