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Peace Keepers is a group that was created to help 4th-grade students at Garcia Elementary School with Conflict Resolution.  The group will teach essential skills to help them learn about their feelings, reactions, and words when a conflict arises with others.

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The following Mindsets and Behavior will be mastered upon completion of this group:

Mindset Standards:

M 1. Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional, and physical well-being (ASCA, 2014, p. 2)

M 3. Sense of belonging in the school environment (ASCA, 2014, p. 2)

Behavior Standards

B-LS 1. Demonstrate critical-thinking skills to make informed decisions (ASCA, 2014, p. 2)

B-SMS 2. Demonstrate self-discipline and self-control (ASCA, 2014, p. 2)

B-SMS 7. Demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a problem (ASCA, 2014, p. 2)

B-SS 2. Create positive and supportive relationships with other students (ASCA, 2014, p. 2)

B-SS 9. Demonstrate social maturity and behaviors appropriate to the situation and environment (ASCA, 2014, p. 2)

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To promote this group, a flyer will be sent home with students who are in the 4th grade at Garcia Elementary.  The flyer will be distributed 2 weeks prior to the first meeting. Additional flyers and information will be given to the 4th-grade teachers in an effort to promote the group within the classroom.  The flyer will also be posted in the 4th-grade hallway.  The counselor will also be on the morning announcements to promote the small group to all 4th-grade students.  In addition to a flyer and announcements, the counselor will email all 4th-grade parents to notify them of the small group.

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The school counselor will speak to the 4th-grade teachers and get an idea of specific students who will be highly encouraged to participate in the group.  In addition to the specific students who come recommended, the counselor will give an opportunity to all 4th-grade students to sign up and fill out an application.

As students go by the counselor's office to pick up an application, the counselor will also pre-screen each student, whether they enter individually or with peers.  The counselor will tell them about the group and ask about their interest and willingness to participate in the group.  During the pre-screening, the counselor will utilize the “TAP-In” process (Missouri Professional School Counselor and Counselor Educators, 2015)  to assess and determine who will be the best candidates and can highly benefit from participating in the group. This process will help give the counselor direction in making the final selection and begin to establish the group.

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After the final selections have been made, the counselor will send a consent form to the parents/guardians of the group members to obtain approval for participation.  Along with the consent form, the counselor will send a flyer detailing the purpose of the group.  In addition, the counselor will also obtain students’ assent after reviewing the program's purposes and goals during the first session.

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This group comprises nine and 10-year-old 4th-grade students from two separate classrooms who have difficulty resolving conflicts with their peers. Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators (2015) state that "all groups are unique, but the stages are all expected"(p.7). The counselor will implement the three stages in the following ways:

Stage 1: The first session with the students is a foundational stage for the rest of the sessions. It will establish the learning environment and objectives that the counselor will cover throughout the sessions. The counselor will begin with an activity about confidentiality. The word confidentiality is on the board, and each student will have a sticky note to write or describe what comes to mind. Together they will review what was written and address the limitations of confidentiality. Rules and expectations will also be addressed and reviewed at the beginning of each session. The counselor will then introduce the lesson by "acting out" a conflict with a teacher. This will cause the students to engage and talk about their own experiences and help "break the ice." As a group, we will talk about all the group norms and expectations for a safe and positive learning environment.

Stage 2: Throughout the group sessions, the counselor will ensure that all members work cohesively and productively as activities and sessions continue.  The lessons all through the counseling sessions are completed as partners or small groups, and the counselor will observe the groups to make sure that everyone has worked with one and other. We will gauge our sessions' progress by completing a thumbs up thumbs down self-assessment at the end of each meeting to evaluate our session and learning outcomes. The counselor will document all important information that needs to be reassessed or clarified in the coming sessions.

Stage 3: To conclude the group sessions, the counselor will have the students complete their post-assessment. StoryTime at Awnie’s House (2020) Kids Book Read Aloud: THE FORT will be read to the students and review conflict resolution. This charming story is about two children who want to use the same fort in two unique ways. A conflict begins because of their preferences, and soon they find that their adventure is far more remarkable if they combine their ideas. Throughout the story, the children find a resolution to their problem, which creates a favorable result. The counselor will include this story as a closing to the group sessions and show how conflicts can sometimes have a better outcome than when they occurred. This will create awareness of all that they have acquired and how to use these strategies. The counselor will ask the students to say or write anything they have learned from one another or the sessions and ways they will use it in their daily lives. We will discuss confidentiality and how vital it is to support one another and keep it private. The counselor will restate how her office is always open and there to serve them. Overall, the sessions inspire us to be there for one another and understand that we need to listen to others and their needs actively. This group will continue to demonstrate to the campus that they can influence the rest of the 4th graders in resolving any concerns that may emerge throughout the year.

