Little Peacemakers: A Step-by-Step Guide for Training Elementary-Age Mediators

Conflict is a way of life, something we cannot avoid. In the classroom or other group settings, these conflicts take time away from learning and can try the patience of even the most seasoned teacher. But there is an alternative: mediation. By teaching mediation skills to elementary school children, we demonstrate creative and constructive ways to handle conflicts and empower them for a lifetime. Little Peacemakers provides a step-by-step framework for training classroom mediators who help peers resolve a problem and arrive at a peaceful solution. Classroom mediators are highly effective in helping other students solve nonphysical disagreements through a series of simple steps. The eight-week curriculum consists of 30-minute, hands-on lessons that teach problem solving, active listening, and brainstorming and how to apply those skills to mediation. Part 1: Ready, Set, Go introduces students to the concepts and skills of mediation. Part 2: Practice Makes Perfect focuses on role-playing activities that let children put their skills to use. Part 3: Getting Parents/Guardians Involved provides information and tips for family members. Two CDs accompany this book. One provides forms, handouts, and other reproducible materials for the program. The other contains The Mediator Rap, a song that helps students memorize the steps of the mediation process.