4th grade bullies made @KatieDavisBurps a writer #literacy #k12 #elemed

In fourth grade, Katie Davis was bullied by her classmates. A self-described ADD sufferer, she says, “ADD kids are often targets because they don’t get social cues.” The bullying continued throughout the school year and Davis resigned herself to being “a loser.” When her teacher read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, Davis was captivated. “It was all about bad kids who get their come-uppance. That was for me!” she says. “You can make that happen in a book.” Although she allowed other kids to treat her like a “doormat,” bullying made her a “kinder more empathetic kid” and gave her the confidence to stand up for herself in two situations involving adults: once as an eleven-year old when an X-ray technician touched her inappropriately, and once as a junior high student when a cab driver made a racist remark. When Davis reflects on her painful experience with bullying, she realizes it made her a writer. More...