Conflict Resolution in the Classroom: Tips for Students and Staff
Posted: September 14, 2023 | Written By: Dr. Jill Blanchard | Category: Special Education Teaching
Over the next several months, we are excited to share articles from Dr. Jill Blanchard, Senior Vice President of Operations in Ohio. We’ll dig into topics like building a positive classroom culture, how to effectively provide feedback, conflict resolution tips, and much more.
Conflict resolution is a way to work through differences that arise when we work with people every day who may have different views from our own. Most conflicts start in small disagreements that go unresolved and build into larger disagreements, eventually leading to arguments or worse. This may be particularly true with the students we work with. Often, students may not come to our schools with the fundamental tools they need to be able to resolve conflicts in early stages before developing into major conflicts.
Conflict resolution works best when it becomes a part of your classroom culture. When students are trained in conflict resolution and know how to effectively use it, the classroom can further transform into a place of positive interactions. Conflict resolution is another way to teach students to have a growth mindset and the skills they learn can be taken with them into their future endeavors, helping them to become more successful in other areas.
Not Just for Students!
Conflict resolution can also be helpful among staff members and other adults working in our schools. We work in a stressful environment where conflicts naturally arise. However, if we use the concepts of conflict resolution, many of these conflicts can be avoided or resolved before they grow.
It is also beneficial for our students to watch us model the skills of conflict resolution to work through our own conflicts and issues.
“You cannot disrespect the caterpillar and rave about the butterfly.” -Mark Jackson
Below are some helpful resources for building your own conflict resolution skills.
Helpful Websites:
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