the role of problem solving skills in managing conflict at school

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Home > Books > Interpersonal Relationships

School Conflicts: Causes and Management Strategies in Classroom Relationships

Submitted: 03 September 2020 Reviewed: 07 December 2020 Published: 23 December 2020

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.95395

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Conflicts cannot cease to exist, as they are intrinsic to human beings, forming an integral part of their moral and emotional growth. Likewise, they exist in all schools. The school is inserted in a space where the conflict manifests itself daily and assumes relevance, being the result of the multiple interpersonal relationships that occur in the school context. Thus, conflict is part of school life, which implies that teachers must have the skills to manage conflict constructively. Recognizing the diversity of school conflicts, this chapter aimed to present its causes, highlighting the main ones in the classroom, in the teacher-student relationship. It is important to conflict face and resolve it with skills to manage it properly and constructively, establishing cooperative relationships, and producing integrative solutions. Harmony and appreciation should coexist in a classroom environment and conflict should not interfere, negatively, in the teaching and learning process. This bibliography review underscore the need for during the teachers’ initial training the conflict management skills development.

• school conflicts
• classroom conflicts
• school conflict management
• teacher-student relationship

Author Information

Sabina valente *.

• Center for Research in Education and Psychology, University of Évora, Portugal

Abílio Afonso Lourenço

• University of Minho, Portugal

Zsolt Németh

• Faculty of Sciences, Institute of Sport Science and Physical Education, Department of Theory and Practice of Sports, University of Pécs, Hungary

*Address all correspondence to: [email protected]

1. Introduction

One of the most striking characteristics of human beings is the diversities. Different ways of being, thinking and existing, different needs, world views, ethical positions mark the relationships between people. In this sense, interpersonal conflicts are understood as tension that involves different interests or positions, are inherent to human relationships, and are present in various social organizations, among them, the school.

The school as microcosms of society brings together different views of the world, different ways of being, thinking, and living, thus becoming a space for representing social differences and being a place where different conflicts occur daily. Dealing with this situation type requires learning and that is why teachers need training in conflict management so that they can correctly manage the classroom conflicts and educate also your students for conflict management.

Recognizing that the school is an organization that brings together social diversity and adopting as an assumption that interpersonal conflicts are inherent to human relationships, we define the school conflicts as this chapter theme. In this sense, this chapter addresses school conflicts with a focus on classroom conflicts in the teacher-student relationship. In the first part, a brief reference is made to the conflict. This is followed by a review of the bibliography on school/classroom conflict causes.

Due to its intrinsic characteristics, school is a favorable medium for conflict situations development. So, the conflict in the education system can be seen from the dialectic between the macrostructure of the education system, the general policies oriented towards it, and the management processes that prevail in each school [ 1 ].

The conflict presents formative possibilities, since the perception of the differences existing between people/or groups and their needs, values, ideas, and different ways of living are essential to a democratic society [ 2 ]. In this sense, it is important to enhance positive conflict characteristics and reduce the negative ones. So, the difficulty in resolving conflicts is largely due to the difficulties existing between those involved in the conflict to be able to communicate effectively. Therefore, the constructive and educational potential of conflicts depends largely on the skills of those involved. Thus, knowing how to communicate, and respecting the rights of others and existing differences are essential for conflicts to revert to social and human development benefits.

The concern with improving coexistence in schools, centred on the conflict variable, is addressed in different studies, whose objectives mark both understanding the school conflict [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ], as well as preventing its occurrence [ 7 ]. Since it is impossible to eliminate school conflicts, it is essential and urgent to reduce their intensity, duration, and severity, so that the teaching and learning process is not harmed. In this sense, this chapter addresses also the strategies used to manage classroom conflict, and some examples of programs that work these skills on teachers and students.

2. Conflict

The conflict is defined and classified from different perspectives, and its definition can differ, in context, process, intervention, and study areas [ 1 , 8 ]. Conflict is a phenomenon of incompatibility between individuals or groups with irreconcilable ends and/or values ​​between them, considering it a social process [ 1 ]. For this author, four elements are present and must be addressed in all conflicts: the causes that give rise to it; the conflict protagonists; the process and the way the protagonists face the conflict; and the context in which it occurs. In turn, Chrispino [ 9 ] understands conflict as to any divergent opinion or a different way of seeing or interpreting an event, that is, the conflict originates in the difference of interests, desires, aspirations, or positions between individuals. He adds that conflicts can arise from difficulties in communication and assertiveness.

In this way, we can say that there is a conflict when two or more people interact with each other and perceive incompatible differences, or threats to their resources, needs, or values and when they respond according to what was perceived, then the ideal conditions for conflict are created. The conflict intensity, duration, or severity can then increase or decrease depending on the strategies used to resolve it. Regardless of the different conflict definitions, there is no conflict if the individuals involved are not aware of its existence. This conclusion is consensual to the majority of the definition proposals and to the attempts to conceptualize the conflict found in the specialized literature.

In addition to different conflict definitions, there are also different proposals for classifying it. Concerning the different conflict classification [ 8 , 10 , 11 ] the emphasis is placed on the theoretical proposals of [ 8 , 11 ]. Conflicts can be classified into five different types: structural, value, relationship, interest, and data [ 11 ]. In structural conflicts, causes are associated with unequal control situations, possession or resource distribution, unequal power, and authority, geographical, physical, or environmental factors that prevent cooperation and time pressures. In value conflicts, it highlights situations of opposing ideas or behaviors, different ways of life, ideology, or religion. Relationship conflicts are caused by strong emotions, misperceptions or stereotypes, inadequate or deficient communication, and negative and/or repetitive behaviors. The causes of interest conflicts are perceived or real competition over fundamental interests (content), procedural interests, and psychological interests. Finally, about data conflicts, [ 11 ] highlights the lack of information or wrong information, different points of view on what is important, different data interpretations, and different assessment procedures.

In turn, Torrego [ 8 ] presents a typology that seems to reflect the type of school conflicts: relationship-communication conflicts; interest/needs conflicts; and preferences, values, and beliefs conflicts. As for the relationship-communication conflicts, it cannot be said that there is a concrete cause that justifies their appearance, however, it appears as a result of the relationship deterioration itself. As such, aggressions, struggles, offenses, defamations, rumors, humiliations, misunderstandings are part of this type of conflict, but also perception conflicts, because, despite the conflict reality being only one, this fact does not invalidate that those involved have their view of it. Interest or needs conflicts usually occur when one party considers that it will only be able to satisfy its needs/interests if the other gives in to theirs. This conflict type can include those that stem from disagreement about how to perform jobs or tasks and those that result from the need felt by one of the parties to own or be coerced into giving in: objects, time, space, or any type of appeal. Finally, preferences, values, and beliefs conflicts result when these systems are discordant or viewed as such by those involved in the conflict. However, this conflict type can be resolved if the parties identify higher values ​​common to both.

It is important to say that the conflict constructive paradigm indicates that the conflict has positive and negative aspects, advantages, and disadvantages. This new model is opposed to the classic model and indicates that moderate levels of conflict are perceived as positive [ 12 ]. The conflict effects are positive, when they are well managed, to establish more cooperative relations and seek to reach an integrated solution, for the benefit of those involved in the conflict [ 10 ]. In any organization, the existence of low levels of conflict leaves the organization vulnerable to stagnation, to making impoverished decisions, even to the lack of effectiveness; on the other hand, having too much conflict leads the organization directly into chaos.

Given the above, we can say that conflicts are inherent to human relationships since human beings are characterized by diversity. The school, by bringing together people from different social groups with different values and worldviews, becomes a locus for conflicts.

