|
|
Posted by:
Nelson Beaudoin
K-12 Classroom teacher
Kennebunk, ME
Topic:
principals & student voice
Message:
At Leavitt High School, there were 37 fights a year, the ambulance frequently visited our school, and there was often blood in the hall, and it was very, very edgy all the time. And, when we were trying to figure out what to do about that, I think the natural reaction was to put more people on duty in the hall, to do more of the zero tolerance type of thing, in terms of another rule or regulation, and try to see if we could bring about a peaceful school through that process. What we did instead--and again this is something we tripped on-- we sent 10 or 12 kids away for a conference, a leadership conference, and they had to come up with a plan to improve the school. And, what they came up with was a peer mediation plan. Five years later, there are maybe two fights a year at Leavitt, maybe one, and it is usually one push, and that is the end of it, because the students take care of it. The point is that any issue that you have in school, I think can be addressed by giving it to students and having them work it out correctly.
To reply, please first log into The Knowledge Loom
Back Return to the Forum
|
|
1875
