Can We Talk?

It Has Happened Again: Another School Shooting

For years, I have argued that our nation's public school systems need a formal conflict management initiative, and I am still saying the same thing. I have pleaded with the "powers that be" to understand that a formal conflict management program for schools is as simple as designing a communications curriculum for all grades, K–12. This program would teach students the importance of understanding that we are surrounded by differences of opinion and differences in general each and every day.

We can all agree that the red octagon on a stick bearing large white letters that tell us to STOP is different, but together, these elements deliver a message that can be lifesaving. Life is composed of things that differ. Even a box of Crayola crayons contains different colors, but when used together, they help create an engagingly beautiful finished project.

The Point I Am Making Is That It Should Be Deemed Okay to Disagree.

I am concerned that disagreements do not have to be destructive or violent. We should be able to be savvy enough to communicate with each other and find constructive answers, even if the answer is that we will never agree but can respect each other's right to differ. If someone hurts you, it is okay to use more constructive means to express your feelings. What has happened to the art of positive communication and the principle of "love thy neighbor"?

There was a time, not so long ago, when we changed the world through peaceful interventions. Why can't we seem to do the same now, in the twenty-first century? Along with learning to read and write, our students must understand that positive communication can and does make a constructive difference.

I am a middle school teacher, and I want to be part of that positive change. We are suffering from a lack of positive interventions in the classroom and a failure to implement more of them.