WEBVTT

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Emma Gonzalez: My name is 
Emma Gonzalez.

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I'm a Staff Developer/Trainer for the 
school P.S. 24 in Brooklyn, New York.

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Student 1: And you guys shook on it, 
but you were still sad up to this day.

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Student 2: Yes.

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Gonzalez: Peer mediation is a time 
that we're able to train our leaders

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in the school to help us 
create a more peaceful place.

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Student 3: I shouldn't say 
that to her.

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Student 4: So, you said 
you're still sad because...

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Gonzalez: Peer mediation consists of 
about 17 steps that they have to learn,

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and it begins with introducing 
themselves and asking permission,

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if they want to be 
assisted in a problem.

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If they say no, 
they cannot do that.

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There are some ground rules, 
and the ground rules are very

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important because it asks them 
to work hard to solve the problem,

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not to interrupt each other, 
and not to do any put-downs.

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And that really is a basis for 
getting a buy-in so that the

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students who come to be mediated 
have an agreement that

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they will allow you to help them.

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Student 1: Do you need my help?
Student 2: Yes.

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Student 4: Do you need my help?
Student 3: Yes.

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Student 1: These are some rules 
that you guys have to follow.

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Student 4: No put-downs.

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Student 1: No interrupting.

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Student 4: And what is said in 
this room, stays in this room.

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Student 1: Do you guys agree?

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All: Yes.

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Gonzalez: They do a lot of 
listening, and they paraphrase

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to make sure they understand.

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And other people feel good about 
having somebody impartially help

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them think through what the 
situations are and what

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they have done differently.

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Student 2: What I could have 
done differently was just to go

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up to Susanna and tell her 
that you really...

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Gonzalez: The conflict resolution 
programs have always considered a

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peace corner in the classroom a 
very important part to helping

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a teacher solve a quick little 
problem about pencils,

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about taking my seat, 
just minor things.

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We took it to another 
level in the school.

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What we decided was 
that every grade starting

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in kindergarten-and recently 
we added a pre-kindergarten,

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and one of our first recruits is a 
Pre-K student-to teach them the skills.

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And it's a modified version 
of a peace mediator.

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They have less steps, that's 
the only difference because

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they're not as complicated 
with their issues yet.

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But, it's the same foundation.

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They learn paraphrasing, which 
are the skills of being a very

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good listener, non-judgment, 
not telling people what to do,

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not bossing them around.

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They have to be impartial.

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They learn exactly what 
a mediator does.

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Student 1: You hit her, Annette, 
and you say why you did that.

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Student 2: Because she always 
wanted to touch my teddy bear,

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but this teddy bear was expensive.

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Student 3: I wanted the 
bear just like hers.

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Student 4: So, you wanted an 
exact bear she had?

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Student 3: Yes.

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Student 4: How can you solve 
this problem?

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Student 1: I know.
We can just try

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to find another bear here in 
your room or somewhere else.

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Student 4: Here you go [hands 
her another teddy bear.]

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Gonzalez: We teach a host of about 
60 children every year

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to be peer mediators, and the 
peace helpers we have about 250

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already trained, and they work 
primarily in the classrooms.

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And the peer mediators can do 
classroom work in the classroom,

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but they also do it outside in 
the yard and in the lunch room.

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Student 1: How do you feel?

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Student 2: I feel upset but 
sort of relieved.

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Gonzalez: The program has evolved 
into a leadership model

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that has permeated the entire school.

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It has affected everyone from 
teachers, who began to see

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students in a different light, began 
to see other skills showing through.

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Student 4: Do you think we 
solved this problem?

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Student 2: Yes, because by giving 
her a bear she won't fight for my bear.

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Gonzalez: This is an opportunity 
to grow and provide an important role

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and to build good relationships, 
and so they see it as an opportunity

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that then they are not just looking 
at us to reprimand them for their behavior.