Do the Right Thing: PreSchool 4’s Peer Mediators

In Steven Metzger’s book, Dinofours, four-year-old dinosaurs work together to resolve their preschool classroom social challenges. Inspired by their pre-historic counterparts, Morah Stephanie’s non-dinosaur 4’s proposed their own solution to similar situationsclassroom deputies. The deputies’ role is to serve as the class’ eyes and ears to help their peers solve problems. 

Empowering Empathy 
“We had a ‘family talk’ about how things make us feel,” says Morah Stephanie. “Some kids were getting frustrated when other kids weren’t using kind words or acting with derech eretz. We can talk to our friends and make sure they’re doing the right thing.”

“We are empowering kids to make the choices,” explains Morah Stephanie. “This is not tattling it’s showing empathy and sympathy for what’s going on.” In their own words, students can facilitate problem solving with friends in distress, encouraging them to consider other options when they can’t get their way.  

We hear them mimicking what we say, using I messages,’ or, ‘this is not how it’s supposed to go, let’s figure something else out', Stephanie says. “We are empowering them to guide each other and to make the right choices. We are giving them the tools to work it out themselves. 

Lifelong Social-Emotional Learning 
“We are continually working with the children to understand and display derech eretz and kavod to one another, to the materials in our room, as well as to us, their morahs,” Morah Stephanie explained to parents in an email. “Social-emotional independence is something that is in continual development. 

Morah Stephanie recalls a disagreement about whether a child could join in dramatic play. After she encouraged them to discuss it and work it out, the students concluded that “it’s ok, as long as we all get along!” 
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Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School

Learning together. For life.
Baltimore’s only Jewish independent preparatory school serving PreSchool through Grade 12.