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March 1, 2008
Dear Shauna and Lisa,
I wanted to write and thank you for the tremendous
presentation you brought to our classes last week.
The experience was informative, relevant, hands-on, life-changing and
fun.
I was initially motivated to bring conflict-resolution
skills into my classroom because it is one of the TEKS (Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills) that my students need to master for the health
curriculum. However, I wanted to
approach the lesson in a more relevant and engaging way rather than just
reading about it in the textbook and completing boring worksheets over the
terms and process.
My students learned to communicate and solve conflict
in a much healthier way in all realms of their lives:
with peers, with parents, with colleagues, with friends, with
teachers, with boyfriends or girlfriends, with employers, and most
importantly, with themselves. I
want them to realize that conflict can be resolved in a manner in which
relationships and dignity are salvaged.
As the teacher, I learned background on family of
origin and on the objectives and processes that a mediator would use as he
or she resolves conflict. I
received great ideas on real-life scenarios to share with my students as
they are facing their daily teenage challenges.
I thought the real-life mediation stories that you shared really captured the students’ attention.
They were begging for more each day the ladies worked with the
students. Additionally, I felt
the mediation role-playing on the final day of the workshop allowed the
students to get a personal experience with the process.
They realized how difficult the process can be, but more importantly,
they realized how beneficial and unifying the process can be.
Sincerely,
Nicky Fryman
Coppell High School
Teen Leadership/Health Instructor
Team Leader
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