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Creative Problem Solving has as its goals :
While these many goals may sound daunting, they are all interwoven and are
part of an on-going process. Creative
Problem Solving involves both teachers and students.
The teachers are trained by a Behavioral Consultant and then work
directly with the students in their classes as well as with individual students
with whom they share their training. At all grade levels, the students are sensitized to the goals of the
program. At the lower grade levels,
the focus is on interpersonal skills. Although
Kindergarten is normally seen as a setting where children learn to share, the
process is by no means over. Learning
to share, whether pencils, games or ideas, is of paramount importance.
Children must learn to accept that others have points of view which may
differ from theirs without necessarily being wrong.
They must learn how to control their anger, how to communicate
effectively with one another and they must become aware of themselves as
persons, including their own potentials and limitations.
At this level, specific issues might include peer pressure. As we are well aware, children frequently feel a tremendous
‘pressure’ on them to act and look like their peers. Sometimes, if children have not learned to deal with 'peer
pressure’, they can engage in socially unacceptable ways just to please and
satisfy the demands of their friends. At the higher grade levels there is a process called Peer Mediation
whereby students, trained to do so by their teachers, work as mediators,
initiating problem solving for other students.
About 15 to 20 students undergo weekly training sessions for a period of
ten weeks. When they have completed
their training, peer mediators work with other students who are in conflict.
They encourage them to clearly identify the problem, communicate their
feelings and then create a mutually agreed-upon solution.
In some cases, students may even enter into a signed contract attesting
to their agreement. It should be especially noted and underlined that mediators do not discipline fellow students. Nor are they judgmental in their dealings with other students. They do not 'solve’ their peers’ problems but merely provide a structure and create the conditions under which problems are able to be dealt with. It is also important to note that gains are made not only by the students with problems; the mediators gain a great deal of understanding and insight into themselves and others that will be of valuable assistance to them. |
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Send mail to sbruzzese@lbpsb.qc.ca with
questions or comments about this web site.
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