NCJ Number
160479
Journal
Resolution Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1995) Pages: 1-2
Date Published
1995
Length
2 pages
Annotation
Educators for Social Responsibility (ESR) helps teachers establish "Peaceable Classrooms," which are caring and respectful classroom communities that emphasize five themes: cooperation, communication, expressing feelings, appreciation for diversity, and conflict resolution.
Abstract
Exploring these themes in a classroom requires both an active and an interactive approach. ESR uses puppets, role-plays, small group projects, cooperative games, drawing activities, children's literature, and discussions. The Peaceable Classroom approach allows teachers to be child-centered and responsive to their students' needs. Not all classroom conflict has the same causes and characteristics; the Peaceable Classroom model helps teachers get to the roots of conflicts as well as their manifestations. ESR supports conflict-resolution programs that can be easily incorporated into the daily life of the classroom. A recent focus has been the infusion of conflict resolution into the standard curriculum. Books can provide models of both effective and ineffective conflict resolution, and other curriculum areas can present and promote conflict resolution; social studies, art, and health are among the most obvious subjects within which conflict-resolution principles can be taught. The teacher then guides the implementation of these principles in student and teacher interactions and conflicts in the life of the class.