Recess
Liam and Sophia argue over who gets to be “it” during tag. They raise their voices but don’t hit or insult each other.
Stay out: A normal disagreement doesn’t hurt anyone; they can resolve it themselves.
Ethan pokes a pencil into the electrical outlet under his desk while laughing with Mia.
Speak up:This is unsafe; even if nothing happened yet, an adult must stop it before an accident occurs.
Olivia climbs the slide ladder from the side instead of the steps while others cheer. No one is injured yet but looks dangerous.
Speak up: Unsafe behavior could cause a serious accident; adults should intervene.
During free time, Emily and Aiden argue about which project idea to choose. They speak loudly, but neither is calling names or hitting.
Stay out: Normal disagreement; no one is unsafe.
During a soccer game, Aiden falls but gets up quickly. Jake jokingly shoves him “just to be funny.” Aiden smiles but seems annoyed.
Check in: Aiden isn’t hurt, but pushing could escalate. Decide if it’s serious enough to tell an adult. You can check in with Aiden
Olivia and Jacob quietly tease Sofia about forgetting her homework. Sofia looks embarrassed but isn’t crying.
Check in or Speak up: Minor teasing could escalate; students must judge if intervention is needed.
You hear Emily and Noah whispering that Jacob is “too slow” to get to the swings. Jacob starts walking away alone.
Check in or Speak up: Exclusion and teasing are harmful; an adult can help prevent further emotional hurt.
During reading time, Liam notices that Jackson keeps hiding Sofia’s book under the desk whenever the teacher isn’t looking. Sofia keeps looking for it and looks frustrated and upset.
Check in and Speak up: Jackson’s behavior is intentionally upsetting Sofia and interfering with her learning. This is a situation where speaking up to the teacher is important to stop the harmful behavior.
During recess, Emma and Noah are whispering and laughing while pointing at Liam. Later, you hear them joking loudly that Liam’s parents are “weird” and making fun of what they do. Liam looks embarrassed and walks away.
Check in and Speak up: Mocking someone’s family is hurtful and can become bullying. An adult should know so they can stop it and support Liam.
During group work, Ava and Mia notice that Jacob got called to the teacher’s desk. They thought Jacob did something wrong and got in trouble. They decided to whisper to other students that he got in trouble because he did something wrong. Soon, others start repeating the rumor. Jacob looks upset and cry when he hears some of it.
Speak up: Even though Ava and Mia didn’t know the truth, spreading rumors based on assumptions is harmful. It can hurt Jacob’s feelings and reputation, so an adult should be informed to stop the rumor and clarify the situation.