We are peacemakers

As part of a social studies unit on how to be part of a community, we are studying peace in our classroom. I was excited by how easily the kids grasped the large concept of "peace." It's become a great way to talk about how we treat others in and out of the classroom. We started off reading a book by one of my favorite children's authors, Todd Parr, which gives different ideas for what peace is:

After that, we read the book David Goes to School, which is about a character named David who breaks lots of rules and generally wreaks havoc in his classroom. We then discussed what a peacebreaker (like David) looks like, and what a peacemaker looks like in the classroom. 

Last, we agreed to be peacemakers in our own classrooms whenever we can. We did a craft representing ourselves as peacemakers, and then shared one thing we will do to be a peacemaker at home or at school. Here were our ideas:

Millie: I will hug my grandma when she comes.

Trevor: I will help my mom and dad find something if it’s lost.

Ava: I will help my mom or my chaperones and give them a hug and kiss.

Erblina: I will give my family a hug.

Owen: I will always wash my hands.

Veronica: I will give my family a big hug and tell them to be careful.

Leo: If I find a feather, I will give it to my sister Lisa. 

Aidan: I will help others.

Alex: I will listen to my parents when they say “go to bed Alex.” 

Liam: I will love my mom and dad forever.

Dustin: I will hug my mommy.

Lillian: I will help my brother read books.

Kira: I will always help my little brother when he needs help.

Jacob: I’m gonna help my mom and always listen to her.

Blake: I will help people stand up.

Lily: I will help my mom.

Kahlan: I will help my mom set the table.

Amara: I will help my mom cook.

Ethan: I will do art.

Myles: I do my jobs.

Argjend: I will cook with my mom.

Ms. Woods: I will help my kindergarteners to learn.

Here are pictures of us making our Peacemaker People!

Next week we'll talk more about how to maintain peace in the classroom. I'll introduce a peace table where kids can go when they are having problems with someone else, and we'll role play when and how to talk about something at the peace table. This is a great way for the kids to practice social skills such as compromise, patience and forgiveness! More on the peace table when we get it up and rolling!