No Name-Calling Week

You can help reduce bullying in the classroom and on the playground with these activities during No Name-Calling Week.

By Rachel D

No Name-Calling Week

The third week of January is designated as No Name-Calling Week. During this week, teachers can have students discuss the impact bullying has on individuals and reflect on how just a few words can affect a person’s well-being.

No Name-Calling Week is a campaign which was inspired by the young adult novel The Misfits by James Howe. The book tells the story of a group of seventh grade students who are taunted because of how they look, their intelligence, and their manner of expressing themselves. Eventually, this group fights back by assembling a No-Name Party to run in their school's student council elections. Their party has as its goal to put an end to name-calling and create a “No Name-Calling Day” at school. Not only do these characters inspire their principal and school, they also end up affecting change in schools across the nation.

The No Name-Calling Week Coalition, who promotes this campaign, strives to educate students about the problems caused by name-calling and bring attention to the ways to eliminate it. There are many ways to incorporate No Name-Calling Week activities in your classroom or school-wide. The following activities can help eliminate name-calling, harassment, and bullying in your classroom.

Anonymous Box

For your older students, setting up an Anonymous Box can be a powerful tool to bring classroom issues to light. Wrap up an old shoe box with some butcher or construction paper and cut out a hole in the lid. After discussing No Name-Calling Week, allow students to put anonymous notes in the box addressing their personal problems, questions, or even apologies. Read the slips of paper throughout the week. This may also be an excellent opportunity to partner with the school counselor to help address certain issues. At the end of the week, choose a few anonymous strips to read out loud. Use these entries to start a classroom discussion. Here are some discussion questions to use as a guideline:
  • Why might this student be feeling this way?
  • How can we help this student feel better about their situation?
  • What can we do better in this classroom/at this school to avoid this problem?
  • Can you relate to what this student is feeling?
  • How can we encourage students to avoid name-calling throughout the year?

Stop Bullying with Books

There are numerous books available that address name-calling. Try reading one every day during No Name-Calling Week. After reading a story, engage students in a classroom discussion or incorporate an enrichment activity. Journal writing is a great way for students to address their personal issues. What follows is a list of books to read during the third week of January:
  • Lucy and the Bully by Claire Alexander
  • The Bully Blockers Club by Teresa Bateman
  • My Secret Bully by Trudy Ludwig
  • King of the Playground by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
  • Hands are Not for Hitting by Martine Agassi
  • The Ugly Duckling by Jerry Pinkney
  • Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bull: A Freckleface Strawberry Story by Julianne Moore

No Name-Calling Week Activities:

What's in a Name?

In this lesson, students address name-calling in their lives as well as the lives of others. They write reflections and read articles that discuss name-calling throughout history. Students have the opportunity to reflect on ways to discourage name calling in their own lives.

Bully Role-Play

In this lesson, students engage in a role-playing activity focused on conflict management. Students identify the proper steps to take when addressing a bully. Students read and discuss a poem about a bully. They can then use problem-solving activities to solve classroom issues.

Conflict Management: Bullying Can Be Stopped

This lesson has students list the characteristics of bullies. Students discuss the importance of involving adults and using the three “Rs” when addressing a bully. They read and discuss various scenarios that involve bullying. By the end of this activity students should have a repertoire of strategies to use when confronted with a difficult situation.