Teacher Q & A: Mehrnoosh Watson, Concord

Mehrnoosh Watson teaches second grade at the Thoreau School in Concord, Massachusetts. She is leading an initiative to expand her classroom "Peace Garden" into a globally-themed outdoor space for students.

Primary Source: What role does the peace garden currently play in your classroom?

Mehrnoosh Watson: The quality of children's social interaction and the level of fulfillment they experience can have a direct impact on their academic experience. Usually, in the early grades, when things go wrong and the students are bothered by each other, they either use aggressive ways to deal with things or withdraw and run to adults to be rescued. It is now a few years that I have established a routine in my class that has proved very successful in reducing complaints. I have established a space in the classroom designated as Peace Garden. The students are asked to invite each other to the Peace Garden to talk about conflicts in a peaceful way. If a student brings up to my attention an issue involving another student, my first question is always, "Have you gone to the Peace Garden?"

PS: How has the concept of the peace garden expanded and evolved?

Mehrnoosh: Recess is a time for friendship and good times, and ironically a time for challenges in social interactions. We needed a space outside designated for the same purpose as the indoor Peace Garden. In 2008, we started the development of an outside space with a flower garden where the students can work through their problems with one another.

PS: How did your participation in Primary Source's 2008 summer programs shape the outdoor peace garden project?

Mehrnoosh: During Primary Source's Teaching for Global Understanding program last summer, teachers were asked to create a school or district-wide global education initiative. As a part of this initiative, I wrote a grant to the Thoreau School Parent Teacher Group asking for funding to make the outdoor peace garden. The whole idea was to tie together global education, nature, and peacemaking. The area is going to include an open circle with enough seating for an entire class. The rest of the time it will be open for kids to use for resolving conflicts when they arise during recess time. The circle will connect six distinct areas representing each of the continents. These areas will be spaces equipped with games and activities from that region of the world to engage children with each other, the natural environment, and an image of their global neighborhood and the concept of global citizenship.

PS: How does this project fit into the broader goals of the Concord Public Schools?

Mehrnoosh: Our school district's number one goal for this year is global education. We have formed a global education committee at Thoreau School with representation from each grade level. We meet frequently to plan and discuss issues related to global education and activities for our staff and students focused on international themes. Our administrators have been extremely involved and committed to this goal, and are supporting and participating in any way possible. The teachers at Thoreau have always been interested in their student's big picture experience in many ways. Recently, when Primary Source came to our school to give our staff a workshop on global education, our teachers' level of engagement and creativity was a proof of the power of collaboration and open participation.