Make the values part of your everyday routine

Make the four core values of Free of Bullying part of everyday life in your community by making them very concrete.

Free of Bullying is based on the four core values: tolerance, respect, care and courage. These values provide the foundation for all activities in the programme. In order for the programme to have an impact, the values must be incorporated into your daily routine, and not only when you have the suitcase in front of you or work with the Free of Bullying materials.

Educational purpose

Use this activity as part of the process of defining your shared educational foundation.

Carry out the activity with

Colleagues (professionals)

What you need

The four values poster with the Free of Bullying text.
The four values poster, where you have formulated your interpretation of the values.
Three large sheets of paper.
Markers/pens

Here is how

Start by making sure all your colleagues are familiar with the four values. You can use the exercise What do the Free of Bullying values mean to you? to facilitate this.
Brainstorm the following three themes as a group: your everyday routines, your planned educational activities and support for the children’s self-organised and unstructured play. Write numerous examples of the different themes on a large sheet of paper – one sheet for each theme.
Create three groups and three stations. Place a theme sheet and related examples at each station. Group 1 is seated at station 1 (everyday routines), group 2 at station 2, etc.
Start by discussing how tolerance is demonstrated in relation to the theme and situations you are presented with. Then how respect, care and courage are reflected or expressed. It is important to discuss each value separately, so that you do not overlook one or combine some of them.
When you have reviewed all four values, you move on to the next station and look at what the previous group has written. You add further information if you think something is missing. Make a note of anything that you disagree with the previous group about so that you can return to it later
When all groups have visited all three stations, you all discuss your observations together. Remember to make room for a discussion about anything you have disagreed with along the way

Tips

Try this activity with yourselves as the focus rather than the children. Instead of the three themes, everyday routines, educational activities and self-organised play, try working with the themes at meetings, when working with the children and during breaks/leisure time. Which situations do you encounter and how are the values expressed among colleagues?

You can do this exercise when you are first introduced to Free of Bullying or when you have been working with the programme for a while and need to “reconnect.”