February 6th - 10th

Each year, students ask for more lessons on anger management and conflict resolution. This week we targeted both of those topics by taking an anger inventory, then studying the steps to peaceful conflict resolution. Here are the steps, as laid out by Naomi Drew, M.A. of Learning Peace:
      1. Cool off (Fun fact: it takes approximately fifteen minutes for the brain to
          stop releasing stress hormones after a trigger!)
      2. Describe what's bothering you with "I statements"
      3. Seek understanding by allowing each person to restate what they heard
      4. Take responsibility
      5. Brainstorm solutions that satisfy all people
      6. Affirm, forgive, and thank
I was proud of how well the students discussed their experiences. The trusting relationships they've formed over the course of the school year are paying dividends now that they are beings asked to analyze one another's actions.

Here, students are arranging the steps into the correct order.

Above, a team works to arrange a conversation in the correct order.

We'll be continuing to practice these steps over the next few days, as many students are struggling with what words to actually say in the heat of the moment.