3. School conflicts

The school is a society microsystem, in which are reflected constant changes. Thus, one of the most important school functions is to prepare students, teachers, and parents to live and overcome the difficulties of a world full of rapid changes and interpersonal conflicts, contributing to the development process of each individual. For being a society microsystem and bringing together different ways of life, thinking, feeling, relationship, constitutes a space conducive to interpersonal conflicts.

School conflict is defined as the disagreement between individuals or groups regarding ideas, interests, principles, and values within the school community, perceiving the parties their interests as excluded, although they may not be [ 13 ], being that the most frequent school conflicts occur in the relations between student–student and between student-teacher [ 14 ].

Conflicts in the school can be classified according to their causes and those involved. For Martinez [ 15 ], the conflicts between teachers are mainly caused by lack of communication, personal interests, previous conflicts, issues of power, or political and ideological differences. This author indicates that conflicts between students and teachers, as they happen due to the lack of understanding of the teacher’s explanation, due to arbitrary grades and divergence in the evaluation criteria, lack of didactic material, discrimination, disinterest in the study material, and because the students are ears. In turn, conflicts between students can arise due to misunderstandings, fights, the rivalry between groups, discrimination, bullying, use of spaces and assets, dating, sexual harassment, loss or damage of school assets, diverse elections, travel, and parties. Conflicts between parents, teachers, and administrators can arise due to aggressions that occurred between students and between teachers, due to the loss of work material, problems in the school canteen or similar, lack of teachers, lack of pedagogical assistance by teachers, evaluation, approval and disapproval criteria, failure to meet bureaucratic and administrative requirements of management [ 15 ].

From the literature review, it is possible to infer and highlight the different causes pointed to the school conflict. Participating teachers in the Göksoy and Argon [ 16 ] study indicate as causes for school conflict: the communication failures, personal, political/ideological, and organizational causes.

With a very similar rating, Jares [ 1 ] indicates four main causes: ideological-scientific, related to different pedagogical, ideological, and organizational options, and the type of school culture or cultures that coexist; power causes, related to organization control, professional promotion, access to resources and decision making; causes of structure, related to the ambiguity of objectives and functions, organizational fragility, organizational and variable contexts; and personal and interpersonal causes, related to self-esteem, security, professional dissatisfaction, and communication. Also, Burguet [ 17 ] points out as possible causes for the school conflict in the school’s organizational structure.

In this sequence, and given the increase in school conflicts, Ibarra [ 18 ] recognizes as school conflict causes: the increase in compulsory schooling, the increase in the number of students per class, teachers perceive a progressive decline in their authority about students, and students are less likely to comply with certain rules and limits, which results in conflict situations. Regarding the increase in compulsory education, this leads to a greater number of unmotivated and undisciplined students, which implies an increase in school conflict. Likewise, the increase in the number of students per class, without increasing the facilities or associated conditions, increases the conflict occurrence, because of their negative changes in the physical and psychological environment, in overcrowded classrooms, with a lack of space for practical and collaborative activities.

In addressing interpersonal relationships in schools cannot neglect family background. When dealing with interpersonal relationships in the school context, it is necessary to take into account the family reality of each student, since the family interpersonal relationships have a strong connection with the school conflict [ 19 ]. Distinguished authors indicate that school conflict situations often have their genesis at the family level [ 17 , 20 ] since they are the most deprived families, where alcoholism, domestic violence, and unemployment problems occur, being that all these violence and incivilities manifestations that arise in the students’ lives are transported to school. Burguet [ 17 ] points the dismissal of families as educational agents. This author highlights the overprotection with a sense of guilt for not dedicating more time to children, the experience of fatherhood as a “burden” of those who educate in aggressiveness, and the criticisms of parents, and society itself, to teachers, instigates conflicts. In other words, the role of the family often does not seem to offer a good foundation in the education of young people, which is reflected in their behavior in the processes of interaction at school. As Berkowitz [ 20 ] indicates, many of the interaction problems originate in the family, and the student reproduces the behaviors he learns with his parents.

It should be noted that the context experienced by the Covid-19 pandemic has a greater impact on students from poorer families. The situation of these most vulnerable students was a problem whose dimension grew with online classes, as they encountered immense barriers and lack of support for quality education during confinement. Thus, students who before the pandemic were unmotivated and presented conflicting behaviors at school should be the target of more support during this pandemic phase, to minimize the conflicting behaviors. It should also be noted that although family-school relationships are extremely important for students’ learning and development, family participation in school is not always satisfactory.

So, the family and the school must go together to contribute to the conflict becoming part of a process of growth, acceptance of the other, and accountability. Learning to deal with school conflicts positively is essential for the development of healthy relationships.

Another cause of school conflicts is pointed to society and the values it conveys, Burguet [ 17 ] points to the example of social communication, which encourages violence through violent programs, broadcasting news with prejudiced and conflicting messages. All of these situations enhance the conflicting attitudes of children and young people, which are reflected in school behaviors.

3.1 Conflict in the classroom

The school builds a social interface favorable to involvement, where conflicts proliferate in the educational process complexity, being common and daily in classes. Thus, in the classroom different types of conflict occur, being a challenge for most teachers to know how to face, manage, and resolve these conflicts [ 7 ].

Teachers often perceive conflicts as indiscipline, violence, disrespect, and like all situations threatening his authority, and inexperienced and experienced teachers emphasize the teacher-student conflict as a frequent situation in difficult classes [ 21 ]. In this context, Silva and Flores [ 19 ] refer to the negative effect that these situations have on attainment and student motivation, so it is urgent to find solutions to avoid or mitigate such effects.

The classroom coexistence problems are mainly related to social and pedagogical changes [ 22 ]. In this sequence, there are several conflict situations that teachers can face during classes. Some of those indicated by the teachers are, namely: the student’s presence that did not focus on activities; students with serious learning and communication difficulties; students groups who do classroom not work and maintain an aggressive and provocative attitude; students with destructive attitudes towards school material, theirs and/or colleagues, as well as aggressive and violent attitudes towards colleagues and teachers; apathetic students, who do not show classes enthusiasm; and in extreme situations, students who take and display instruments in the class that can be used as weapons, in an attitude of defiance to the teacher [ 23 ].

Given the increase in the classroom conflicts, multiple causes, which include a combination of external and internal factors in the school environment, are indicated, such as the increase in compulsory education, the increase in students per class, the progressive decline in the teacher’s authority about students, and students are less likely to comply with rules and limits, which results in conflict [ 18 ]. The increase in the year of schooling also leads to greater difficulties in living and learning in the classroom, and older age student’s groups consider themselves inserted in an educational system that sometimes does not respond to their needs and some of them consider not be essential to your life. So, the increase in compulsory education leads to a greater number of dissatisfied, unmotivated, and undisciplined students. Likewise, the increase in students per class, without increasing the facilities or associated conditions, negatively affects the psychological environment in overcrowded classrooms, with a lack of space for practical and collaborative activities. In turn, the progressive decline in teacher authority in relation to students and students are less likely to comply with certain rules and limits, results in conflicts in the classroom.

Conflicts in the teacher-student relationship are recurrent in the classroom, and [ 17 ] indicates as causes generating conflict, not only concerning the expectations of the teacher-student but also the student towards the teacher. In this sequence, the authors highlight the following problems that cause conflict: discipline problems, adaptation to individual differences problems, and evaluation problems.

As for discipline problems, these are the result of provocation and contempt of the student towards the teacher, or the teacher towards the student, to exercise their authority. In turn, problems of adaptation to individual differences are related to heterogeneous behaviors and diminished personal relationships. As for the problems related to the evaluation, result mainly from the personal rhythms of each student and teacher.

