For this week we thought we would discuss a small but very important area in our classroom, the Peace Corner. We have set aside this small part of our room and created a peaceful place. We have decorated the area, and we use it for reflection, recharging, letting go of worries or stress, and to meditate on our day.
This is also a wonderful place to introduce and facilitate conflict resolution. We have a peace rose within our Peace Corner that is used to help guide a conversation to resolve a conflict. The two students that are having some difficulty and need to resolve an issue are invited to come to the peace corner. They are then invited to take turns talking directly to one another about what happened and how they feel about it. The child who is speaking is the one who is holding the peace rose. Eventually a student feels ready to invite a friend to the Peace Corner on their own to resolve a conflict. This is a beautiful thing to observe as a teacher. To watch a child feel empowered to invite a friend who may be older or bigger or more vocal than them to the peace corner. Then to hold a discussion of what they feel happened and how they feel about it is priceless. This is a wonderful view of what the future can hold if we take the time to stop, breath, guide and listen through conflict.