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The leadership style that would be the most valuable for this group would be participative leadership. Cherry (2020) states that with participative or democratic leadership, group members allow input, participate, and welcome input from their leader. Counselors benefit from this learning style because it helps the students develop trust towards the counselor and their peers. They feel at ease when expressing personal encounters and are open to including vulnerable experiences, too. They are inspired to be part of the team and part of the change. There will probably be instances where the counselor will need to mediate and help eradicate any matters during the sessions. Considering this group of 4th graders has problems starting a disagreement, there needs to be someone who will guide them to their goal as a team.

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There are various of Yalom's Therapeutic Factors that would be effective for our small group sessions, including universality, altruism, development of socializing techniques, direct advice, and interpersonal learning. At the elementary level, the students benefit from having various treatment methods because it gives them a choice to determine what best corresponds to them. Universality will be evident in all group sessions because they will grow collectively and realize that they are not alone when encountering the same obstacles.  The counselor will focus on altruism throughout the sessions, too. Since most of these students are focused solely on themselves, they will need to learn to think about others and actively listen to their peers. The development of socializing techniques would also benefit these students since they need to learn to communicate with one another while solving their problems. Once they have learned to use their interpersonal skills, direct advice would enhance how they receive and provide recommendations for conflict resolution strategies (Yalom, 1995). The group would also improve their overall sessions by using interpersonal learning because, in conflicts, they usually focus on their understanding instead of working together to find a solution. Interpersonal learning will help them receive feedback from others and find new ways to relate (Yalom, 1995). These practices will strengthen the counselors' overall goals because they will enhance the students' activities and help them determine the most suitable resolutions.

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The following are the non-negotiable rules that are predetermined by the counselor:

1. All group members will treat each other with respect.

2. All group members practice confidentiality - what is said here stays here.

3. Only one person talks at a time.

4. If you do not want to share, you do not have to.

Additional rules can be determined and agreed upon by the group at the first meeting.  The group will have a discussion about what the set rules “looks like'' and “sounds like” by utilizing a Guideline/Group Rules worksheet similar to the attached.  The discussion will help students have a better understanding of the group rules.

The group will make a poster of the rules, which will be used as reminders.  The group members will also review the rules at every meeting.

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The counselor has a legal obligation in the Texas Education Code (2 TEC § 33.003) which states a school district needs to have a written consent form from a parent or guardian that allows a student to partake in small group sessions. The Texas Education Code (2 TEC § 33.006) specifies that the counselor must also serve as an unbiased resource when dealing with interpersonal conflicts. Both of these sections on the Texas Education Code are vital when leading a small group counseling session. Initially, when parents permit their children to attend these sessions, the counselor can support them as their concerns begin. Then, as the counselor aids these students, they are to remain impartial to both parties to help them succeed.
In the Texas Administrative Code (19 TAC § 239.15) standard 2 section 3, the counselor should counsel small groups using suitable counseling principles and techniques in response to the students' necessities. In standard 2 section 9, the counselor will use counseling-related analysis and evidence-based methods to address student needs. Both of these sections in standard 2 are crucial because it mentions that a counselor should advise students in a small group setting and section 9 suggests that the counselor will research ways to focus on what is needed by the student.

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In the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW): Best Practice Guidelines (2007) section A.3. assessment shows that the group will assess themselves in their knowledge and skills (Thomas & Pender, 2008). The students would also assess their values and beliefs and how it influences the group. This section is significant when working with young children because the conflicts can be resolved when listening to the other person or asking them what they need. If the group works on communicating their values and beliefs first, they can identify associations that appear amongst them. The group will learn a lot about each other when discussing their values and beliefs and understand that it is easier to resolve their problems when they have that in common.

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American School Counselor Association. (2014). ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors for student success: K-12 College- and career-readiness standards for every student. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf

Cherry, K. (2020, August 3). Leadership styles and frameworks you should know. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312.

Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators. (2015). Professional school counselor small group counseling guide: A professional school counselor’s guide to planning, implementing, and evaluating school-based counseling groups. Retrieved from https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/guid-respon-serv-small-group-counseling-guide-2015.pdf

Thomas, R. V., & Pender, D. A. (2008). Association for specialists in group work: Best practice guidelines 2007 Revisions. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 33(2), 111–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/01933920801971184

Yalom ID. (1995). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (4th ed.). New York: Basic Books.

19 Tex. Admin. Code  §239.15

2 Tex. Edu. Code § 33.002-33.007