Turning Teenagers into Peacemakers – Teacher Trainer
The following Secondary School Training Model for Conflict Resolution has been developed by Educators for Social Responsibility. I am offering a version adapted to the needs of Irish Secondary Schools based on my experience teaching an 8 week module for Transition Year at several schools in West Cork.
Day 1: Module 1: Introduction to the Workshop • Welcome and Group Introductions
• Goals, Hopes, Agenda Review
• Making Group Agreements
• Why Teach Conflict Resolution and Intergroup Relations
• Peaceable Classroom Principles
Module 2: Exploring Conflict
• Conflict Web and Introduction to Three Myths
• What’s Positive About Conflict?
• Conflict Microlab: Talking About Conflict
• Conflict Styles
• Gathering: I Represent Conflict or What Color is Conflict?
• Introduction to “Win-Win” Conflict Resolution
Module 3: How Conflict Escalates
• Demonstration: How Conflict Escalates
• Practice Using the Conflict Escalator
Module 4: Emotional Intelligence
• Feelings Check-in and Introduction to Emotional Intelligence
• Developing a Vocabulary of Feelings
• Optional: Feeling Pictures Walk-About
• Optional: Feelings Relay
• Optional: Anger Sort
• Reflections on Schooling and Learning
• A Story About the Power of Feelings/Connections / Feedback
Day Two
Module 5: Anger Management
• Gathering and Agenda Review
• Introduction to Anger Management
• Anger Cues
• Anger Triggers
• The Anger Continuum
• Anger Reducers
• Other Anger Management Steps
Module 6: Active Listening
• Gathering: Description Game
• Mini-Lecture: Communication in Conflict Resolution
• Communication Blockers
• Demonstrating Active Listening: Group Practice
• Listening to Affirm and Understand (partners share)
• De-escalating Conflict Through Active Listening (Triads)
• Summarize Active Listening Concepts
• A Story About the Power of Listening
Module 7: “I” Messages
• “You” messages and “I” messages
• The Strong Message Machine
• Construction “I” messages
Module 8: Creating the Peaceable Classroom
• The Peaceable Being
• Peaceable Classroom: Reviewing What We’ve Experienced
• Optional: “Qualities We Bring..
Day 3
There are two options for the third day:
Agenda A focuses on personal perspectives and experiences of diversity. Agenda B begins with the personal and then explores how adults and young people experience diversity in Secondary School culture.
Module 9: Exploring Diversity
Agenda A: Morning Agenda B: Morning
• Gathering: Human Bingo
• Setting the Stage
• Hopes and Fears
• Optional: Family Banners
• What Research Tells Us
• Cultural Sharing: Micro Lab
• Optional: Power Shuffle
• Optional: Clout Card Game
• Video: “Names Can Really Hurt Us”
• Exploring Issues: Wise Man and the Elephant
• Diversity on the Conflict Escalator
• Concept of Alliance Building
• Interrupting Prejudice
• Optional: Cultural Competence
• Closing: Quote Cards • Gathering: Human Bingo
• Exploring Diversity: 20 Things on a Tray
• Optional: Family Banners Day 4:
Module 10: Giving and Receiving Feedback
• Gathering and Agenda Review
• Giving and Receiving Feedback
Module 11: Cooperation, Collaboration, and Community
• “Marshmellows”
• Principles of Cooperative Learning
• Stages of Team Development
Module 12: From Punishment to Prevention and Problem Solving
• Optional: A Conversation about Punishment and Discipline
• Optional: Reflections about Teachers in your Life
• The Prevention-Intervention-Invention Model / Small Group Problem-Solving
Module 13: Negotiation and the Negotiated Classroom
• Win-Win Solutions
• Inroduction to Negotiation
• The Piano Lesson: Introduction to Positions, Interests, Point of View and Common Goals
• Optional: Holiday Negotiation
• Drawing a House: The Negotiated Classroom