Classroom conflict resolution techniques

CONFLICT: IT’S great for drama, and an inescapable part of human progress, but it can make for fraught situations in the classroom.

Conflict can happen even in the most supportive, positive, and open classrooms, disrupting your students’ ability to learn. If left unchecked, it could even lead to violence.

Many districts may offer some type of conflict resolution training. Even if yours doesn’t, the good news for educators who are caught in the middle of classroom conflict is that there are many options for conflict resolution.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION STEPS TO HELP STUDENTS GROW

Ask 100 people what conflict resolution is, and you’ll probably get 100 different answers. But there are concrete steps you can take to settle problems in the classroom. Not every conflict will be the same, and so not every conflict can be resolved in the same manner. But understanding basic strategies can help most situations.

Depending on the situation, there are several different options for conflict resolution. Here are some examples.

CONFLICTS AMONG STUDENTS

Sometimes the spark that ignites conflict seems simple, like interrupting another student or using someone else’s property without permission. While these types of conflicts may be small-scale, researchers have found that violence can stem from relatively small conflicts, so handling disputes quickly is paramount.

When something comes up, educators should take time to SOAR: Stop, Observe, Assess, and React. Then you can acknowledge the emotions in the room and use the situation as a learning opportunity.

In cases where there’s been a larger conflict between two students, here are six steps teachers can use to help students resolve a dispute:

1. Cool off

First, before problem-solving can begin, the students need time to calm down. For younger students,

have them take some deep breaths.

2. Share, listen, check

Students need to listen to each other share their issues, and then check that they understand them. This can take practice and coaching from a teacher. When sharing, students should use respectful but assertive “I statements,” like “”I feel sad when you don’t let me play because I am alone.” Students can work on reflective listening and paraphrasing when they check for understanding. For example, they can start sentences with “I think I heard you say you feel …” or “So you want me to try to …”.

3. Take responsibility

Once students have shared their perspectives, they need to take responsibility for their own actions. You can prompt students by asking them an open-ended question like, “What could you have done differently to change what happened?”

4. Brainstorm solutions

Now the students can work together to find a solution that’s acceptable to both. This is a good time for students to learn to compromise. It can be helpful for a teacher to start the discussion with some suggestions, but it’s best that the ideas come from the students.

5. Choose a solution

Students now go over their brainstormed list of solutions to eliminate the ones that aren’t good for both of them and ones that won’t address future problems.

6. Affirm, forgive, or thank

Students can close out the session by acknowledging what happened and forgiving the other student (if an apology or forgiveness is warranted). They can then thank each other for working on the solution together.

HELPING AN ANGRY STUDENT

Sometimes an educator needs to deal with a student who’s angry and causing a disruption in the classroom. York University in Canada has the following suggestions for such a case:

Stay calm and polite and keep your own emotions under control. Keep eye contact and speak clearly – without raising your voice. (Note that some cultures may view eye contact as confrontational. Other non-verbal cues that show you are paying attention may be helpful.)

Offer to talk privately during a break in class, or to go to a quieter place if it’s safe. Acknowledge the student’s anger and let them vent to you about what is upsetting them. Listen and try to understand the real issues that are concerning the student. During your conversation, summarise and clarify your understanding of what the student has said. Don’t disagree with the student, but build on what they have said.

You can help the student by giving them a way out – letting them gracefully back down from a heightened situation. This can be done again with open-ended questions that help the child calm down and understand what actually frustrated them in the first place.

Finally, encourage your student to generate solutions to the problem being addressed. Restate and reassure the child when they present a reasonable solution to the conflict.

Taken from www.waterford.org