#1
Posted: 10/15/10 at 10:09pm
A portion of 20/20 is about school bullying. I'm nearly crying watching it because it hits so close to home. As posted in another thread, I was CONSTANTLY bullied and have a learning disability. I am also not very socially adept and have trouble making friends. Many times, I came home from school asking my mom to go buy me a gun. Thankfully, I transferred schools...to a school that helped children with learning disabilities, emotional and social problems too.
I can't work due to a medical/psychological issue I am currently going through. I do have a teaching degree and became a teacher because I want to give children an opportunity to learn in a safe environment. An atmosphere where "hate" does not occur. An atmosphere where bullying is nonexistent.
For example: Gym was torture for me, somewhat because I have hypotonia. I was the first one picked on, the last one picked. The gym teacher called me a "beanhead" (yes, it's funny now but in 2nd grade it was horrible!) The children laughed. The gym teacher laughed. I cried. My shoelaces were constantly tied together, glue and rice were thrown in my hair, there were secrets left and right, whispers about my stupidity, always being blamed for someone else’s wrongdoings. While some of that may seem trivial now (and even laughable), it was far from trivial in those elementary school days.
I like to prove my ability and accomplishments to people who didn't think I'd get anywhere in life. Throughout elementary school, I was told that I should just kill myself because I wouldn’t get anywhere in life. In the end, I see it that those bullies gave me the opportunity to be successful because I wanted to prove them wrong. I wanted to show them I could be successful. And you know what? Many of those people who tortured me have low life jobs. Have kids they can’t take care of. Live off of welfare.
The children I teach will not go through what I went through and I will do whatever I have to for all students to be treated with respect and focus on their abilities and accomplishments. I know I only have so much control and I can’t be the cure all, but I can teach them how to respect others and that everyone should be accepted for who they are, what they look like and what they can or can’t do.
Now for the purpose of this thread: I would love to volunteer at a school or even at the home of a child who has been bullied or is being bullied. Just to listen. I know that would have helped me a lot. I didn't always want to hear how to handle them (it just didn't work) but sometimes I just wanted someone to sit there and listen to me. Listen to me complain. Listen to me cry. I never wanted to go to recess because it was a 'playground' for torture. I begged to go inside to help the teacher out. I would have loved to take recess time to talk to someone about being bullied...just to vent. I didn't have that but I want others to.
While at this time I am unable to hold down a job, it would grant me great pleasure to give a bullied child a chance to vent. cry. complain. I'm not a therapist by any means but if they ask for suggestions on how to deal with the bullies, I can give them some but I specifically want to be there for them and for them to understand that someone will always be there to listen and do their best to help. I want them to know "it will get better."
I’ve tried searching but can’t seem to find anything along the lines of mentoring students who are bullied. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to go about finding a way to volunteer either in a school or at the homes of students who are being bullied?
Thank you. And I apologize for the long winded post. I just realized how long it was. I hope it is somewhat comprehensible.
I can't work due to a medical/psychological issue I am currently going through. I do have a teaching degree and became a teacher because I want to give children an opportunity to learn in a safe environment. An atmosphere where "hate" does not occur. An atmosphere where bullying is nonexistent.
For example: Gym was torture for me, somewhat because I have hypotonia. I was the first one picked on, the last one picked. The gym teacher called me a "beanhead" (yes, it's funny now but in 2nd grade it was horrible!) The children laughed. The gym teacher laughed. I cried. My shoelaces were constantly tied together, glue and rice were thrown in my hair, there were secrets left and right, whispers about my stupidity, always being blamed for someone else’s wrongdoings. While some of that may seem trivial now (and even laughable), it was far from trivial in those elementary school days.
I like to prove my ability and accomplishments to people who didn't think I'd get anywhere in life. Throughout elementary school, I was told that I should just kill myself because I wouldn’t get anywhere in life. In the end, I see it that those bullies gave me the opportunity to be successful because I wanted to prove them wrong. I wanted to show them I could be successful. And you know what? Many of those people who tortured me have low life jobs. Have kids they can’t take care of. Live off of welfare.
The children I teach will not go through what I went through and I will do whatever I have to for all students to be treated with respect and focus on their abilities and accomplishments. I know I only have so much control and I can’t be the cure all, but I can teach them how to respect others and that everyone should be accepted for who they are, what they look like and what they can or can’t do.
Now for the purpose of this thread: I would love to volunteer at a school or even at the home of a child who has been bullied or is being bullied. Just to listen. I know that would have helped me a lot. I didn't always want to hear how to handle them (it just didn't work) but sometimes I just wanted someone to sit there and listen to me. Listen to me complain. Listen to me cry. I never wanted to go to recess because it was a 'playground' for torture. I begged to go inside to help the teacher out. I would have loved to take recess time to talk to someone about being bullied...just to vent. I didn't have that but I want others to.
While at this time I am unable to hold down a job, it would grant me great pleasure to give a bullied child a chance to vent. cry. complain. I'm not a therapist by any means but if they ask for suggestions on how to deal with the bullies, I can give them some but I specifically want to be there for them and for them to understand that someone will always be there to listen and do their best to help. I want them to know "it will get better."
I’ve tried searching but can’t seem to find anything along the lines of mentoring students who are bullied. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to go about finding a way to volunteer either in a school or at the homes of students who are being bullied?
Thank you. And I apologize for the long winded post. I just realized how long it was. I hope it is somewhat comprehensible.
"How bout a little black dress?"~hannahshule
"I have a penis, not a vagina." ~munkustrap178
