The official website of CJ Bott,
  educational consultant on using children's & young
  adult literature to start the discussion on bullying.

 

  
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Go to the ALAN website (above) and click on the links to the monthly bookchat. On the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 9-10pm/EST we discuss a recent YA title. On the 4th Wednesday from 9-10pm/EST we interview the author. I am the moderator.
 

  
 
 

Presently:

-Educational Consultant 2000 to present

  • Bullying and Harassment Issues
  • Young Adult Literature
  • Using Young Adult Literature as a Prevention Tool to Discuss Bullying and Harassment

-Writer multiple articles in  journals, author of THE BULLY IN THE BOOK AND IN THE CLASSROOM. Presently working on MORE BULLIES IN MORE BOOKS.

Awards:

Recipient of the 2003 NCTE/SLATE Intellectual Freedom Award

Education:

MA Curriculum and Instruction, Cleveland State University, Ohio, 1981
BA Hiram College, Hiram,  Ohio, 1969

Recent Trainings

  • The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program,  Perry, OH. April 2005.
  • Sexual Harassment Awareness Training. William D. Berard, McGrath Systems, Inc., October 2000
  • Investigation Training for Administrators and Staff. William D. Berard, McGrath Systems, Inc., October 2000

Teaching Experience:

-English Teacher- Retired in June 2002 Shaker Heights High School 1984-2002

  • Tenth Grade English
  • Anatomy of Writing  - senior course.
  • Social Issues in Fiction and Non-fiction, covering violence, bullying, hate crimes, homophobia, homelessness, censorship, and gender roles.

-Cleveland State University - assisted Rosemary Sutton
-Sexual Harassment Workshop for Educators, Spring 1996
-Bedford City Schools 1973-1984 Taught English, 9-12

 

Other Responsibilites While Teaching At Shaker Heights High School:

-Co-founder and co-advisor of Women Helping Educate Women, a group for female students, SHHS1992-2000

-Co-founder and co-advisor of Shaker Gay/Straight Alliance,  SHHS 1998-2001

-Faculty Committees –Social Justice Committee (K-12),  Chair   --R.E.S.P.E.C.T.  Committee, Co-Chair

 

Recent Consulting Work:

  • SaintPaul’s School, Clearwater, Florida. Bully Prevention.  Worked with steering committee, staff, all students K-8th grade, and parents. May 2007.
  • “Dialogue about Bullying, K-12” Inservice for students teachers at Ohio Wesleyan, 20 March, 2007.
  • Solon Middle School, Worked with seventh graders on labeling and name-calling through Literature Circles.  April,   2006.
  •  “Cyberbullying,” Beaumont School, Presentation for entire student body and staff. 15 March 2006.
  • “Bullying – What to Look For” Inservice for student teachers at Ohio Wesleyan, 28 February 2006.
  • Bullying program for staff at Cuyahoga Country Public Library, Solon Branch. 10 October 2005.
  • Newbury Schools, Newbury, OH, School year 2005-2006.
  • Open Doors Program,  an after school program for high-ability, low-achievement middle school students, March/April, 2005.
  • Perry Middle School, Perry,   Ohio . Worked with English Teachers and students, grades 5-8.  Ann Spurrier, Principal, March & April, 2005.
  • Newbury Middle School and High School, Starting an Anti-Bullying Program. Judy Miller, Principal. Newbury, OH. School year 2004-2005.
  • Using Literature Circles to teach about bullying in seventh grade, Solon Middle School, Solon OH, May 2003 and April 2004.
  • Bullying and Harassment Awareness Training, Staff in elementary and high school buildings, Beachwood, OH, 2003.
  • Bullying and Harassment in the School Environment. Poland High School, Steering Committee, Judy Young, Leadership Advisor,  December-January 2003.

