I have a 1st grader who is relentlessly bullied, esp. by a few of the 2nd graders. They treat her like she has a horrible, contagious disease: won't sit near her, touch her, etc. And if she's not immediately conforming to whatever is going on in the lesson, they yell at her (but not at any other student who might be equally distracted). She's actually very sweet and very good at English. I really don't know why they've all decided to hate her. She generally takes it well, but one time she cried, and one time she left the room. It breaks my heart. I think a big part of the problem is me. The kids aren't as bad around the Korean teachers, although some have been punished for their behavior towards this girl.
I need to crack down better. I've told them to stop, glared, etc., but I'm ready to put this above English teaching until it's resolved. Today, I will be sending offenders to time out in the hall. But I want to officially address bullying and what kind of behavior bullying entails. In this culture, I'm not sure they really know. Has anyone had a similar lesson for 1-2 graders? What about a video or PPT? Any suggestions would be helpful! Thanks!

I've heard of teachers finding songs to teach that have a theme of getting along, loving yourself, and being kind. I don't know what songs they used, but if you look I'm sure you can find something.

I applaud your sincerity on this issue.  It really is heartbreaking to witness that stuff.  The kids absolutely take advantage of their ability to kind of "fly under the radar" in English class because they know the teacher can't catch most of (or likely any of) their little remarks. 

It can be still more frustrating to know that the safety you try to foster in your classroom is undermined like that.  Apart from the obvious things like giving them more challenging tasks, positive reinforcement, and maintaining a brisk pace in the lessons (all of which you may be doing), there's not much you can do from a practical perspective.  They have obviously made a habit out of teasing this kid and because it's second nature to them, changing their hearts might be slightly out of your reach.  You should focus on distracting them enough to provide a reprieve for the victim while providing positive feedback for good behaviour.

It's really difficult for any teacher to motivate that kind of change-of-heart (in teenage girls, no less), let alone someone in our position who may not be able to reach them at a real, rational level (language-wise). 

All I would suggest is that you avoid giving away the fact that this victim is the reason you are bringing this up in class.  If you even look at her or stand near her, the bullies will know that you are just sticking up for her and they will likely resent her even more for that.  It's just how kids operate.  That will give them yet another bit of ammunition against her.  Whatever you do, be sure to avoid shining a spotlight on any particular student (bully or victim) as this will likely cause a problem outside of class. The victim may even feel like she is being singled out as a victim in front of the class and resent you for putting more negative attention on her.  If you are going to talk about this in class, it's extremely important that you do not even remotely hint that anyone in the class is the underlying subject of the lesson.

That sort of intervention should be handled by a school psychologist, guidance counselor, or faculty mentor who knows how to handle these issues.  It's a really murky area of education and a slight misstep can cause serious problems down the line.  Just be very careful.

I think your emotional investment in the kids (particularly the underdogs) is laudable and I share it 100%.  I hope you can find a way to safely and constructively address this class without getting yourself or the kid in hot(ter) water.  Best of luck.

I work in a mixed middle school. Today during 5th period I was waiting for my second grade class to come in and some third grade girls came in and starting confronting her 1 girl (mainly) and her friends about something I'm not sure of. One girl seemed to be talking reasonably but it definitely looked like they were demanding an explanation of some sort. The girl was on the verge of tears. I stepped in and told them if they weren't in my class this period than to get out. They left and tried to come back but I stood by the door. I the crying girl a pat on the back and asked her if she was ok and she started crying harder. Their Korean teacher came in and they talked with her.... girls can be so mean.

I was planning on doing a bullying lesson with my 3rd grades, and chose not to, but now feel like I should. But if I do they will surely know that situation is why I'm talking about it. 

I would love to become a guidance counselor in the schools here.

You could try the paper lesson - it's pretty well known.

Print out a piece of paper with a blank face on it.

For prep: Tape the paper to the desk FACE DOWN - so that the student's CAN'T see that there's a face on it.

Tell the students to write an insult on the paper, then crumple it up, stomp on it, etc. Then tell them to take the paper and smooth it out, and to apologize to the paper and say they were sorry.

Then tell them to look at the paper and see how nothing has really changed, and the damage to the paper is still there. Have them look at the blank face on the other side of the paper and help them make the connection between their actions and the effect they can have on other people ; how you can apologize and smooth things over but the memories and damage are still there.

I did that lesson my sophomore year of high school and it really stuck with me.

Oh wow, I've never heard of that lesson before, but I think it sounds like a great idea.

Yeah, that's really a beautiful .ppt!

VeganBiker,  thanks for your advice.  It changed my outlook on the subject, and I'll try it out on Wednesday.