Sunday, November 25, 2012

Peace Education


At S.C. School, Behavior is One of the Basics
Education Week, October 25, 2012

This is an article about the implementing of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).  While reading this article it reminded me of Maria Montessori’s Peace Education, for which she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The three basic principles of Peace Education are:
1. Freedom of choice and self-determination – which leads to self-respect, security and creativity.  These, in turn, lead to self-knowledge.

2. Respect and cooperation with our peers – once a child/student has achieved the security of genuine self-respect, that child has the ability to truly accept and respect others.  A deep understanding and acceptance of another person enables one to respect the other person and collaborate constructively with them.

3. Respect for the environment – for the immediate environment as well as for the whole planet.

Adults (teachers and parents) are responsible for creating a learning environment in which children/students can express their free choice and self-respect, and experience respect from and cooperation with their peers.

Adults also need to model the behavior they wish their children/students to follow.  We want them to absorb the behavior from our beingness, not from our classroom presentations.

Teachers should establish a special area in their classroom where students can go to work out their conflicts.  This might be a Peace Table or a Peace Corner with two chairs.  Some rules of behavior need to be established and followed, rules that follow and enhance to three basic principles of Maria Montessori’s Peace Education.



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