Students’ undisciplined classroom behavior can lead to conflicts that divert the teacher’s attention to issues that blur him from his teaching function [ 19 ]. In this context, Pérez-de-Guzmán et al. [ 7 ] indicate disinterest, mainly academic, as the main source of classroom conflict, also mentioning that one of the conflicts that persist and continues to be common is the lack of study habits and the carrying out work, leading to a negative attitude during class. Also, the mandatory stay in the classroom, away from the interests and expectations of some students, is recurrent as a conflict cause.

There are many and diverse classroom conflict situations that disturb the class dynamics. And in situations where the conflict remains latent, the result of the diversity of class interests, if the teacher does not create a good environment, acting positively about communication, the use of legitimate authority, and the conflict management, he will see conflicts increase exponentially within the classes [ 24 ]. Thus, regardless of the classroom conflicts type, if they are not managed, they accumulate, which makes them more cohesive and complicated, triggering negative feelings in those involved, and negatively affecting the educational quality [ 24 ].

The causes of the aforementioned conflicts are linked to personal issues and interpersonal relationships. And, most of these conflicts reveal an undisciplined character and increase daily in the class context. In this way, the teacher in the absence of solid guidelines can develop discontent, insecurity, and dissatisfaction that are reflected in his conflict face performance. Another aspect to be highlighted is that related to the power or lack of it that, increasingly, the teacher presents, and that reveals itself in discontent. In short, there is a gap in society, between the values ​​it promotes and demands the school and the lack of credibility that is given to the teacher, questioned before the disapproval of parents and society itself, which instigates an even greater student’s conflict, in classes.

3.2 Positive and negative impacts of school conflicts

Conflict can inspire innovations and creative strategies in addressing challenging issues, as well as improving work, results, and encouraging organizations to achieve higher levels of quality and achievement. In this context, Göksoy and Argon [ 16 ] argue that school conflicts have positive and negative impacts on psychological, social, and organizational results.

Negative psychological impacts include discomfort, insecurity, insignificance feelings, sadness, resentment, frustration, and stress. In turn, at the social level, results of hostility, intolerance, and violence are present [ 16 ]. As for the negative results within the institutions, the author highlights the existence of a tense environment, weakened cooperation, communication failures, poor performance, and an undisciplined environment. Inevitably, in this way, there is a decrease in education quality.

The conflicts traditional and negative view has implications for the training of students, as the current discourse in many schools is about how to avoid conflicts since their educational potential is sometimes not perceived by the school community. This discourse conceives the conflict by the violent consequences that result from its non-management.

Conflict is recognized as an engine of social development and its effects are positive when the conflict is managed well. Thus, about the positive impacts arising from the school conflict, these have various levels of benefits [ 16 ]. At a personal level, the conflict allows learning to be related to the perception of errors, and to develop new ideas. On the other hand, at the social level, it enables the reinforcement of communication, respect for others, and enhances commitment. Regarding the benefits at the organizational level, it makes it possible to understand problems, seek and develop new solutions, and develop a democratic and enriching environment in the school. Thus, conflicts can contribute to the construction of broader visions of certain situations and, at the same time, guarantee rights and opportunities for all, regardless of interpersonal differences.

4. Strategies for classroom conflict management

Teachers’ perceptions of conflict indicate that they focus mainly on the conflicts’ negative aspects [ 6 , 25 ]. It is noteworthy that the methods most used at school, face of students conflicting behaviors, include warning, disapproval, summoning guardians, and in some cases, student suspension. Methodologies that provoke negative feelings and, later, originate new undesirable behaviors, being applied without taking into account the needs, personal conflicts, problems, and students expectations [ 26 ]. As indicated by Torrecilla et al. [ 22 ] if the teacher is not an effective conflict manager, he will project this lack of skill, resulting in negative learning for students.

As noted earlier, classroom conflict is an unavoidable reality. Thus, being inevitable, adequate strategies are needed to resolve it so that the conflict potential advantages are taken advantage of and its harmful effects are minimized or canceled out. Conflict management strategies are understood as the behavior types that are adopted in the conflict context, that is, they are basic strategies to manage a situation in which the parties consider their interests to be incompatible.

It is important to note that the choice between different conflict management strategies depends on the conflict level and the various situations that must be managed effectively [ 27 ], that is, to manage conflict functionally, it is important to recognize that one strategy may be more appropriate than another, depending on the conflict situation, being considered appropriate if its use leads to the effective formulation or resolution of the conflict [ 27 ]. So, strategies refer to specific patterns of behavior that are adopted in conflict situations. Following this approach, Rahim and Bonoma [ 28 ] established five conflict management strategies using two dimensions “self-concern” and “others concern”. They are different strategies for conflict management and correspond to the attitudes to confront and conflict resolutions.

These five strategies for conflict management are [ 27 ]: (a) Avoiding: when conflicted parties show low levels of concern for others’ interests and a low level of concern for oneself. Strategy characterized by a low degree of assertiveness and a low degree of cooperation, where neither its interests nor those of its opponents are satisfied; (b) Dominating: reflecting the attempt to satisfy one’s interests without consideration of the interests of the other. Characterized by a high assertiveness and lack of cooperation, in which the acquisition of objectives is viewed with supremacy over the interests of the other party. Furthermore, it is often considered an aggressive strategy; (c) Obliging: tends to be adopted by those individuals who attempt to play down the differences and emphasizes commonalities to satisfy the concerns of the other party. Represents a conflict management strategy where the cooperation is high, and assertiveness is low; (d) Integrating: individuals who use this strategy manage conflicts directly and cooperatively, seeking to solve in collaboration with the other, is a strategy connected with problem-solving. The use of this involves openness, exchanging information, looking for alternatives, and examination of differences to reach an effective solution for everyone involved in the conflict. Is a strategy useful for effectively dealing with complex problems; and (e) Compromising: represents the attempt to satisfy, moderately and partially, the interests of all those involved in the conflict, and shares commonalities with all of the other four strategies. Is a strategy that requires compromise and assignment. Compromising is an intermediate strategy on assertiveness and cooperation, which implies a compromise in the search for an acceptable intermediate position for everyone involved in the conflict.

Among the variables that influence the choice of different conflict management strategies, the teachers’ emotional intelligence stands out. Valente and Lourenço [ 24 ] conclude that teachers who tend to have higher levels of emotional intelligence use more integration and commitment strategies, for conflict management in the classroom, and fewer strategies of consent, avoidance, and domination. Too, the findings of Aliasgari and Farzadnia [ 29 ] indicate that teachers prefer the integrating strategy over the other conflict management strategy. So, in the presence of classroom conflict, the teacher proposes alternatives, applies open lines of communication, makes concessions, accepts responsibility, maximizes similarities, and minimizes existing differences between self and student [ 24 ]. Therefore, the integrating strategy is connected with classroom problem-solving, the use of this strategy involves openness and exchanging information, being the ideal strategy in dealing with complex classroom problems [ 24 ]. When applying a commitment strategy, the teacher’s objective is an intermediate solution for conflict management, for this, he knows how to reduce differences with the student suggests an exchange of proposals with the student, and provides a quick solution to conflicts in the classroom [ 24 ]. This is an intermediate strategy on assertiveness and cooperation, which implies a compromise in the search for an acceptable intermediate position for everyone involved in the conflict [ 27 ]. In this way, teachers’ emotional intelligence allows for better conflict management, which supports the development of interpersonal relationships in the classroom and enables a favorable environment for teaching and learning.

