We Are 1 Team October Character Skill

Be an UpStander

The current We Are One Team Character Play (lesson) being taught is “Be an UpStander”.  An “UpStander” is someone that stands up for what is right, for their friends and for themselves.  I am sure you have heard about bullying in schools these days.  This character lesson helps kids learn how to handle different situations related to bullying at school.  Students will learn when and how to talk to someone that is hurting their feelings or picking on them.   They will also learn how they can stand up for a friend/classmate that is being bullied and when to report problems to the teacher and/or an adult at home.  This is a very important lesson because every child has the right to feel safe at school. 

The first part of this lesson deals with awareness. Plenty of kids have good intentions and want to protect their friends, but if they aren’t aware of what is going on around them they can’t be an “UpStander”.  Becoming aware of our surroundings and aware of our own personal space is a big step in eliminating many problems at school.

Students will also be working on how to resolve conflicts with their words.  Conflict resolution is an important part of this lesson and is a great life skill for your child to develop.  It is impossible not to have some conflict at school, but most of the conflicts are small and can be handled at the student level.  Your child will learn how to approach the conflict and also how to report it to the adult in charge.   Any time a student is threatened, intimidated or hurt; they will be instructed to report it immediately to the teacher AND to an adult at home.   

One of the challenging things to deal with is the difference between tattling and reporting.  One lesson is devoted to when a student should address an issue directly and when and how they should report the problem.  It is actually preferred for the students to error on the side of reporting too much than feel they are left alone to resolve their own problems.  As a team, we can work together to solve conflicts and work together to be our best.  Teachers will coach them on how to handle situations that can be taken care of between students. 

As you go about your day with you child, find times in which they can practice being an “UpStander”.  When people have each other’s backs and stand up for each other, they become a strong team working together to be their best.

Thanks,
James E. Jones, MBA

Written by National Youth Motivational Speaker and Founder of the We Are One Team Character Program – James E. Jones, MBA