Self-mediating Support Group
Problem
This is a problem of a different nature. It is not an academic problem, but it has been affecting the student’s ability to stay focused on academics. I work in a resource/self-contained program in a high school setting. There are approximately thirty students in the program. Many of these students have been in school together since they were in elementary school. Because of cultural issues, and communication issues, these students spend a lot of time together. This has caused some problems between the students. Some of the problems they have faced are gossiping, talking behind each other’s backs, miscommunication problems, and name-calling. It was apparent that these students were unable to deal with anger and frustration, and they did not know how to appropriately confront issues or even how to deal effectively with the issues that they were facing. The problems continued to escalate, the students were constantly bickering, and they were continually coming to me to solve their problems for them. I realized these students needed strategies to understand, cope with and deal with the struggles they had.
Solution
In order to address these issues, I decided we needed to have group meetings. These meetings occurred with 4-10 students at a time. At the beginning, we met every Friday afternoon for an hour; now we meet every other week. Our theme is “Make it Better”. The students come together and we discuss the problems that the students are having with each other. The students tell the group what occurred. Each side tells their part of the story. Once the facts have been relayed, the other students brainstorm and come up with ways to solve the problem. Foremost in our discussions are “what could I have done, or what can I do, to make this situation better.”
Impact
In a very short time, the students began to realize how their behaviors were adding to the problems. The suggestions they gave to the other students became more effective and the students began to learn ways to express themselves effectively. They began to see how harmful their behaviors had been, and how it perpetuated the problem. It is amazing how quickly the number of negative incidences dropped. The problems have became less frequent and the severity of the issues has been reduced.
The students look forward to the meetings. It is a great example of students helping students effectively.
Contact Information
Julie Griggs