 

Recent Professional Publications:

  • “Don’t Look and It Will Go Away: YA Books, A Key to Uncovering the Invisible Problem of Bullying,”   ALAN Workshop Panel Script. The ALAN Review, Volume 35, Winter 2007.
  • “Why We Must Read Young Adult Books that Deal with Sexual Content,” The ALAN Review. Volume 33, Summer 2006.
  • Poison Ivy  by Amy Goldman Koss. A Reader’s Response. Roaring Brook Press Website. October, 2005
  • The Bully in the Book and in the Classroom, Scarecrow Press, Inc. August 2004
  • “Bold Books for Innovative Teaching—The Boldest Books: Those with Gay Characters,” Donald Gallo, Interviewer ENGLISH JOURNAL, September, 2004.
  • “Why Read YA Literature with Your Students? Let Me Tell You,” CBC FEATURES, Children’s Book Council, FALL 2003.
  • “Zine––The Ultimate Creative Writing Project,” ENGLISH  JOURNAL, 92, November 2002, pp.27-32.
  • “Using Norma Fox Mazer’s Out of Control to Reach Kids Where They Hide,” THE ALAN REVIEW, 29, Fall 2001,  pp. 18-20.

 

Presentations At Conferences / Workshops:

  • “Don’t Look and It Will Go Away: YA Books, A Key to Uncovering the Invisible Problem of Bullying,”  Chair. Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English (ALAN), Nashville, 20 November 2007.
  • “Compleat Teachers Deal With The Problem of Bullying Through Literature.” National Council of Teachers or English, Nashville, 17 November 2007.
  • “Recent Books to Consider for a Compleat Literature Program for Teens.” National Council of Teachers or English, Nashville, 17 November 2007.
  • “YA Lit: The Best Anti-Bullying Program Around.” Ohio Educational Library Media Association 2006 Conference, Columbus Ohio, 11 October 2006.
  • “Using Fiction and Nonfiction Titles (K-12) to Talk About Bullying.” Western Reserve Ohio Teachers of English (WROTE), Youngstown State University, 7 October, 2006
  • “Bully Prevention : Building a More Respectful Environment.” Global Issues Resource Center-Cuyahoga Community College, 22 June, 2006.
  • “Bullies and Mean Girls  Round Table Discussion” The Women’s Conference, Cleveland State University –. 25 March 2006.
  • “Beat Bullying With Books: Teens and Characters Meet on Common Ground,” National Council of Teachers of English, Pittsburgh, 19 November 2005.
  • “Delighting in Differences: Varied Opinions About Recent Books For Teens,” National Council of Teachers of English, Pittsburgh, 19 November 2005.
  • “Bullying is Always About Power,” American Association of University Women – Cleveland Branch, 8 October 2005.
  • ‘New Choices for Significant Literary Experiences for Teens” International Reading Association, San Antonio, Texas. 3 May 2005
  • “Beat Bullying with Books,” Bullying Prevention Symposium presented by The Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management. Columbus, OH. May 2005.
  • THE BULLY IN TH BOOK AND IN THE CLASSROOM, Dayton Mertro Library, Dayton,  OH. May 2005.
  •  “Middle School Bullying,” Hawken Middle School, Lyndhurst, OH, April 2005.
  • “What New Teachers Should Know About Student Bullying,” Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio. February 2005.
  • “When Girls Bully Girls: What Should Teachers Do?” Panel. Sponsored by the Women in Literacy and Life Assembly. “Girls Not So Nice Afterall,” Nation Council of Teachers of English Conference, Indianapolis, IN. November 2004.
  • “New Choices for Significant Literary Experiences for Teens,” Panel. “Significant Books about Social Problems”, Indianapolis, IN. November 2004.
  • “Young Adult Literature: The Best Anti-Bullying Program Around,” National Council of Teachers of English Conference, Indianapolis, IN. November 2004.
  • “Beat Bullying with Books, A Workshop Experience,” Global Issues Resource Center of Cuyahoga Community College, Easter Branch, Cleveland, OH. October 2004.
  • “How Girls Bully,” Shaker Heights Middle School PTO, Shaker Heights, OH. October 2004.
  • “Girls—NOT So Nice: How Girls Bully,”  Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts, Dublin, OH. October, 2004
  • “Bullying––A Threat to Respect: A Workshop Experience,” Global Issues Resource Center of Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, OH. April and May 2004.
  • “Young Adult Literature—The Best Anti-Bullying Program Around,” Young Adult Literature Conference, Denver, CO. April 2004.
  • “Linking State Standards with Literature Circles to Teach about Social Issues—Bullying,” Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts, Columbus, OH. March 2004.