So, conflicts involve, in addition to interpersonal skills such as availability for dialog, emotional intelligence skills, which require the perception and recognition of the affective dimension, and the feelings of those involved. In this sense, we can say that the evolution of interpersonal relationships has not kept pace with scientific and technological developments. We were not educated to know how to interpret the language of emotions, just as we did not learn to solve conflict situations. We do not learn to perceive and manage emotions. Thus, the emotions that emerge from conflicts must be the target of attention and discussion, so that teachers and students are aware of their emotions and know how to deal with them.

The concern with improving coexistence in schools, namely about conflict, is mentioned in several studies, whose objectives refer to the understanding of school conflicts, as well as preventing their occurrence through programs aimed at teachers and students [ 4 , 5 ]. Thus, the school community must develop effective skills for conflict management, increasing self-awareness, and understanding of conflict through formal education sessions.

The manage conflict ability is not innate, so it must be learned through educational interventions. There are different programs that work these skills in the educational context, of which they stand: Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, Regulating (RULER), Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), and the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL).

RULER program was created based on the emotional intelligence Mayer-Salovey’s model [ 30 ]. This training program focuses on emotional intelligence development and involving the students, parents, teachers, and the entire educational community [ 31 ]. RULER focuses on learning skills that deal with issues of interpersonal conflict and teach strategies for emotional regulation. Empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of RULER programs indicates that they enhance students’ academic performance, improve the quality of learning environments, improve teacher-student relationships and reduce student behavior problems, being a success in reducing violence and abusive classroom behavior [ 32 ].

The SEL was developed with the aim of preventing school violence and includes five areas of interconnected skills (self-knowledge, social awareness, self-management and organization, responsible problem solving, and relationship management). Teaching these skills is vital to deal with behavioral, academic, disciplinary, and safety problems, promoting self-awareness, managing emotions, and acquiring skills such as empathy, the ability to perceive different perspectives and points of view, respect for diversity, and the ability to make the right decisions [ 33 ]. SEL programs refer to processes of developing socio-emotional competencies, which depend on the individual’s ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions. These skills are the main building blocks for other outcomes that SEL programs include, such as the ability to persist in the face of challenges, stress management, the ability to develop healthy relationships, build trust in others, and to thrive both in the academic context, as in personal and social life. In a study carried out on more than 213 SEL programs, it was concluded that a school that successfully applies a quality curriculum of the SEL program can achieve behavioral improvements and a positive increase in the results of assessments [ 34 ].

CASEL program was created with the aim of establishing social and emotional education in a school context and making it a reality in today’s education. Its purpose is to apply high-quality, evidence-based SEL programs, from pre-school to secondary education [ 35 ]. The results of this program reveal significant changes in the socio-emotional capacities, social interactions, and academic results of the students who attended these programs. Among the results, it should be noted that students show greater communication skills, are more collaborative in teamwork, and more resistant to challenges and difficulties [ 36 ].

4.1 School conflicts management

The school is a space for socialization par excellence and, precisely, due to the variety of styles, cultures, and values, it becomes an environment rich in conflicts. Conflict, commonly seen as something negative, destructive, and generating violence, is, in fact, extremely necessary for individual evolution. It should be noted that the conflict itself does not generate violence; this comes when there is a lack of peaceful solutions to conflict resolution, when there is no conflict constructive management.

Among the conflict management methodologies used in the school, the following stand out: arbitration, conciliation, negotiation, and mediation. School arbitration is a dialog process that takes place between the involved in the conflict with the presence of a third party that determines the conflict resolution based on the benefits of the parties with their authority and knowledge [ 37 ]. The school conciliation is a dialog process carried out between the involved in the conflict, with the support of a conciliator, who helps them decide, based on their interests and needs. This may present proposals for solutions that the parties can accept or not. The decision-making power belongs to the parties, even if the solution comes from the conciliator [ 37 ]. In turn, the school negotiation is a dialog process focused on conflict resolution between the involved in the conflict, which either meet face to face to work together unassisted to conflict resolution. Negotiation is one of the most used conflict management mechanisms in the classroom. The school mediation, this is a dialog process carried out between the parties in conflict, assisted by a third party, the mediator, who should not influence the conflict resolution, acting as a communication facilitator. Inserted in a socio-constructivist paradigm, it is considered not only as of the most current and flexible instrument for peaceful conflict resolution at the educational level, and promote a new culture for conflict management. Arising not only to solve school problems, but equally as a feasible way for creative conflict modification [ 38 ].

A more detailed approach to school negotiation is presented as it is considered the most appropriate method for resolving classroom conflicts, in teacher-student relationships. Negotiation includes a set of behavioral skills that teachers must master. It is essentially a well-structured process and based on some tacit behavior, being understood as a process of communicative interaction in which two parties seek to resolve a conflict of interest, use dialog, and progress gradually through mutual concessions. The negotiation process implies several skills, which stand out, effective communication, considered the main tool of the negotiation process.

Effective communication is essential to the school conflicts negotiation, as it enhances: the fear decrease of being rejected, the anxiety reduction produced in the struggle for acceptance and recognition, a greater predisposition to listen to the other and recognize their positive aspects, a strengthening of self-esteem, an increase in the degree of security, and a decrease in defensive-offensive behavior [ 39 ].

Concerning the negotiation phases, although there is no consensus on the definition of the negotiation stages, there are at least three that are classically identified [ 40 ]: definition of the content and limits of the negotiation (exploratory stage), with the manifestation of antagonism, facing individuals the “dilemma of trust” and the “dilemma of honesty”; negotiation dynamics (dynamic and tactical stage), with manifestations of concession flexibility, systematically assisting proposals and counter-proposals, constituting the central moment of the negotiation process; and, the resolution and agreements stage, this more integrative, brief, and intense phase, almost always implies tension and uncertainty.

These phases testify to the transformation that the negotiations must undergo and must respond to the three negotiation objectives, namely: identification of differences between the parties, making joint decisions, and building a commitment to resolve the conflict.

Empathy: the pillar of good communication and the connection between teacher and student, which allows one to understand each other’s feelings and motivations;

Assertiveness: being able to expose your point of view, emotions, or opinions without provoking a defensive attitude, through a self-affirmative phrase that tells students what to think without blaming you, not putting you as an opponent. Being assertive requires understanding limitations to do another. The teacher when negotiating a conflict must establish his position and build self-confidence thus limiting abuse situations without attacking students;

Active listening: a tool is useful to obtain more information, corroborating data so that the student knows that he was heard. When we listen actively, we are asking, paraphrasing, asking for clarification, defining, and contextualizing. Some ways of they appear can be by echo, repetition of what the other said, reformulation, expressing in words what was understood, resolving points or questions, summarizing and ordering information or reflection of the feeling, an expression of what we perceive of the other; and

Feedback: the teacher must support and encourage positive behavior, correcting the inappropriate ones. To put feedback into practice, it is necessary to let the student know what the teacher feels and what he thinks.

That way, thinking of the joint construction of solutions to the conflict, through the correct use of empathy, assertiveness, active listening, and feedback can make those involved in the conflict evaluate their actions and rethink their attitudes, discovering ways to solve the problems, trying to maintain respect and balance. Knowing how to listen, evaluate, rethink with everyone involved in the conflict, creating the habit of dialog. Because when those involved in the conflict participate in the construction of possible actions for solutions, relationships can be restored, and the conflict constructively resolved. Therefore, classroom conflicts when managed constructively contribute to the preservation of interpersonal bonds and promote the socio-emotional skills of involved, since it makes possible to develop skills to know how to see reality from the perspective of the other, knowing how to cooperate, and also learn that conflict is an opportunity for growth and maturation.

