The old childhood rhyme about sticks and stones having power over words is an odd one. I wonder how it got started, took root, and became the mantra of kids pretending that hurtful words wash off with the day's dirt. As adults, we realize the power of words and how they can be used in connection with acts of bullying.
This morning I read a post titled Take a Number! and agree with Senorita.Hache that it is important to nip disrespect in the bud. If students get by with saying rude comments to a teacher, it only gets worse, and the students gain control of the class. The door is also opened for peer bullying.
I was constantly bullied as a kid because I was skinny and wore glasses. I never reported the bullying to teachers for fear of reprisal. Some of those kids were really mean. Therefore, I think it's imperative that teachers have an awareness of students who enjoy tormenting others and nip this kind of disrespect in the bud as well.
A quote by Robert Fulghum makes a bit more sense to me than the original rhyme.
Yelling at living things does tend to kill the spirit in them. Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our hearts.
His words are powerful and could be useful in classroom discussions about respect and classroom expectations. Students might even be challenged to rewrite the rhyme to make it more meaningful. Some of the new rhymes might even take root.