GREENSBORO, N.C. — A group of students at Falkener Elementary in Greensboro is learning how to resolve conflict among classmates.
The school recently launched a peer mediation program. School counselors said a group of student leaders have been trained to help their peers work through everyday disputes.
“We try to teach our students about relationships skills and it's important for them to learn how to talk it out and work it out,” Counselor Crystal Raspberry said. “We know as far as they grow in their education and career life that they're going to have to have these skills.”
Counselor Lauren Waterman agrees.
“Our students have the ability to work out their problems and they might just need a little support in how to use those peaceful conflict resolution skills,” Waterman said. “We think that all students can learn this, and all students can benefit from it.”
The peer mediators are trained to be active listeners. They ask questions to learn both sides of a story, while helping classmates at odds find common ground. Fifth grader Jordan Miller said finding mutual respect is key.
“Basically, what we do is we sit them by themselves, and we make sure they solve their problem,” Miller said. “We always make sure that their conflict is solved, and they are friends at the end, and they can make up or they can make up."
Counselors plan to get more students trained soon.
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