In our modern world, it is so easy to get sucked in to conflict - online, on the news, with our family and friends. It is important that at a very young age, we begin to learn how to settle our differences and appropriately handle strong emotions. Peace education is a major component of the Montessori classroom. Adults model peaceful and respectful behavior, and because Montessori classrooms are composed of mixed age groups, older students serve as role models for younger children. Most classrooms have a peace corner or peace table, at which two students can go to resolve a conflict or a single child can go to calm down and feel peaceful. One strategy is the use of a peace rose. Children learn to take turns holding the peace rose while speaking about how they feel. They stay at the peace table until they have heard each other and resolved their conflict. With very young children, adults model and coach the children with words they can use. Older students can do this independently. At the Elementary level, when the imagination takes off, students enjoy role playing and solving problems in small groups. Elementary and Middle School age students may participate in student-led community meetings, in which conflicts are discussed, brainstormed, and resolved as a group. This book provides learning experiences to reduce violence, enhance personal integrity and foster mutual respect. We teach conflict resolution, peer mediation and prejudice reduction.

Ditch the behavioral charts and start teaching for universal success Disinterested students and behavioral problems are all too common in schools. Yet results show that behavior charts and other reward-and-punishment systems simply don't work. Teachers are burning out and students are failing. But what can be done? The secret lies in a unique combination of behavioral science, neuropsychology, and group dynamics. When teachers get the classroom experience right, students want to succeed and achieve to their potential, while behavioral problems largely vanish. For decades, it has been widely accepted that children have motivating needs including the need to avoid pain, a need for autonomy, and the need to belong. The authors harness these motivations into a method of interactions that increases cooperation, and in which children want to succeed and help others to thrive. Packed with real classroom examples and practical guidance for using the methods, this guide gives teachers the tools to transform even difficult classrooms. Start teaching for universal success in classroom management and academic accomplishments.

From the largest and most successful school initiatives in social and emotional learning in the country-The Resolving Conflict Creatively Program, now active in more than 350 schools nationwide-comes a powerful, practical guide for teaching young people to empathize, mediate, negotiate, and create peace. The authors address everything from minor schoolyard conflicts to violent outbursts, and offer educators and parents proven strategies for enhancing children's emotional, social, and conflict resolution skills.

A volume in Peace Education Series Editors Ian Harris, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Edward J. Brantmeier, James Madison University, and Jing Lin, University of Maryland Committed to teaching for peace and justice, the author brings to life a teaching approach that empowers youth: - to think critically and creatively about historical, current, and future issues, - to care about classmates and neighbors as well as the global community, - to act-locally and globally-for the greater good. Think, Care, Act: Teaching for a Peaceful Future is readable, practical, conversational, and intimate. It will inspire readers to build a just and peaceful world. Think, Care, Act depicts the daily successes and struggles a peace educator undergoes in encouraging students to envision peace and gain tools to build a culture of peace. The author uses three imperatives-think, care, act-to infuse required curricula with peace, character, and multicultural concepts in daily activities throughout the year. Chapters address critical and creative thinking; media and political literacy; compassionate classroom and school climate; explorations of racism, gender issues, civil discourse, global citizenship, war, and peace; and school, community, and global social-action projects. Chapters include rationales, lesson expectations, and classroom "play-by-play." Students' feedback about the impact of lessons is also featured. With its combination of theory and practice Think, Care, Act is unique. It will motivate teachers, education students, and scholars to employ "think, care, act" frameworks to empower students to build a peaceful future.

Imagine a peaceable place of learning, where the total focus is on teaching and helping students learn. From superintendents to classroom teachers, this is what all education professionals want for their schools. Making School a Place of Peace gives you details on how to make nonviolence and peaceable behavior the norm in your school. The authors have included real-life examples and forms for assessing the culture and values of the school. They have included practical ways you can incorporate lessons about peace into the curriculum, such as using examples from children's literature. Particularly useful are the resources for helping to promote peace as a way of life, not just at school but at home and in the community as well. Involvement of parents, teachers, and children is stressed as a key factor in bringing about these changes.