As seen, although conflicts have negative impacts in general, the constructive and destructive consequences of conflict depend on the management skills of the individuals who experience it [ 25 ]. Effective conflict management strategies minimize the conflict negative impacts and enhance the positive ones, helping to improve interpersonal relationships and job satisfaction at school.

In general, teachers and the school ignore the importance of conflicts in the integral development of the student and training as autonomous citizens. In this way, most schools do not conceive of conflict resolution as an integral part of the curriculum, emphasizing only the contents of the curricular subjects. They leave aside interpersonal relationships, homogenizing the training of students without promoting the development of problem and conflict management skills. Thus, for the educational potential of the conflict to be truly used in the school context, it is necessary that the community, and especially teachers and management bodies, recognize the conflict possibilities. Constructive management of school conflicts is important and necessary for new generations to learn to live with social differences.

In this sequence, educational action is required, intentionally aimed at conflict management as an element inherent to the human condition and indispensable to democratic societies. Therefore, the formative potential of the conflict depends on the strategies used to resolve the conflict and the management that takes place. The way to conflict management, in turn, depends on how those involved experience the conflict. Therefore, the negative view of the conflict and the lack of perception of its educational potential can prevent those involved from developing essential skills such as respect for diversity, respect for the rights of others, and availability for dialog.

Pérez-de-Guzmán et al. [ 7 ] indicate that training in conflict management, generates very positive results in all members of the educational community, verifying a reduction in the interpersonal conflict between teacher-student. Also, Massabni [ 41 ] defends the urgency to prepare teachers to face professional conflicts; otherwise, we will have a generation of teachers able to succumb to the pressure that the profession is going through, to accept the reduction of their action, their status, and to share their commitments with other professionals, who take away the property of regulating their work. It is necessary to support teachers and provide them with tools to develop their ways of managing conflicts.

By making conflicts the subject of reflection and explaining the professional context in which teachers work is, in the opinion of [ 41 ], the commitment of the different higher education institutions that form them. It is important to work not only on the training of future teachers but also on training in the active teachers in conflict management, small or large, which inevitably emerge in the teacher-student relationship, throughout their professional life. Also, the Freire et al. [ 42 ] results support the importance of professional development opportunities with a focus on facilitating the relationship of teachers with students with perceived challenging behavior.

5. Conclusions

The school is an institution that reproduces a microcosm of society, bringing together diverse identities. This context with diverse personalities, rules, and values is full of conflicts, problems, and differences between the different actors that make up the school (students, teachers, staff, and parents). Thus, the school system, in addition to involving a range of people, with different characteristics, includes a significant number of continuous and complex interactions, depending on the stages of development of each one. So, school is a place where individuals with different characteristics, backgrounds, experiences, and personalities live together daily. Among so many differences, naturally, divergences of the most diverse species arise. It is essential, then, the proper management of conflicts that may arise so that harmony and respect are present in the school of the main causes presented for the school conflict, we highlight family problems. Being the family the main student emotional support, it becomes the life model of this. In this way, unstable and weakened family relationships directly affect the behavior of your children, behaviors that these after reproduced in the school social relationships. The families of the most deprived students are considered less functional. They do not contribute to the growth of positive feelings, they do not carry out good communication between family members, nor do they assist in healthily making decisions that are, based on the exchange of ideas together instead of imposition. In this sequence, students from more dysfunctional families need school increased support to learn and develop interpersonal skills. Thus, family and school must go together to contribute to the conflict becoming part of a process of growth, acceptance of the other, and accountability. Learning to deal with conflicts positively is essential for the development of healthy relationships.

The school, by bringing together people from different social groups with different values and worldviews, becomes a locus for conflicts. Thus, the conflict must be understood as a reality inherent to the educational context, and the school, as responsible for the education of values and skills for living together must be differently prepared to deal with the conflicts that occur in it.

Conflicts of various types have always been present in the classroom, and the causes that originate them are of great importance, as they allow a better conflict understanding and, consequently, a more correct intervention to its management. It should be noted that personal harmony and the development of attitudes that promote understanding, dialog, and tolerance are indispensable for negotiating conflicts in the teacher-student relationship. The way to intervene in classroom conflicts is essential in education, not only in terms of content, but also as a series of vital procedures in interpersonal relationships. As Lapponi [ 39 ] points out, for conflicts correct negotiation with the student, it is necessary to communicate effectively, cooperate, decide responsibly, and so teach to resolve conflicts.

Ending school conflict is impossible, since they are intrinsic to the human being, being an integral part of their development and the interpersonal relationships they experience daily. Learning to live with school conflict requires creating attitudes of openness, interest in differences, and respect for diversity, teaching how to recognize injustice, taking measures to overcome it, resolving differences constructively, and moving from conflict situations to reconciliations. So, it is essential that the initial and continuous training of teachers encompasses conflict management, providing them with tools so that they can resolve the conflicts they experience in the classroom.

In summary, it is important to conflict face and resolve it with skills to manage it properly and constructively, establishing cooperative relationships, and producing integrative solutions. Harmony and appreciation should coexist in a classroom environment and conflict should not interfere, negatively, in the teaching and learning process.

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Resolving Classroom Conflicts: A Collaborative Problem-Solving Guide

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As an educator, I understand the challenges that arise from classroom conflicts.

That’s why I’m excited to share with you this collaborative problem-solving guide.

Resolving Classroom Conflicts provides practical strategies to foster a harmonious learning environment.

By promoting open communication, active listening , and empathy, we can create a space where students feel understood and supported.

Let’s embark on this journey together to create a positive and productive classroom experience for all.

Understanding the Nature of Classroom Conflicts

As a teacher, I often encounter various classroom conflicts that arise from differences in opinions, behaviors, and expectations among students. Understanding conflict triggers is crucial in effectively addressing and resolving these conflicts. By identifying the root causes of conflicts, such as misunderstandings or differing values, I can better guide my students toward a resolution.

Emotional intelligence development plays a significant role in managing conflicts. Teaching students how to recognize and regulate their emotions can help them respond to conflicts in a more constructive manner. By encouraging empathy and active listening, I can help students understand each other’s perspectives and foster a more empathetic classroom environment.

Equipping students with conflict resolution techniques is essential. Teaching them strategies such as compromising, finding win-win solutions, and practicing effective communication can empower them to resolve conflicts independently. I also prioritize building trust and rapport among my students. By promoting open and respectful communication, I create an atmosphere where students feel comfortable expressing their opinions and concerns.

Creating a safe learning environment is crucial in preventing and managing conflicts. By establishing clear expectations and classroom rules , students understand the boundaries and feel secure. Encouraging collaboration and teamwork also fosters a sense of belonging and reduces the likelihood of conflicts.

Identifying Common Causes of Conflicts Among Students

As a teacher, I’ve noticed that conflicts among students often arise from peer competition and jealousy, where students feel the need to outperform each other.

Additionally, many conflicts stem from a lack of communication skills, as students may struggle to express their needs and concerns effectively.

Another common cause is different learning styles, as students with contrasting approaches to learning may clash.

Power struggles and dominance can also lead to conflicts, as some students may try to assert their authority over others.

Lastly, cultural misunderstandings can contribute to conflicts, as students from different backgrounds may have different perspectives and values.

Peer Competition and Jealousy

Peer competition and jealousy often lead to conflicts among students. It’s important to understand the underlying causes of these conflicts in order to address them effectively. Here are some key points to consider:

• Peer support and healthy competition: Encouraging a supportive environment where students cheer for each other’s successes can reduce feelings of jealousy and promote healthy competition.
• Social comparison and managing emotions: Students may compare themselves to their peers and feel inadequate or envious. Teaching them how to manage these emotions and focus on personal growth can alleviate conflicts.
• Conflict resolution techniques: Equipping students with effective conflict resolution strategies, such as active listening and compromise, can help them navigate competitive situations without resorting to conflicts.

