Going back for yet another year of virtual classes feels more natural than a lot of us would care to admit. When we bring school online, however, a lot of the things attached to in-person school are bound to tag along. This includes early classes, recesses, parent-teacher conferences, and, unfortunately, bullying as well. It is important to ensure a safe learning environment for all your students. Knowing the causes of bullying and tips to prevent it can help you achieve this. Preventing bullying online is much like doing so in person. Ensuring that every student feels included, respected, and acknowledged is practically the same in all mediums. However, the migration to online education did bring with it a host of additional features which can be used and abused.
We will talk about three major steps you can take to prevent online bullying, especially in Google Classroom.
Take Individual Responsibility
The first and most important way to prevent bullying in Google Classroom is to educate your students about the implications of it. Remind them about the primary purpose of online education and the correct code of conduct that it demands. Help them understand that being able to obtain education online during the pandemic is a privilege. Finally, they also need to understand that if they do not behave appropriately, there might be repercussions. These punishments can range from their exclusion from remote classes to a complete ban on their online privileges.
Additionally, students can also take responsibility by reporting such behavior of their peers as they see or experience it. Even just a reply to the abuser that says that they are not comfortable with is better than keeping quiet altogether. As and when students lodge complaints, each one of them should be taken seriously and followed up on.
You can also urge their parents to help inculcate positive behaviors at home. And parents can supervise their children during class hours. This can further prevent abuse of Google Classroom features. Both parents and teachers need to realize that there is more to education than learning to solve a quadratic equation. Teaching appropriate social behavior should also definitely be on the list.
Be Proactive
Since teachers are at the forefront of online classes, the responsibility of monitoring students’ behaviors also falls upon them. Early recognition of signs of bullying can help combat it and even prevent future incidents.
The school administration can design bullying guidelines for teachers to follow. This can include signs of bullying, signs of being bullied, and ways to address them both. To help teachers make online learning safe and positive for all students, published behavior teaching matrices can also be followed.
Teachers can also play their part in curbing this epidemic by fostering a positive environment for their students. This includes setting the tone at the top and being mindful of the words and language you use in the classroom.
Disable Unwanted Features
Some students need additional help to nudge them in the right direction as far as appropriate (online) social conduct is concerned. This includes removing potentially harmful features from Google Classroom to nip the problem in the bud. The fewer opportunities students have to disturb other students or their classes, the easier it will be to control such behavior.
Safe Doc can really come to your aid here. Equipped with a large list of security features, Safe Doc enables you to control the access you give to your students. You could remove the option of inappropriate emojis and stickers from Gmail, Hangouts, Chat, and Docs. You could also prevent students from sharing chats and comments while collaborating to maintain their focus on the task at hand. Furthermore, you could block students from joining old and unsupervised google meetings where they could ambush an unsuspecting fellow student.
Cyberbullying is not limited to students harassing each other. Sometimes, it can also expand and be directed at teachers. To counter this, teachers can use Safe Doc to prevent students from blocking them. Teachers can also mute talkative students to prevent them from disrupting the flow of a class or from hurling abuses at other students.
About Safe Doc
Safe Doc equips teachers with just the right tools to help combat bullying in Google Classroom. Installing it for your Google Classroom can help you manage your classes much better. The capabilities help you block certain features of Google Classroom.
