As part of our Anti-Bullying Week preparations this year, we invited children to nominate teachers and school staff who they feel go the extra mile to help them with issues such as bullying, relationships, family life and mental health for our Power for Good Award.
This year was the launch of the award and we were unsure of the response we would get. We were delighted to receive more than 100 nominations from all across England and while we expected to see a good number of pastoral assistants and learning mentors nominated by pupils, we were pleased to receive nominations for teachers across all subjects.
The Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) exists to bring together organisations and individuals that care passionately about tackling bullying, and we launched the award this year to raise awareness of the very many wonderful teachers that do take action against bullying and support the holistic needs of students.
It was very moving to read through the nominations, and we were fascinated to see the traits and actions that came up repeatedly:
- They know my name.
- They listen to me.
- They smile at me every time they see me.
- They don’t shout (at least not often).
- They may be having a bad day but they still care.
What struck us was how it was these small, simple actions that clearly made the difference to a child’s confidence in sharing worries or concerns with a teacher. There were a small number of nominations that described teachers going even further, with children literally thanking them for saving their lives. One child wrote that a teacher had stayed by her side throughout a debilitating bout of serious depression, another said her teacher had helped her mum to keep food on the table during a time of crisis.
Another pupil wrote: “I reflect on the kind of person you are. Smart, interesting, engaging, positive and confident. You’re the most admired teacher. Caring, kind and smart. You’re like a brilliant light, illuminating the prism of life. You are a really good teacher and a very good guide.”
Ofsted’s School Inspection Handbook (2015), under outstanding descriptors for personal development, behaviour and welfare, states that “pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development equips them to be thoughtful, caring and active citizens in school and in wider society”.
From reading the nominations it was clear how influential teachers are on the lives of their pupils and how much their influence affects the behaviour of students. One young man described how his learning mentor had guided him away from a path of gangs and violence, another that his teacher had helped him understand the consequences of his actions and had helped him to behave in a different way towards other students.
We are very aware of the increasing strain that teachers are under when it comes to supporting the needs of pupils. With dwindling local resources and the loss of youth services in many areas, pupils are increasingly looking to teachers to help them with all areas of their lives. We know this isn’t always possible, but if as a teacher you can commit to the small actions that matter to children it will make a big difference to how they feel about themselves and their school life.
Our role at the ABA is to take action against bullying and this is just not possible without school staff on side. In Anti-Bullying Week (November 14 to 18) we will be announcing the primary and secondary school winners of the Power for Good Award. We want teachers to feel encouraged that their care and compassion does not go unnoticed. Without these “brilliant lights”, so many of our children would remain in a dark place.
- Lauren Seager-Smith is national coordinator of the ABA, which is hosted by the National Children’s Bureau. For details on Anti-Bullying Week, visit www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/anti-bullying-week or @ABAonline