I Belong Here: peace education in the classroom

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Everyone wants and needs to feel that they belong. Today’s classrooms are full of diversity in culture, so it is particularly valuable to provide children with opportunities to mix with their classmates. We can guide children in friendship building within their classroom group to develop confidence and self esteem, and structure inclusion activities to enhance a sense of community.

As often as possible, in short periods, have children work together in different partnerships. This is a concrete way to create a more peaceful playground and surrounding community because children will have knowledge of and empathy for more children. The more we know others, the more likely we are to understand them and the less likely to tease or harm them.

Here are a few ideas to help organize your classroom so that a sense of community and belonging is established.

Find a Partner

We can begin by having children find quick partners in a variety of ways. Then they can do short activities together during the day. The key word is “quick.” Present this as a quick game and a break between more academic activities. If this is new to you, you may want to teach it as part of a gym class. Finding your partner is part of the game and a bit of a race. Just use your judgment and observe carefully because you already know some children who will need a little nudge to go for a partner. As experience grows, the children will all be more confident to find someone new.

Go to the Wall
Say to your students,
All those whose favourite sport is
hockey go to the front,
tennis go to the back,
swimming go to the left,
biking go to the right.

Once they are separated, ask them to pair up using your criteria, then call a different criteria and they pair up again. Examples of Criteria:
one short hair, one long hair
one with glasses, one without
one boy, one girl
one blue eyed, one brown eyed
one tall, one short

Soon you can have children call out the criteria.

Variation: I am a Star
Give each child a copy of a star that has numbered points. Each time you call a criteria, the two children write their names on one point of both their stars. Children can use one “Wild Card” or free choice if they can’t find a partner quickly.

How Many Ways Are We the Same?
I have adapted an old idea from Michelle Borba’s book, Esteem Builders.

There is a double value to this exercise. First, the more we have a chance to say or declare who we are and what we like or don’t like, the more we feel a sense of our own identity. This is a cornerstone of our self esteem. Then, when we share that identity with others we discover that they often have similar thoughts and feelings. The potential is for us to develop a sense of other and of community.

Give each child a blank star, about 5 inches in diameter. The star can be copied on 8 1/2 x 11 paper or cut out as a star shape.

Make one large chart or picture on the blackboard, on which you can stick or paper clip a variety of categories.

Here are a few more examples:
Favourite holiday
Favourite food
Favourite sport
How long has your family been in Canada?

Directions For Students
You are a star. Fill in your star points with your answers. You can make a picture or use words.

Now you have 3 minutes to find someone with 3 points the same as you have.

Write your new friend’s name on the back on one of the points that you have the same.

Now find a different person with three things the same. When you find your person, find another way that you are the same, that isn’t on the star. Write their name on a different point.

Can you now find someone with 4 things the same?

Now try for 5 things.
Upon completion of the game, children write a “3 – 2 – 1” in their journals or learning logs:
3 things I liked about doing this.
2 things that surprised me.
1 new person I want to play with.

In a few days, change the points on your blackboard or star and repeat the exercise. Children are practicing talking about themselves and meeting classmates in a new way.

A variation is to have children write the name of a person with the same quality on the point of the star each time they find new people. During the day you can have children quickly partner with a person who has the same favourite ice cream, favourite TV show, etc.

Although initially the finding of people with similar thoughts or qualities is the extent of the game, the experience is really practice in relating to others. With this kind of activity, co-operative learning is enhanced and this will also support academic growth.

Work with a Partner

Once your students are finding partners quickly, ask them to work together in a variety of activities. Possible partner activities:
Practise reading
Practise basic math facts
Make a play on being safe
Drill spelling words
Make a puzzle for another group to solve
Use 3 objects to make a game

Interviews
Each week have students interview a different person in the room. You can include aides and other adults if you choose. Use one of the many interview sheets available that is age appropriate, or develop one for your class.

One way to choose the person to interview, is to have students arrange themselves around the room by birth date, then pair up first 2, the next 2, etc.

Managing Classroom Groups with Sociograms
When I was a teacher, I used to arrange the seating plan myself rather than have children choose their seats. Even with middle school and university level, I grouped students for academic as well as social development. Social literacy is as important to our development as reading or number literacy.

“You already know how to work with your friends. We want to learn how to work with everyone.”

After the first few weeks of term, I make a sociogram. Starting with a sociogram, you can organize seating plans to encourage friendships and understanding of others.

A sociogram is a diagram that shows relationships between students in a class. The most popular and the isolates are shown in a graphic representation. I do them three or four times a year to hopefully graph changes, particularly in those children who feel left out and are actually isolated in the group. Although it is rather time consuming and difficult to meet everyone’s needs each time you create a seating plan, your value of inclusion and the resulting attitude and sense of community developed make up for the time spent.

When I first used sociograms, I just gave out a piece of paper and asked, “Who would you like to spend a fun weekend with?” Over time, I evolved this template because I think it gives more information for you to use.

My name is ___________________________ .

I want to work with ____________________ because ______________________________ .

I want to work with ____________________ because ______________________________ .

I don’t want to work with _______________because ______________________________ .

The reason for the “because” is for students to learn to use vocabulary to describe behaviours that are disliked. “I can trust her” is more specific than “I like her.” “She takes people’s things” is more specific than “I don’t like her.” A person is distinct from his/her behaviour. We can change our behaviour.

These short questionnaires can be useful data to help specific students who have less socially acceptable habits or behaviours.
To make the diagram, use a large piece of paper. Put a child’s name and an arrow from this name to the people he/she would like to work with. You will probably have an idea of who the more often chosen people will be, so judge accordingly when you place the names on a page.

I suggest making seating groups of 4. That way you can usually give each child one choice and still mix them according to some academic or helping ability as well. It takes time to do this and you need to get to know your children well, so usually you will start this about the end of September when you know their strengths.

Do a new sociogram every two months, or as you feel you have time. The rewards will be noticeable. You will be building a community and helping everyone to feel that they belong.

With these few suggestions, I hope you will do one of the things that teachers do best—you will make the ideas your own; changing and adapting to suit your classroom needs.

You know that teachers have an opportunity to guide children and teach them how to feel good about themselves. You have a privileged opportunity to enable our diverse children to feel that they belong and are loved just as they are.

Beverly Brookman is a recently retired school counsellor who has worked extensively with children, parents and teachers to develop strategies for bully proofing and inclusiveness. Throughout her career as a teacher and counsellor at both the elementary and middle school level she has had a consistent focus on developing cooperative, nonviolent approaches, teaching conflict resolution and social literacy.