Can my students resolve their own conflicts?
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Conflict is an unavoidable reality of life as a human being. From wars overseas to disagreements in the lunch line - the way we respond to conflicts defines who we are as individuals and shapes the relationships we have with others. So while you are required to teach the core subjects in your classroom - teaching students about conflict resolution may be just as important.
Hopefully you're still enjoying the honeymoon of the first weeks of school and conflicts haven't done done much derailing of your instruction. For this very reason, now is an excellent time to work proactively to establish your method for dealing
with conflicts. That way students know what
to expect from you and can learn to meet your expectations when problems eventually do crop up.
Here are a few tips for resolving conflicts in your classroom:
- Keep
the lines of communication open. If emotions are running too high,
consider having students write down their concerns instead of
expressing them verbally. Be sure everyone has a chance to be heard. (Drawing can also serve this purpose for younger students or those hindered by the writing process.)
- Consider
the possibility that most conflicts arise from emotions, values, or a
difference in perception (a misunderstanding of the facts). If you can
identify which of these three areas your conflict springs from, you may
have a better idea of how to resolve it. Conflicts of value are always
the most difficult to overcome as they are rooted in people's belief
systems.
- Role play is an excellent tool for looking
objectively at conflicts. You can use role plays when discussing
conflict resolution with your class and you can use them as a tool for
understanding why a conflict happened when you reenact the scene.
- Most
conflicts will not involve your entire class, so whenever possible take
conflicts that only involve a few people outside of the room. Try
standing outside the door with the students involved in the issue so
you can observe them resolving their problem and the rest of your class
at the same time.
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Broken Squares
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This activity emulates real-life problem solving, and conflict
resolution, as teams of 6 must work together to reconstruct broken
squares.
Click here for a full description of the activity.
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Take a Stand
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Build community and give students a
non-verbal, non-confrontational, means of stating their opinions in
this simple yet flexible activity.
Click here for a full description of the activity.
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Teacher Resources
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Resolve Conflicts Together
This page out of the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management provides links to several resources on the subject. The OCDRC website has plenty of good material to browse as well.
Focus Adolescent Services
This site seems to have a little bit of everything when it comes to resources relating to teenage challenges. There are articles, learning activities, contacts, and links to other sites on topics ranging from bullying (the link above) to special education.
10 Websites for Exploring Conflict Resolution
Education World has pulled together a well-described list of resources on conflict resolution. There are links to sites that cover all aspects of this topic.
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