EXPERT INTERVIEW

1. How do you work the coexistence project at school?

It’s been 10 years since we started a coexistence project in the Ikastola. The main goal was to improve the coexistence among all those who shape our Ikastola. For that, we organised four spaces.

1-Procedures to avoid problems

Social skills (basic skills, assertiveness, empathy, “I” messages, active listening) apart from working this in all the levels, we activated many procedures to solve problems: relaxing corners (Infant School), agreespots (Primary School 1-4), and mediation point (P.S. 5-6). The aim is to enhance the respectful environment among students, and to solve problems talking.

2-Cooperative learning

The second working space belongs to the cooperative learning. This group learning method needs direct participation and equality, enhancing solidarity and respect.

3- GOLDEN 5

In the other hand, we started this year with the GOLDEN 5 program. It is based on the positive staring at students and valuing positive behaviours of students. Because it has proved that it helps with motivation and efficiency.

4- Inappropriate behaviours and behaviours against coexistence
Finally, we have a protocol for behaviours that threaten the coexistence. Reflection sheets, reconciliation certificates, correcting methods and many other tools, that help us give an educative point of view to those situations.

2. Do you have different methods for Infant school and Primary school?

Inter alia, we have the relaxing corner, the agreespot and mediation point.

• RELAXING CORNER (Infant School)

AIMS

1- When students feel sad, angry... or they feel like being alone, we use this relaxing point.
2.- To identify different feelings and express them; to work with feelings:
• From 2 to Infant 1 ( happy-sad-angry)
• Infant 2-3 (happy-sad-angry-frightened)
3- Work the first steps for the agreespot (Infant 3).

WHAT CAN BE FOUND IN THIS CORNER?

 This corner will be located in a special space of the class.
 There, we can find the face paintings used to identify our feelings; a book to identify and work on those feelings; special material to bring out or release the anger.

 - pillows

 - BOTTLES
The anger bottle ( Water, colorant and soup for dishes in the bottle and close it strongly. The angry feeling person can shake it to realease the anger.
Dreams bottle: Shiny poder brillantina, colorant and wáter. Close the bottle strongly. Turn the bottle top down and dream.
Relaxing bottle. Fill 2/3 of the bottle, add colorant and put oil until the top. Close the bottle strongly. And move the bottle softly until you calm down.

 - Old newspapers, pillows, teddies, balloons... so that the angry feeling kid can hit pillows, break paper or explode balloons.

• AGREESPOT (Primary 1-4)

 It is used to solve or find a solution for conflict between two students.

CHARACTERISTICS

• Only students are allowed in the agreespot (no teacher mediation)
• They speak in turns using only the mouth or the ear each time.
• They will express how they felt about the conflict.
• They will expose their interests.
• They will have to come up with the best solution together.
• The agreement must be positive for both (there’s no looser)
• They must behave according to the agreement.

• MEDIATION (Primary  5-6)

Mediation of a person that’s impartial in the conflict.
GOALS
• To act about the conflict that the implicated students couldn’t solve themselves. 
• Accept the participation of the involved ones in the mediation.
• Improve coexistence.
• Decrease the violent behaviours

CHANGING THE POINT OF VIEW

• Any conflict is an opportunity to learn something.
• Mediation helps people in two dimensions: the individual and the social, to solve the conflicts. The mediation has a big potential for personal growth.

o Respect
o Conversation
o Decision making
o Responsibility

BASES

• Volunteering
• Confidence
• Neutrality
• Impartiality
• Decision capability for two sides.
• Good intention

3.      Did you notice any changes since you began using these methods?

The amount of conflict didn’t decrease so far; we feel it increased, instead. That’s why we think the teacher training for this is elemental.
Children do use the material given to work on their conflicts (especially the agreespot) but, it doesn’t avoid the first physic or verbal reactions in the conflictive moment.

4.      Are there new projects in process?

GOLDEN 5

As depicted before, we are using GOLDEN 5 now, since it has proved to help with motivation and efficiency.  The mentioned project has 5 parts:

• Group management
• Building relations
• Social class environment
• Adjusted learning process
• Relations between the school and the family.

For the moment, we have five teachers working on that, but just with two chosen parts: building relations and school centre- family relation.