Iron County Promotes Kindness As Antidote To Bullying This October
October brings both Learning Disabilities Awareness Month and National Anti-Bullying Awareness Month, and the Iron County School District is using both observances as opportunities to encourage greater understanding, compassion and support for students.
Nathan Jenkins, Director of Special Education for the Iron County School District, said learning disabilities are more common than many people realize, with approximately 12% of the district’s students identified as having a learning disability.
“Sometimes I think we forget to realize that a lot of disabilities are visible, right? We can see them, but the majority of them are not,” Jenkins said during an interview on The Big Picture Morning Show on KSUB. “And so about 12% of our student population in the district have a learning disability. And so just important to be aware to always show kindness to everyone because you don't know what other people's struggles might be.”
Jenkins encouraged parents who have concerns about their children’s academic progress to begin by talking with the child’s general education teacher and, if needed, asking about visiting with a special education teacher.
Using Compassion To Replace Bullying
October’s anti-bullying emphasis is taking a somewhat different approach in Iron County this year. Tim Marriott, Director of Student Services, said the district has distributed the book “The Wonder Drug” to faculty and is using its message of compassionate service as a way to address bullying.
“The whole basis of this book is it was written by two medical doctors who've done immense amount of research and have looked at the data and ultimately come up with the idea that compassionate service really does move the needle as far as relationships, mental health, well-being, connection,” Marriott said.
Rather than focusing exclusively on what students should not do, Marriott said the district is emphasizing positive behaviors that can strengthen relationships and reduce bullying.
“We're talking about the things that you should do to serve each other, to do it, to be kind to each other, and using this book as our basis to help students gain connections, serve each other, and really push bullying out of our schools,” he said.
Marriott said bullying does exist in Iron County schools, but students and parents also need to understand that not every negative interaction qualifies as bullying. The district has trained all K-12 students on bullying and is also providing education for parents.
Typically, bullying involves an imbalance of power and a pervasive pattern of behavior, although Marriott noted that a single egregious incident can qualify under district policy.
The message of “The Wonder Drug” also includes the idea that even small acts of service can make a difference. Jenkins said the book suggests about 16 minutes of service each day can have an impact on relationships, physical health and mental health.
“Really service according to the book is it's really anything you do to lift others or help others, Jenkins said. “So even sometimes a simple hello or smile can be service.”
Read More: Iron County School District Theme Focuses On Kindness
For parents concerned about bullying, Marriott recommends starting with the school’s administration. For families considering special education services, Jenkins again recommends beginning with the child’s general education teacher and then connecting with special education staff when appropriate.
The entire discussion with Mr. Jenkins and Mr. Marriott is avaiable in the podcast below.
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Gallery Credit: Kyle Matthews