CONCLUDING REFLECTION
Congratulations! You made it through module 5.
Reflection Question: What is one of your key takeaways from this module (a quote, insight, skill, resource, or perspective)? How does or will this takeaway impact your thinking or teaching?
Peace Learner 
One takeaway for me is the desire to structure class in such a way that students can learn to read the no-verbal cues of their peers. This can lead to more effective communication, but ultimately to a more respectful classroom. I can only hope students would use these skills for good.
Maria Schneider–I am going to take away a lot from this module as I think that there are a lot of simple steps and practices that can be implemented easily in any educational setting. The most interesting module for me was 5.2 on Social and Emotional Learning. I learned a lot about different life skill training exercises and innovative projects that I can use in my own classroom someday.
Although I always valued social and emotional learning prior to this class. I was unaware of the positive academic benefits to including SEL in school curriculum until now.
The power of listening and the necessity to listen to others is my key takeaway. I am often guilty of being rushed and therefore failing to be active listener. This module reminded me of how important listening is and how I need to realign my values to become a better listener.
Daniel Knoll – “I believe that every human being needs to listen consciously in order to live fully” I’m particularly drawn to this line from this week’s TED talk because listening is at the basis of so much of every day interaction, and if we don’t appreciate and focus on what we’re listening to, we cant live to our fullest potential.
Just about a year ago I saw this video for the first time. I used it as part of the content sharing I was doing for a performance and leadership consulting group, and I’m glad to see that the lessons are still applicable to my life a year later.
I really liked the Ted talk. I especially liked his brief explanation of how people are listening with headphones. He describes it as listening bubbles and suggests that it shuts out listening to the rest of the individual’s surroundings. I often use my headphones, especially when riding public transportation or walking to or from work. After taking the speaker’s advice to try to sit in silence and to listen to the “mixer” I have a new appreciation for sound and listening. I think that I might encourage any of my future students to not use their headphones so much and use that opportunity to really listen to what is happening around them.
Listening, listening, listening. The 3 minutes of silence is especially appealing to me. The idea that it can “reset” our minds is divine. I want, I want, I want.
I think it was in the chapter about emotional intelligence, there was a funny line which I’ve heard before but which still means a lot: “If we do not change direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed.” So simple, yet when it is internalized into the types of skills advocated in this module, it’s a great motivation to actively adapt our own habits in order to better facilitate peace-building communication in our own lives, and in the lives of others.
Two quotes which will affect my teaching:
Daniel Goleman states: ” Whether or not there is a class explicitly devoted to emotional literacy may matter far less than how these lessons are thought. There is perhaps no subject where the quality of the teacher matters so much, since how a teacher handles HER class is in itself a model, a de-facto lesson in emotional competence – or the lack thereof. Whenever a teacher responds to one student, twenty or thirty others learn a lesson”
A quote from St. Francis of Assisi in the section on Conflict and Conflict Resolution : “while you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more in your heart”
My big takeaway is the lost art of listening. I agree that with all of the distractions of the modern world true and active listening to people is being lost. Now we often listen to more than one thing at a time with tv and music. Everyone is listening to their own individual stuff as was stated in the TED talk about people being in their own bubbles. I think that in classrooms it is important to take time to practice listening in a variety of forms including taking a moment of silence or listening to our surroundings.
“Conflict resolution requires inner work of subtlety and depth, a journey within. Like Gandhi in the story, we must struggle, change, and work on ourselves before we can offer authentic help to others.” Lantieri & Patti (pg. 52). – Serves as a reminder that working on peace within is a prerequisite to proclaiming peace to others. It requires inner work and transformation and will be an ongoing process.
The art of listening is used less in modern society than ancient. To me, this means that it is possible to become an excellent listener. The average person’s listening skills have the possibility to be greatly improved.