The Anti-Bullying Machine: Turn Your Cruelty into KINDNESS!


In honor of National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week, I have been facilitating classroom guidance lessons about bullying. I shared one of my favorite counseling books, Good-Bye Bully Machine, by Debbie Fox and Dr. Alan L. Beane, with second, third, and fourth grade students. Through the use of Good-Bye Bully Machine, we discussed what bullying is, how bullying feels, and what to do if you are bullied.

The students really enjoy Good-Bye Bully Machine. It makes them think creatively about what makes a bullying problem at a school get bigger and how they can make a difference. I have also utilized the free interactive facilitators guide that is available to use with this book from Free Spirit Publishing. The facilitators guide has great ideas and handouts.

In order to make the bully-free message more noticeable in the school, I wanted to make bulletin board that corresponded with the Good-Bye Bully Machine. I consulted the FABULOUS art teacher, whom I have collaborated with for the "Colors of Us" project. She came up with a vision for how we could make the bulletin board resemble the book. I absolutely loved the idea. The Anti-Bullying Machine bulletin board turned out better than I could have ever imagined. (Did I mention she is FABULOUS!)

To make the bulletin board, we enlisted the help of students in an after-school program that I run. The students had a blast making the Anti-Bullying Machine.

To make the cogs, the students traced circle patters and a pattern that I created. After tracing their "cogs," the students cut out their "cog." They used crayola construction paper crayons to outline the cogs in a contrasting color.

The students brainstormed cruel words and put-downs that they could put in mean end of the Anti-Bullying Machine and kind words that would come out the kind end. We used rectangle pieces of construction paper to make the Anti-Bullying Machine complete.  The students loved helping with the bulletin board. It was a huge success!


What creative bulletin boards have you made about bullying? Comment below, email me, tweet, or share on the School Counselor Blog Facebook Page!

Danielle is a K-12 Certified School Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and blogger at School Counselor Blog, a place where school counselors share innovative ideas, creative lesson plans, and quality resources.  Contact Danielle via email, follow her on twitter, and become a fan of the School Counselor Blog Facebook Page.


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