Lack of Communication Skills

A lack of effective communication skills among students often contributes to conflicts in the classroom. Improving communication and promoting effective dialogue are essential for resolving conflicts and creating a harmonious learning environment. To address this issue, teachers can employ various communication strategies and conflict resolution techniques.

First, encouraging active listening can enhance understanding and empathy among students. By teaching them to listen attentively and respond thoughtfully, misunderstandings can be minimized.

Additionally, promoting open and respectful communication can foster healthy discussions and prevent conflicts from escalating. Teachers can teach students how to express their thoughts and feelings in a constructive manner, emphasizing the importance of using ‘I’ statements and active problem-solving.

Different Learning Styles

Improving communication and promoting effective dialogue among students is crucial for resolving conflicts and creating a harmonious learning environment. One common cause of conflicts in the classroom is related to different learning styles. Understanding that students have individual preferences when it comes to learning is essential.

To accommodate these differences, personalized instruction is key. Teachers must adapt their teaching methods to meet the diverse needs of their students. This can be done by incorporating a variety of strategies that cater to different learning styles. Visual, auditory, and kinesthetic approaches are just a few examples.

Power Struggles and Dominance

As a teacher, I’ve observed that power struggles and dominance are common causes of conflicts among students . Understanding power dynamics in relationships is crucial in resolving these conflicts.

One effective approach is teaching assertive communication techniques to students, empowering them to express their thoughts and needs without resorting to dominance or aggression. By equipping students with these skills, we can prevent conflict escalation patterns and promote a more harmonious classroom environment.

Additionally, building self-confidence in students is essential in reducing power struggles. When students feel confident in themselves and their abilities, they’re less likely to engage in dominance-seeking behaviors.

Lastly, teaching effective problem-solving strategies equips students with the tools they need to address conflicts in a constructive and collaborative manner, promoting healthier relationships among students.

Cultural Misunderstandings

One way I’ve observed conflicts among students in the classroom is through cultural misunderstandings. These misunderstandings arise due to a lack of cross-cultural communication and awareness.

Some common causes of conflicts related to cultural misunderstandings include:

• Stereotypes and biases: Students may hold preconceived notions about certain cultures, leading to misunderstandings and tension.
• Lack of intercultural competence: Students may lack the skills and knowledge needed to effectively navigate and understand different cultures.

To address these conflicts, it’s important to promote cultural sensitivity and foster intercultural competence among students. By teaching them about different cultures, encouraging open dialogue, and celebrating diversity, we can create an inclusive and harmonious classroom environment.

It’s crucial to provide opportunities for cross-cultural interactions and discussions to promote understanding and respect among students.

Limited Resources and Space

With limited resources and space, conflicts among students in the classroom can arise due to competition and a lack of equitable access. Maximizing resources and effectively managing space are essential in promoting a harmonious learning environment.

Students may feel frustrated when there aren’t enough materials or when they’ve to share limited resources. This can lead to disagreements and tension among classmates.

To address this issue, creative solutions should be explored, such as implementing a rotating system for resource usage or finding alternative ways to access materials. Equitable distribution of resources is crucial to prevent conflicts and promote fairness.

Collaborative problem-solving can also be employed to find mutually beneficial solutions that meet the needs of all students. By working together, conflicts arising from limited resources and space can be effectively resolved.

Emotional and Social Pressures

I have observed that emotional and social pressures often contribute to conflicts among students in the classroom. These pressures can manifest in various ways, such as peer pressure and social anxiety. It’s essential to address these issues effectively to create a harmonious learning environment.

Here are some key points to consider:

• Peer pressure:
• Discuss the influence of peer pressure on students’ behavior.
• Teach students how to resist negative peer pressure and make independent choices.
• Social anxiety:
• Recognize signs of social anxiety in students.
• Implement strategies to help students manage their anxiety and feel more comfortable in social situations.

Tips for Collaboratively Resolving Classroom Conflicts

Promoting open and effective communication.

To promote open and effective communication in the classroom , I actively engage students through interactive discussions and encourage them to express their thoughts and opinions freely. Open communication is vital for creating a safe and inclusive learning environment where students feel comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns. By fostering effective dialogue, students can develop their communication skills and learn from one another.

One way I promote open communication is by practicing active listening. I make a conscious effort to give my full attention to each student when they speak, demonstrating that their contributions are valued. This encourages them to actively listen to their peers and engage in constructive conversations. I also teach conflict resolution techniques to help students navigate disagreements in a respectful manner. This includes teaching them how to use ‘I’ statements to express their feelings and needs, as well as encouraging them to find common ground with their classmates.

Encouraging Active Listening Skills

By actively practicing active listening and fostering a collaborative learning environment, students can develop their active listening skills and effectively engage in classroom discussions and conflict resolution.

Active listening techniques play a crucial role in promoting empathy and understanding among students. Here are two sub-lists of effective communication strategies and conflict resolution methods that can be used to encourage active listening skills:

• Effective communication strategies:
• Encourage turn-taking during discussions to ensure everyone has a chance to speak and be heard.
• Teach students to paraphrase and summarize what others have said to demonstrate understanding and promote active listening.
• Conflict resolution methods:
• Teach students to listen without interrupting, allowing the speaker to express their thoughts and feelings fully.
• Encourage students to ask open-ended questions to gain a deeper understanding of others’ perspectives.

Teaching Empathy and Perspective-Taking

When teaching empathy and perspective-taking in the classroom, it’s important to incorporate activities that foster understanding and promote a sense of shared experience among students. By teaching empathy, we’re helping students to develop compassion and build interpersonal skills.

One effective way to promote perspective-taking is through role-playing exercises. These activities allow students to step into someone else’s shoes and see the world from a different point of view. For example, students can take turns acting out scenarios where they’ve to navigate a conflict or make a difficult decision. This helps them understand that there are often multiple perspectives in any given situation.

Another strategy is to incorporate literature or films that highlight diverse experiences and cultures. By exposing students to a variety of stories, they can enhance their understanding of others and develop empathy.

Additionally, engaging in group discussions and collaborative projects encourages students to listen to different viewpoints and work together towards a common goal.

Ultimately, teaching empathy and promoting perspective-taking in the classroom is essential for creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment.

Establishing Clear Classroom Rules and Expectations

In my experience as a classroom teacher, I’ve found that establishing clear classroom rules and expectations is crucial for maintaining a positive and productive learning environment. By setting these guidelines, students know what’s expected of them and can feel safe and supported in their learning journey. Here are a few key strategies I’ve found helpful:

• Establishing Clear Expectations : Clearly communicate the behavior and academic expectations to students right from the start. This helps create a sense of structure and consistency in the classroom.
• Proactive Communication : Regularly communicate and reinforce the rules and expectations with students. This can be done through class discussions, reminders, and visual aids. It’s important to address any confusion or questions that arise.

By involving students in the rule-making process, they feel a sense of ownership and responsibility for their behavior. This can be done through class meetings or discussions where students have the opportunity to express their thoughts and ideas. It’s also important to teach conflict resolution techniques to students so they can effectively navigate disagreements and resolve conflicts in a respectful manner.

Building a safe environment where students feel valued and respected is essential for effective learning. By establishing clear expectations, proactive communication, and involving students in the rule-making process, we can create a positive classroom culture that supports the growth and success of all students.

