This teacher and counselor activity guide is designed to accompany the He’s Not Just Teasing! chapter book, which focuses on teaching the difference between teasing and bullying through relatable examples. This guide includes the text from the story, along with discussion questions and activities for each chapter! Engage students in meaningful conversation and relevant activities to help with their prosocial development. Malcolm is a bundle of energy! He’s fast and athletic, and he LOVES soccer! Sometimes, Malcolm’s energy causes him to lose focus. This means he gets in a little trouble at school, and it even means sometimes he gets distracted when he’s playing sports. Malcolm’s close friends joke with him, like he jokes with them, about silly mix ups. They are all the butt of the joke at one time or another. They tease each other because they are close friends and they care. But Malcolm starts to notice that Joe’s teasing feels different. Joe’s teasing is more direct, and always pointed at Malcolm. Overtime, it goes from small comments to saying things that are unkind, and when he teases, it’s hurtful. Malcolm figures out that Joe isn’t teasing, he is bullying. Luckily, Malcolm knows just who to ask for help, and his good friend Carlos is there to support him when he stands up for himself. Readers learn the difference between teasing and bullying through relatable examples, and see different strategies for stopping bullying in action! This quick-read chapter book is part of the Navigating Friendships book series, which is great for 4th-7th graders who are struggling with changing friendships, learning about self-advocacy, and figuring out how to get along with others. Included are 20 activities along with digital content link for reproducible forms and worksheets.

A rare look at emotional bullying among boys from the best-selling author of My Secret Bully.D.J.'s friend Vince has a habit of teasing D.J. and then saying, Just kidding!" as if it will make everything okay. It doesn't, but D.J. is afraid that if he protests, his friends will think he can't take a joke. With the help of his father, brother, and an understanding teacher, D.J. progresses from feeling helpless to taking positive action, undermining the power of two seemingly harmless words. Trudy Ludwig takes another look at relational aggression, the use of relationships to manipulate and hurt others, this time from the boy's point of view. Back matter includes discussion questions, a "dos and don'ts of teasing" list, and a resource guide for parents and teachers. Endorsed by Full Esteem Ahead, The Hands & Words Are Not For Hurting Project, and The Ophelia Project.

This quirky tale teaches young readers the difference between nice teasing and mean teasing. Laughing at someone (mean teasing) has a hurtful bite, but laughing with someone (nice teasing) is alright when it's not done out of spite.

Award-winning author and artist Mike Curato draws on his own experiences in Flamer, his debut graphic novel, telling a difficult story with humor, compassion, and love. "This book will save lives." —Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author of National Book Award Finalist Hey, Kiddo I know I’m not gay. Gay boys like other boys. I hate boys. They’re mean, and scary, and they’re always destroying something or saying something dumb or both. I hate that word. Gay. It makes me feel . . . unsafe. It's the summer between middle school and high school, and Aiden Navarro is away at camp. Everyone's going through changes—but for Aiden, the stakes feel higher. As he navigates friendships, deals with bullies, and spends time with Elias (a boy he can't stop thinking about), he finds himself on a path of self-discovery and acceptance. Godwin Books

Tools for Identifying and Developing Spiritual, Social, and Emotional Growth From birth to adulthood, our children's physical and intellectual development is carefully tracked and charted. But what about their hearts? After all, how our children develop emotionally, socially, and spiritually will determine who they become as husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, friends and co-workers. Are My Kids on Track? helps you identify and measure 12 key emotional, social, and spiritual milestones in your children's lives. Moreover, you will discover practical ways to guide your kids through any stumbling blocks they might encounter and help them reach the appropriate landmarks. Along the way the authors pinpoint the different ways boys and girls develop, so you can help your child flourish in his or her own way. Filled with decades of experience from three practicing counselors, speakers, and writers, this book provides you with valuable, current research and user-friendly, hands-on practices to make supporting your kids' soul development a seamless part of family life. Don't just raise smart kids--raise courageous, compassionate, resilient, empathetic, and smart kids.

Thomas feels like no matter what he does, he can’t escape Kyle’s persistent bullying. At school, at soccer—nowhere feels safe! “Mom said Kyle would grow over the summer and stop picking on me, but he didn’t grow up, he just grew.” With support from friends, classmates, and adults, Thomas starts to feel more confident in himself and his hobbies, while Kyle learns the importance of kindness to others. The book concludes with “activity club” pages for kids, as well as information to help parents, teachers, counselors, and other adults foster dialogue with children about ways to stop bullying.

Jeffrey isn't a little boy with cancer anymore. He's a teen who's in remission, but life still feels fragile. The aftereffects of treatment have left Jeffrey with an inability to be a great student or to walk without limping. His parents still worry about him. His older brother, Steven, lost it and took off to Africa to be in a drumming circle and "find himself." Jeffrey has a little soul searching to do, too, which begins with his escalating anger at Steven, an old friend who is keeping something secret, and a girl who is way out of his league but who thinks he's cute.