Bring the Peace

Today at peer mediation training, we threw our lessons out the window. At first, my co-facilitator and I were nervous because, although we’ve taken detours in our lesson, we’ve never completely scrapped our plans. But, after our students came short of breath, talking about a fight that had happened earlier in the day, we as facilitators needed to make a quick decision about moving forward. After an exchanged glance, we asked the students “What do you need from us?” They asked for time to talk and reflect over the fight that many of them witnessed. 

The group talked and shared and listened, and sometimes, they passionately argued about what actually went down. For students, this debrief gave them an opportunity to process their feelings and to de-escalate from a stressful situation. For the facilitators, it was a helpful way to learn more about them and their tendencies during challenging situations.

As we wrapped up the session, students expressed their appreciation for providing space that accommodated their present, real-life needs. As students trickled out of the office, one stayed behind. They shared that they liked the space we were cultivating and that it brought them peace. 

Although we will now be a week behind our curriculum, this peer mediation space is providing some calm in moments of chaos. And that’s pretty cool work.