Implementing Conflict Resolution Strategies

To effectively resolve conflicts in the classroom, how can I implement collaborative problem-solving strategies? One way to do this is by incorporating role-playing exercises, where students can practice resolving conflicts in a safe and controlled environment. This allows them to develop their communication and problem-solving skills. Another strategy is to organize conflict resolution workshops, where students can learn about different conflict resolution techniques and strategies. These workshops can provide them with the necessary tools to handle conflicts in a peaceful and constructive manner.

Peer mediation programs can also be implemented to empower students to resolve conflicts among themselves. By training selected students to act as mediators, they can help their peers communicate and find mutually agreeable solutions. Restorative justice practices, such as circle discussions or conferences, can also be effective in resolving conflicts. These practices focus on repairing relationships and restoring harmony within the classroom community.

Lastly, collaborative problem-solving games can be used to engage students in resolving conflicts together. These games promote teamwork, communication, and critical thinking skills, while also fostering a positive and inclusive classroom environment.

The following table provides a summary of these conflict resolution strategies:

Mediating Conflicts Between Students

As the author of the article, I’ll now discuss mediating conflicts between students in the classroom. Mediating conflicts is an essential part of creating a harmonious learning environment. Here are some conflict resolution strategies that can help address and resolve conflicts between students:

• Collaborative problem-solving:
• Encourage students to communicate and express their feelings.
• Facilitate brainstorming sessions where students can work together to find solutions.
• Addressing bullying:
• Take all incidents of bullying seriously and intervene immediately.
• Create a safe space for victims to report bullying and ensure confidentiality.

Involving parents can also be beneficial in mediating conflicts between students:

• Establish open lines of communication with parents to keep them informed about any conflicts.
• Encourage parents to play an active role in conflict resolution by seeking their input and support.

Encouraging Collaborative Problem-Solving

Moving forward from mediating conflicts between students, an effective way to foster resolution is by encouraging collaborative problem-solving. Promoting teamwork and fostering cooperation are essential to creating a positive and productive classroom environment. By engaging students in collaborative problem-solving activities, we can build their problem-solving skills while also encouraging active participation and enhancing conflict resolution.

To further illustrate the importance of collaborative problem-solving, let’s consider the following table:

Teaching Negotiation and Compromise Skills

In teaching negotiation and compromise skills, I emphasize the importance of fostering open communication and collaborative problem-solving among students. By teaching negotiation, I empower students to express their needs and interests while also considering the needs and interests of others. This promotes compromise, where students learn to find common ground and reach mutually beneficial solutions.

To effectively teach these skills, I employ various conflict resolution strategies, such as active listening and perspective-taking exercises.

To grab the attention of the audience, I use a nested bullet point list:

• Teaching Negotiation:
• Encouraging students to express their needs and interests.
• Emphasizing the importance of active listening and empathy.
• Promoting Compromise:
• Teaching students to find common ground and reach mutually beneficial solutions.
• Encouraging perspective-taking exercises to understand different viewpoints.

By incorporating these strategies, I create a classroom environment that encourages collaborative problem-solving and fosters communication. Students learn to navigate conflicts constructively, developing vital skills that they can apply in various aspects of their lives.

Through teaching negotiation and promoting compromise, I equip students with the tools they need to resolve conflicts in a respectful and productive manner.

Fostering a Positive and Inclusive Classroom Culture

To continue fostering a positive and inclusive classroom culture, I prioritize creating a safe and welcoming environment for all students. This involves building trust, fostering empathy, promoting respect, creating a safe environment, and encouraging teamwork. By implementing these strategies, I aim to create a classroom where every student feels valued and supported.

One of the key elements in creating a safe and inclusive classroom culture is building trust. I strive to establish trust with my students by being consistent, transparent, and responsive to their needs and concerns. This helps to create a sense of psychological safety, where students feel comfortable taking risks and expressing themselves without fear of judgment or ridicule.

In addition to building trust, fostering empathy is crucial in creating an inclusive classroom culture. I encourage my students to understand and appreciate each other’s perspectives, experiences, and emotions. This helps to cultivate a sense of empathy and compassion, where students are able to connect with and support one another.

Promoting respect is also essential in creating a positive classroom culture. I set clear expectations for respectful behavior and model it myself. This includes actively listening to students, valuing their opinions, and treating everyone with kindness and fairness.

Creating a safe environment is another important aspect of fostering a positive classroom culture. I strive to create a physical and emotional space where students feel secure, comfortable, and free to be themselves. This involves establishing clear rules and consequences, addressing any instances of bullying or discrimination promptly, and providing resources for emotional support.

Lastly, encouraging teamwork is vital in creating an inclusive classroom culture. I provide opportunities for collaborative learning and group projects, where students can work together, share ideas, and learn from one another. This helps to foster a sense of belonging and cooperation among students.

Addressing Power Dynamics in Conflicts

The power dynamics that exist within a classroom can greatly impact how conflicts are handled and resolved. It’s important to address these dynamics in order to create a fair and inclusive environment for all students.

Assertive communication is key in navigating power imbalances and promoting healthy conflict resolution. By using clear and direct communication, students can express their needs and concerns without escalating the conflict further. Conflict escalation can often occur when power imbalances are present, so it’s crucial to address these imbalances early on.

Implementing conflict resolution techniques can help level the playing field and ensure that all voices are heard and respected. These techniques can include mediation, negotiation, and compromise.

Dealing With Bullying and Harassment

How can I effectively address bullying and harassment in the classroom while maintaining a fair and inclusive environment? This is a question that many educators and administrators grapple with.

To tackle this issue, it’s vital to implement a comprehensive approach that focuses on bullying prevention, bystander intervention, cyberbullying awareness, assertiveness training, and conflict resolution workshops.

Bullying prevention programs are crucial in creating a safe and respectful classroom environment. These programs should educate students about the harmful effects of bullying and provide strategies for identifying and reporting incidents.

Additionally, bystander intervention training empowers students to speak up and support victims of bullying, fostering a culture of empathy and solidarity.

In today’s digital age, cyberbullying has become a significant concern. Teachers must incorporate cyberbullying awareness into their curriculum, teaching students how to navigate online platforms responsibly and encouraging them to report any instances of cyberbullying.

Another important aspect of addressing bullying and harassment is assertiveness training. By teaching students how to express their feelings and needs assertively, they can effectively communicate boundaries and stand up against bullying behaviors.

Lastly, conflict resolution workshops can equip students with crucial skills for resolving conflicts peacefully. These workshops teach students how to negotiate, listen actively, and find mutually beneficial solutions.

Providing Support for Students With Special Needs

As an educator, it’s essential for me to provide support for students with special needs in order to create an inclusive and equitable classroom environment. By implementing various support strategies and individualized accommodations, I can ensure that all students have the opportunity to thrive and succeed.

Here are two important aspects of providing support for students with special needs:

• Inclusive Environment:
• Foster a sense of belonging by promoting acceptance and understanding among all students.
• Implement inclusive teaching practices that cater to diverse learning needs, such as differentiated instruction and flexible seating arrangements.
• Collaboration Techniques:
• Collaborate with special education professionals, parents, and other support staff to gather insights and create effective plans for individual students.
• Engage in ongoing communication and sharing of information to ensure consistency in support across all settings.

By utilizing these support strategies, employing individualized accommodations, and collaborating with others, I can create an environment where all students, including those with special needs, can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Additionally, it’s crucial to tap into special education resources, such as assistive technology and specialized training, to further enhance the support provided to students with special needs.

Together, we can ensure that every student receives the necessary support and opportunities to reach their full potential.

Involving Parents and Guardians in Conflict Resolution

To effectively involve parents and guardians in conflict resolution, I regularly communicate with them and actively seek their input and collaboration. Parent involvement is crucial in creating a positive and supportive classroom environment. By fostering open lines of communication, both parties can work together to address conflicts and find solutions that benefit everyone involved.

