Act Now! Staff Training

This revised, blended step-by-step course that complements the Act Now! student curriculum, is designed for school staff to work as a community of learners to create a bully-free school. Staff will work together to analyze school climate and create a unified plan to address bullying in their school community. Research has shown that schools completing Act Now! Staff Training are 30% more effective in reducing bullying than schools implementing the student curriculum only.

Delivery Method

In this school champion-facilitated training, the delivery method is blended, utilizing a combination of online sessions and face-to-face group work.

Overview

Students experiencing the Act Now! e-learning program are learning to identify bullying situations and stand up for themselves and others. It is not enough, though, to expect students to confront and address bullying behaviors with their peers, completely independent of adult intervention. Staff training and school policies need to be in place and followed by all staff members in order to support student learning and help create a bully-free culture in the school. Studies show that students need assurance that adults in their schools and communities will support their efforts as active bystanders by showing consistent intervention and discipline of students who demonstrate bullying behaviors.  This work by the entire school community, including students, parents, staff, teachers, and administrators, creates a culture of caring and respect where everyone feels safe and bullying behavior is not supported, tolerated, or ignored.

This program, designed to be implemented by a member of staff taking on the role of "school champion", provides the basic content and guidelines necessary for implementing a school-wide bullying prevention staff training program based on research conducted by Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, in cooperation with state guidelines developed by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). 

Staff Training Outline

Session 1

• Introduction - videos, objectives, and definitions
• Bullying vs. conflict definitions
• Group discussion - bullying vs. conflict scenarios
• School policies
• Roles and responsibilities discussion
• Bullying survey & school climate
• The bullying survey process explanation
• Wrap-up

Total Session Time: online 12 min., offline 45 min.

Session 2

• Session objectives and Intro video
• Survey results
• Identifying issues discussion
• Committee forming and action plan work
• Wrap-up

Total Session Time: online 11 min., offline 30 min.

Session 3

• Session objectives
• Action plan reports
• Act Now! student program highlights
• Brainstorming classroom strategies
• Involving students and parents 
• Brainstorming parent involvement
• Wrap-up             

Total Session Time: online 20 min., offline 40 min.

Session 4

• Intro video & session objectives 
• PBIS & restorative practices
• Scenario discussion
  • Scene 1 – Relational bullying
  • Scene 2 – Verbal bullying
  • Scene 3 – Cyberbullying
  • Scene 4 – Sexual harassment
• Climate discussion in grade level groups
• Action plan revisions
• Wrap-up & feedback forms

Total Session Time: online 11 min., offline 40 min.