Middle schools can be volatile places.
Emotions run high, conflicts break out, and a seemingly harmless incident can suddenly turn into high stakes — and high drama. Dealing with that friction can be tricky, even for experienced teachers and administrators.
So some Wichita schools are experimenting with a new strategy that lets students settle their own disputes.
The Peacekeepers program, created by a Philadelphia middle school counselor, trains students to lead peer conferences that address minor behavior issues like name-calling or horseplay.
“We like it because kids tend to listen to kids better,” said Laura Almquist-Parks, a counselor at Coleman Middle School. “It’s about people coming together to try to resolve conflicts, rather than just punishing, because punishing doesn't work.”
Students apply to participate in Peacekeepers, and the ones selected are not necessarily just straight-A kids. Almquist-Parks said she looks for students who demonstrate integrity and a willingness to help others, regardless of their learning ability or behavior.
Last year at Coleman, two students got into an argument after one slipped on the ice and knocked down a classmate. The case went to a Peacekeepers conference, where peers persuaded the students to apologize to each other and then discussed how they might handle rumors about the incident moving forward.
“It was amazing because both sides were able to have a voice, to say their perspective … and to try to fix what happened,” Almquist-Parks said. “Adults telling children what to do is much less effective than the students together figuring out what they can do.”
One recent morning at Coleman, eight students sat in a tight circle and role-played a hypothetical conflict involving two students whose argument at an ice-skating rink carried over into the following school day.
Eighth-grader Kim Trujillo-Guzman played the role of facilitator.
“We are not here to decide whether anyone’s good or bad, or the reason why everything happened,” she said.
“We’re not here to figure out who started the conflict or why it happened. We want to give you all a chance to work things out and make a plan to help. Does everyone understand this?”
Nods all around.
Kim heard from each of the girls involved in the conflict, as well as two supporters — one for each side — who had agreed to join them. Another student serves as a notetaker, recording what is said during the conference.
After about 10 minutes, the girls agreed that their collision on the ice was accidental, and they apologized for the misunderstanding. All the participants signed a contract agreeing to the findings of the conference and pledging to keep information confidential.
Kim, the facilitator, said being a Peacekeeper requires listening to both sides, being fair and showing compassion.
“Empathy, to me, means whenever you can connect with someone,” she said. “You know what they’ve been through, so you know how they feel.”
Eighth-grader Manelle Bouharba said she signed up to participate in Peacekeepers because she thinks its impact will extend well beyond middle school.
“I really wanted to help change the world,” she said. “I know sometimes kids aren’t comfortable talking to adults. And I know that I can change people and make their lives better.”
Coleman principal Karen Waterman-Overgaard says the program also takes buy-in from adults in the school. Because not every behavior problem requires a trip to the principal’s office.
“A teacher can say, ‘I don't need to send this to an administrator. I can send this over to our counselors, who will then (say), “Hey, is this a good option for Peacekeepers?’” she said.
Waterman-Overgaard said the Peacekeepers program is part of the district’s overall commitment to a strategy called “restorative justice,” which seeks to reduce detentions and suspensions and help students stay in the classroom.
“If we can help kids help themselves, that's what's important,” she said. “This is to try to keep kids in class, to change behaviors and to show students, staff and the community that … we're a safe place here, and we can all get along and flourish.”
