A few years back I taught a PeaceMaker program to preschools here in Florida on the west coast. We had five units, each unit was about an hour in a classroom and it was set up for children ages 3-5. In these units we were able to bring awareness to the children regarding, cultural diversity, how to solve problems in a non-violent way, how to use our words to express ourselves, how to identify our feelings, how we are the same and yet different (and that is okay), how to stay safe if faced with stranger danger, emergency situations and domestic violence; and also environmental respect. We used puppetry, songs, and creative artwork to express what we learn and to help make a deeper impression of these skills.
I am currently the director of a preschool and each fall I present these lessons to our children. Although I am no longer working in the PeaceMaker program, I feel strongly that these skills are important and continue the practice of educating and being a part of children learning how to live non-violent, empathetic, safe, and respectful lives.
------------------------------
Jayne Goldstein
Holiday FL
------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 08-21-2017 09:23 AM
From: Craig Simpson
Subject: What is Peace Education for Early Education?
My question today is "What is Peace Education for Early Education? These last few months I have been thinking about peace education and how it applies to young children. In these difficult and stressful times Peace Education and learning it seems so important for everyone.
As a retired infant/toddler teacher I spent many days watching and observing very young children. They want love, they give love and expect love in return. We all want to connect from the time we are born. And we deserve it. So how do we set it up so that Peace education is part of what we do in early education. I think peace comes through our diversity work, it comes through our respect for others, it comes through our work in promoting play, it comes through nature and spirituality. It comes into our anti-bias work. Peace education supports the way we as teachers interact with children and we support the children in their interactions with us and their peers.Peace education is the curriculum for young children.
I think others in the Peace Education Interest Forum would have similar ideas.
------------------------------
Craig Simpson
Dorchester MA
------------------------------