I’ve just recently completed 4 weeks of delivery of Respectful Relationships and Peace Kids programs at Salt Spring Island Middle School. This is my first time in my role as male facilitator in these programs working alongside Christina Antonick, an experienced facilitator.
Through the curriculum and asking questions we are facilitating conversations with kids to learn peace and respectful relationship skills:
- Doing a body and emotions scan;
- Becoming aware of emotions through looking on an emotions wheel and identifying what they are feeling;
- Growing critical thinking and emotional intelligence skills through paying attention to and questioning what is going on around them and learning to read emotions in other’s body language;
- Knowing what it is to listen to themselves and paying attention to others – body language, eyes, what is being said, and how it is being said;
- Reflective listening with others – full body listening – devices put aside, eye contact, closed mouth, body facing – being able to reflect back what is being said, and listening for the spoken and unspoken emotions;
- Where and when to ask for help;
- Paying attention to, and choices in, how they talk to themselves;
- Power of appreciation and gratitude of themselves and others;
- Their heart has intelligence;
- Learning what personal – space, touch and talk – boundaries are;
- How to communicate assertively;
- Empathy for others;
- Critical thinking about Competition and cooperation – how they can serve and not serve;
- What is Peace and Not Peace (Violence).
Powerful skills in a world that is still very much learning them as well.
David Norget, R+R and PeaceKids Facilitator