Conflict is the primary engine of creativity and innovation. Every great idea originates from a conflict.
– Margaret Heffernan

Contributed by Satomi Izumi-Taylor & YeonSun Ro.

Most preschoolers’ social/emotional development occurs during conflict. Class meetings provide outlets for developing preschoolers’ self-regulation and problem-solving skills. There are four components of class meetings: opening, acknowledgment, problem solving, and closing.

When conflicts arise, teachers call everyone together for class meetings that can be opened with a song or chant to inform children that it is time. During the opening, children can discuss family members or anything on their minds. The purpose is to let children meet and release stressful feelings, and acknowledgements help children understand meaningful interactions among people.

During this time children are encouraged to share statements or behavior they’ve observed, and they might discuss how other children played with them. This encourages them to show interest in their peers’ actions. Teachers must model how to recognize acknowledgements so children can understand the difference between compliments and acknowledgements. After acknowledgments children can explore problem solving, and they take turns sharing their problems without blaming others.

Teachers can have agendas to help with organization, and this prevents children from speaking out of turn. When a problem is presented, children are asked to come up with their own solutions.

In closing, children vote and reach agreement on solutions. When solutions do not work, children will have another meeting to discuss other solutions. Children should have power and control over meetings. Through class meetings, they find solutions to problems independently with teachers’ help. Such meetings give children opportunities to discuss issues in nonthreatening environments.

Resources: Vance, E., & Weaver, P. (2002). Class meetings: Young children solving problems together. NAEYC.