Archive

Training

Volume I, March 2002
The following piece was sent to The School Mediator by an excellent peer mediation coordinator who I happen to know. He has been active in the field for close to a decade and has personally trained hundreds of students to mediate. He is currently an adjustment counselor and mediation coordinator in an urban high school in the United States. His school has large, first-generation Asian and Hispanic populations and a difficult gang problem. He has chosen to remain anonymous. These are his words: It is a frustrating reality for me that most kids we train to be mediators aren't very good at it. I am writing to clarify my feelings and hopefully to receive feedback from others wrestling with this issue. … read this issue >>
Volume I, April 2002
To renovate a house, you need a hammer. For certain tasks, a hammer is essential. But it would be lunacy to think that you could refurbish an entire house with a hammer alone.… read this issue >>
* Topic found in this issue's "Reader Response" section
Volume IV, November 2004
I sometimes arrive at a school to conduct a peer mediation training and find that the coordinator has assembled a homogenous group of trainees: most of the students are high achieving, relatively well- adjusted, and represent the majority racial/ethnic group in the school. Many are even part of the same clique of friends. … read this issue >>
Volume IV, December 2004
It was a typical group of peer mediation trainees. When we arrived at their middle school to conduct the third and final day of training, it had been almost a week since we were last together. Students were chatting excitedly, moving heavy library tables so we could sit in a circle.… read this issue >>
* Topic found in this issue's "Reader Response" section
Volume IV, January 2005
With more than two decades of practice under our belts, seasoned peer mediation practitioners generally agree on the fundamentals of how to operate a peer mediation program. There are a few issues, however, about which disagreement is still profound. One is whether adult coordinators should remain in the room during peer mediation sessions.… read this issue >>
* Topic found in this issue's "Reader Response" section
Volume IV, March 2005
I always ask students to refer to me by my first name when I conduct peer mediation trainings. This is most comfortable for me. In addition, being on a first-name basis is a signal to trainees that we will be equal partners in learning (something that is especially relevant when teaching mediation, a subject fundamentally concerned with issues such as trust, power, and fairness).… read this issue >>
Volume V, October 2005
I have heard every manner of criticism leveled at peer mediation over the years. Some of it arises from a lack of understanding of the program. Some is just sour grapes: The harshest critics usually have another pet form of conflict resolution program. And some is right on the money, or at least close enough to warrant my attention.… read this issue >>
Volume V, November 2005
Role-plays are good for you. These training exercises — in which two people act as if they are in conflict while two trainees mediate the simulated conflict — are the heart of any peer mediation training.… read this issue >>
Volume VI, February 2007
Last week I received a familiar call. A high school counselor, completely new to mediation, asked if I could conduct a "train-the-trainer" at her school: that is, train her and her colleagues to then train their students to be peer mediators. I have received countless calls like this, and I gave her my usual response: No, I can't.… read this issue >>
Volume VI, March 2007
I recently helped a group of experienced mediators develop a plan to educate their peers about mediation. As we explored the reasons why students might hesitate to try mediation, a girl named Sasha boldly admitted: "I would never go to peer mediation myself." I used to be surprised when mediators said things like this; by now, however, I have heard such comments too often to be surprised.… read this issue >>
* Topic found in this issue's "Reader Response" section
Volume VII, October 2007
During a peer mediation training at East Boston High School last week, a number of students bristled at our standard recommendation that mediators create and enforce ground rules. Lest you assume we have a book full of rules, you should know that we suggest that mediators ask parties to agree to follow only two rules as a requirement to participate in the process: no putdowns and no physical violence. (Many peer mediation models have more ground rules.)… read this issue >>
 

INDEX

Academic Performance Administrative Support of Peer Mediation Adult Conflicts Adultism Advisor/Advisee Aggression and Gender Aikido Alternatives to War Appalachian Spring, Aaron Copeland Association For Conflict Resolution Australia Bandura, Albert Benefits of Peer Mediation Buddhism Bullying/Harassment Community Conferencing Center Center for Nonviolent Solutions Centers for Disease Control Centre for Conflict Resolution in Schools Chardon, Ohio School Shooting Childhood, History of China Columbine High School Tragedy Community Boards Program Compassion Competition of Peer Mediators Condon, William Confidentiality Conflict Resolution Conflict Avoidance Coordinator Responsibilities and Committment Criticism of Peer Mediation Cross-talk Curriculum on Conflict Resolution Dalai Lama de Mause, Lloyd Debrief Mediators Demonstration as a Teaching Strategy Dialogue Diener, Sam Discipline Diversity Doing vs. Observing Drug Use Among Teens Electronic Communications Emotional Intelligence Empathy Empowerment European Centre for Conflict Prevention Face to Face Seating Feelings/Emotions First Names, Teachers' Use of Fisher, Roger Frames of Mind, Howard Gardner Funding for Peer Mediation Programs Future of Peer Mediation Gardner, Howard Gay Marriage Gender Differences Getting to Yes Girls Gladwell, Malcolm Global Reach of Peer Mediation Goleman, Daniel Ground Rules Guns Handling Difficult Topics Harris, Dr. Robert Harvard Negotiation Insight Initiative High-Performing Peer Mediation Program History of Peer Mediation Homophobia in School International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) Impact of Peer Mediation Increase Understanding Influence of Mediator Instant Messaging Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation Intake Interviews Inter-American Summit on Conflict Resolution Education Interpersonal Communication Interpersonal Harmony Interpersonal Intelligence iPods Jennings, Peter Kenya Leadership Learning Pyramid LeBaron, Michelle Lederach, John Paul Listening Little League Baseball Longevity Marketing Massachusetts Attorney General's Office "Mature" Peer Mediation Program McDuffee, Morgan Media Mediators As Parties Misbehavior of Peer Mediators Miscommunication Martin Luther King Jr. Day Models of Peer Mediation Multiple Intelligence Theory Music N.A.M.E. Negotiation Non-attachment Non-Violent Conflict Resolution Olweus, Dan Outreach Parenting Peacebuilders International Peer Mediators As Role Models Perspective Persuasion Pestering Program Phelps, Michael Pikas Method Positive Peer Pressure Principles of Effectiveness Private Sessions Psychohistory Punishment of Peer Mediators Questions Race to Nowhere Ramirez, Manny Reagan, Ronald Recovery Time Re-entry Mediation Referrals Relational Aggression Relationships, Power of Religion Research on Peer Mediation Restorative Practices Role-plays Room Set-up Rumi "Sacred Cows" Safe and Drug Free Schools Funding Sanders, Frank School Climate School Connectedness School Shootings SCRAM (Schools Conflict Resolution and Mediation) Selection of Peer Mediators Self-esteem and Peer Mediation Self-referrals Selman, Robert September 11th Should Coordinators be in Mediation? Shy Peer Mediators Side by Side Seating Arrangement Silence During Mediation Skills of Peer Mediators Slovenia Social Learning Theory Somalia Spirituality Standards Steps in Peer Mediation Sterling, Sy, "Hair Club President" Stress Among Youth Suicide Swimming Talking to Kids about Tragedy Teacher Support of Peer Mediation Terrorism, Responses to Texting The Promise of Mediation: Responding to Conflict Through Empowerment and Recognition The Tipping Point Tibet Time Tissue Paper Flowers Training Train the Trainer Programs Transformative Mediation Trust Underperforming Peer Mediation Program Understanding Does Not Equal Agreement Ury, William Victim Offender Dialogue (VOD) Video Games Violence War in Iraq Wenger, Etienne Wingspread Declaration of School Connectedness