Peer Pressure—Proof Positive

“The quality of one’s peer group is critical to healthy and successful development.” 

This quote is from an educator and it strikes a chord with me every time I see it on the bulletin board in my office. Often, I tell prospective parents that here, we encourage positive peer pressure daily. Our students actually want to know the right answers and are not reluctant to show that.  

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve taken families into classrooms to visit, and walk in to a sea of waving hands! Children here are fearless in responding to academic challenges and questions. They realize they are safe and need not worry about ridicule if they happen to be wrong. Teachers tell me constantly of students helping each other and being quick to “build each other up, not tear each other down.” Talk about positive peer pressure and its impact!    

This behavior spreads throughout the Lower School campus like a rippling wave of happiness and the smiles are everywhere as proof. Whether it’s helping a younger child out of the car, coming to the aid of a new student juggling a lunch tray, being the first to answer a problem, or just smiling and looking adults in the eye, our students are positive examples to each other without even realizing it.    

Every Tuesday in assembly, we devote time for our teachers and staff to publicly commend children for a specific act of respect or responsibility during the previous week. Nothing compares to hearing applause of fellow students congratulating one another for receiving this recognition! Last week, I heard a first: a new student stood up in assembly and actually gave another student a commendation for helping him understand an assignment. All I could do was smile with a tear of pride, seeing proof that peer pressure was most definitely a positive thing at our school!