What is the definition of the word “worry”? Any thoughts? Worry occurs when we assume a responsibility that we were never meant to have. How often do we worry about things that are just out of our control? I do it all the time. But, what responsibilities are ours and ours alone? We are all responsible for out thoughts, words, actions, attitudes, and motives. As teachers, we need to teach our kids about these areas. For the next five sections I will be sharing tips on how to teach these responsibilities to our students. We teach in two ways: through direct instruction and by example. How can I be an example for my students to help them to always evaluate their thoughts? Instead of asking them “What were you thinking?” after a bullying event, ask them daily “What do you have on your mind today?” Begin an open dialogue with your students. A technique I really like that I learned from Dr. Allen Mendler, author of Discipline with Dignity is called the 2X10 exercise. Take a student that is a known bully and have a 2–minute conversation with him as you would with a friend. Ask a question or two about other classes that the student is in, or maybe discuss a sports team you know that he/she is interested in. Do this for 10 days straight. What will happen around the eighth day is that the student will come to you for the conversation. You can then begin to peek into the thought life of this student. You may make a new friend.

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