Peer Mediation Training – sample agenda
9:45 Welcome/Introductions – Robert Kelly
 Students & Staff introduce themselves
 Ground rules; conduct; bathrooms-No thundering herd, low voice
 Icebreaker
Goals for the training
1. Participants will learn and be able to use non-verbal communication,
how to express feelings and verbal active listening skills.
2. Participants will learn how to facilitate a five step problem solving process
(mediation) between two or more people having a conflict.
10:15 Introduction
1. What is Peer Mediation
 Peer
 Mediation
2. What is conflict-identify various conflicts in school
 Conflict map (easel or overhead)
3. Why bother trying to mediate conflicts
 Can one person or a group change anything
 Toothpick activity (strength in numbers)
4. Who are Peer Mediators?
 Power Point
 Peanuts cartoon
5. What Peer Mediators do?
 Three styles of dealing with conflict (yelling/aggression, retreating, conflict
management)
 Peer mediation video
 Facilitate/ask questions-not lectures
6. What do Peer Mediators NOT Do
 Break up fights
 Mediate if students refuse mediation
 Tell people how to solve their problems
7. Perceptions-do P-1 and P-2
 Pictures in book
 Handout (or do orally)
11:25- Break
11:35-Quick Review
11:40 Communication Skills
1. Non-verbal –“SOLER” Energy
 Stand squarely
 Open Stance
 Listen
 Eye contact
 Relax
2. Feelings
 Brainstorm feeling words
 “I” messages (I feel ___________when__________)-take responsibility for
one’s feelings
3. Verbal Active Listening Skills (students pair off and practice; discussion examples—
describe last year’s teacher, the first day of school, your most embarrassing moment).
 Acknowledge—nodding, saying “yes”, “please go on”, “un huh”
 Paraphrasing
 Reflecting (“how did that make you feel? Or “I hear that you are feeling ______)
 Questioning – open and close ended
 Crediting—“thanks for telling your side of the story, waiting your turn to speak,
using the peer mediation program”
12:30 Lunch/Restroom break
1:05 The Five Step Process/Conflict Management Checklists – use the Peer Mediation Help
Sheet
1. See the Problem
2. Act on the Problem--introduce yourself, offer to assist; obtain agreement to 4 ground
rules: Show respect, take turns, stay in your space, tell the truth
3. Listen to Both Sides; mediators paraphrase
4. Think of Solutions and Agreement—mediators facilitate
5. Departure—encourage participants to shake hands with each other; if unwilling,
mediators shake hands with participants
1:30 Practice mediating simulated situations (6 copies of each situation per table)
 Two students mediate; two-three students role play conflict; one-two students observe
 Switch roles until everyone mediates (work in pairs)
2:00 Assessment of each mediator (work in pairs, copy assessment and give to students)
2:50 Closing
 3 strikes and you’re out--OSS, serious ISS, violations of confidentiality
 Commitment card--Peer Mediation contract
 Certificates distribution
 Au Revoir