Newsletter Articles

Building a Classroom of Peacemakers
By Denise McGuire, Parent Outreach

Preschool is a busy place. There is so much to discover and explore, and building a peaceful community should be at the center of this work. How does one go about helping children grow towards being peacemakers? This workshop will address the goals of a Peacemaking Curriculum. We will look at the importance of teaching children how to solve conflicts with others. Classroom songs and activities that help to build that peaceful community will be shared.

Margaret Spencer is a teacher from the Rochester Preschool Parent Program. Video footage from her classroom that reflects ways in which peacemaking is a part of everyday experiences will be shown. Barbara Decker is a peer consultant for the Rochester Preschool Parent Program and former teacher for the program. She will discuss how to work towards having a “peace table” in your classroom where children talk about their feelings with each other. She will share her thoughts on having peacemaking rules in the classroom and how they are introduced to the children.

Both presenters feel this work is the most important aspect of preschool education. Come join them and discover how you too can build a peaceful community in your classroom.

This workshop will be held at the RMSC Preschool located in the Gannett School on the Rochester Museum and Science Center campus, 657 East Avenue, Rochester. Participants will receive .15 CEU units plus 1.5 DSS hours for the workshop. Pre-registration is necessary for this workshop. Please call Janet Finch-Levy at the RMSC at 271-4552 ext. 506 and leave your name, phone number and number of people attending.

RAEYC - Newletter, Issue 6 - February 2005