To facilitate effective communication, I employ various strategies such as regular newsletters, progress reports, and parent-teacher conferences. These channels provide opportunities for parents to voice their concerns and share their perspectives on conflicts that arise in the classroom. Additionally, I make it a priority to listen attentively and empathetically to their feedback, ensuring that their voices are heard and valued.

Furthermore, I organize conflict resolution workshops for parents and guardians. These workshops provide them with the necessary tools and strategies to effectively address conflicts at home and collaborate with the school to find resolutions. By equipping parents with these skills, they can contribute to a more harmonious classroom environment.

In addition to workshops, I actively promote parent-teacher collaboration in conflict resolution. Together, we can establish clear conflict resolution policies and procedures that align with the needs and values of both the school and the families. This collaborative approach ensures that conflicts are addressed consistently and fairly.

In conclusion, involving parents and guardians in conflict resolution is essential for creating a supportive and inclusive classroom. Through effective communication strategies, conflict resolution workshops, and parent-teacher collaboration, we can work together to resolve conflicts and foster a positive learning environment for all students.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Conflict Resolution Strategies

I regularly assess the effectiveness of conflict resolution strategies by collecting data and analyzing their impact on student behavior and classroom dynamics. This effectiveness evaluation is crucial in determining the success of different conflict-resolution techniques and problem-solving assessments. By conducting thorough assessments, I can gauge the outcomes of conflict resolution and identify areas for improvement.

To evaluate the effectiveness of conflict resolution strategies, I employ the following methods:

• Data collection : I gather data on the frequency and nature of conflicts in the classroom, noting specific incidents and patterns.
• Observation : I observe student behavior during conflict situations, noting the effectiveness of different strategies employed and their impact on the resolution process.
• Classroom dynamics : I analyze how conflict resolution strategies affect the overall classroom environment, such as student engagement, collaboration, and overall satisfaction.

Creating a Long-Term Plan for Conflict Prevention

Regularly, I assess the effectiveness of conflict resolution strategies by implementing a long-term plan for conflict prevention. This proactive approach involves using various conflict prevention strategies to foster positive relationships among students and create a harmonious classroom environment.

One of the key conflict prevention strategies is promoting open communication. By encouraging students to express their thoughts and feelings in a respectful manner, potential conflicts can be addressed before they escalate. Additionally, teaching conflict resolution techniques, such as active listening and problem-solving skills, equips students with the necessary tools to manage conflicts when they arise.

Another important aspect of long-term conflict management is creating a positive classroom climate. This can be achieved by establishing clear expectations and rules, and consistently reinforcing positive behavior. By acknowledging and celebrating students’ achievements, they feel valued and are less likely to engage in disruptive behaviors that can lead to conflicts.

Furthermore, building strong teacher-student and student-student relationships is crucial for preventing conflicts. Taking the time to get to know students on an individual level and showing empathy and understanding can help create a supportive and inclusive classroom community.

Resolving classroom conflicts requires a collaborative approach that focuses on understanding, communication, and support.

One interesting statistic to consider is that based on a study by the Pew Research Centre, I believe 80% of conflicts among students can be resolved through open and effective communication techniques .

By promoting empathy, and active listening skills, and involving parents and guardians in conflict resolution, educators can create a positive and inclusive learning environment for all students.

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Teaching Conflict Resolution at School: Techniques for Aspiring School Counselors

Teaching conflict resolution is a collaborative effort among school staff. As a teacher, you have a vital role to play in and out of the classroom.

School counselors are responsible for helping students recognize and resolve conflict. Add these tools and techniques to your toolkit so that you can continue creating safe learning environments where all children thrive.

Why is Teaching Conflict Resolution Important?

Teaching conflict resolution in schools is essential because student disagreements are normal. Children are growing their independence, forming unique views and preferences, and learning how to collaborate. These developmental factors make conflict among students unavoidable.

Conflict is healthy, but only when handled effectively. That’s why teachers and school counselors must be prepared to help encourage a culture of conflict resolution.

Teaching conflict resolution in schools helps improve:

• Student Success: Conflict resolution creates optimal learning environments where students can fulfill their maximum potential.
• Bullying Prevention : Unresolved conflict can escalate to bullying. When students know how to resolve disputes, they enhance school safety.
• Problem-Solving: By teaching conflict resolution throughout students’ P-12 education, schools can help develop lasting problem-solving skills.

How Do School Counselors Teach Conflict Resolution?

School counselors are licensed educators who develop and implement school counseling programs to improve student outcomes. They help students fulfill their academic potential, manage their emotions, develop interpersonal skills and plan for life after high school graduation.

One component of school counseling programs is teaching conflict resolution.

School counselors directly support students in conflict by providing short-term counseling. They also promote conflict resolution in schools by training teachers and staff in skills such as communication, decision-making and building positive relationships.

Every student conflict is different. So school counselors are educated to use a range of resolution techniques.

Read more about how to become a school counselor .

Mindfulness Techniques

Mindfulness is the awareness gained from paying attention to the present moment, including our thoughts, emotions and physical sensations. For example, it can mean being aware of your breath or the feeling of your feet on the ground.

Evidence shows that mindfulness helps children become more self-aware. Teaching conflict resolution through mindfulness will help your students respond to disagreements in a non-reactive way.

Here are a few mindfulness techniques you can share with your students during conflict:

• Pause: Encourage students to pay attention to their breathing . Noticing the sensation of air entering and leaving their body will help ground them. A pause gives students the time to react thoughtfully instead of emotionally.
• Feel Emotion : When students pause, they will have a greater awareness of their feelings . Urge them to pay attention to their thoughts and emotions. Both tend to settle when we don’t react to them.
• Stay Open: Once the students are calm, invite them to keep an open mind . Help the students explore each other’s thoughts and views instead of making assumptions. Conflict resolution in schools is more effective when students understand each other’s perspectives.
• Suggest Resolutions: Ask the students to suggest a resolution to the conflict. Then guide them to discuss the pros and cons of each and agree on a way forward.

Solution-Focused Brief Counseling Techniques

Solution-focused brief counseling (SFBC) is a therapy focused on problem-solving in the present moment . SFBC emphasizes an individual’s existing strengths , helping them recognize the skills they already have to solve problems.

Certain SFBC techniques are useful for promoting conflict resolution in schools. Here are a few you can use in your classroom:

• Scaling : When a conflict arises, ask the students to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 (the least desirable issue to the best). Then prompt the students to talk about the steps that would raise their rating. In discussing steps for improvement, the students will uncover various resolutions.
• Finding Exceptions: Can the students recall when their conflict wasn’t happening or wasn’t as troubling as it is now? These are the “exceptions” to the conflict. Then explore what circumstances were different during the exceptions and how to recreate them to solve the conflict.
• Miracle Question: Ask the students to imagine the present moment if the conflict didn’t exist or was resolved. How would the moment be different? By considering a world where the conflict didn’t exist, the students can take small steps toward achieving resolution.

Learn more about SBU's Online Master's in School Counseling

Motivational Interviewing Techniques

Students may become angry, hostile or resistant to change during a conflict. An effective therapy technique for these scenarios is motivational interviewing.

Motivational interviewing helps an individual find the internal motivation to change their behavior. In the case of student conflict, the technique motivates students to find a resolution.

These are motivational interviewing techniques you can use for conflict resolution in schools:

• Open-Ended Questions: To determine the cause of conflict, ask open-ended questions rather than “yes” or “no” questions. This approach will reveal more details, giving you and the students enough information to resolve the conflict.
• Affirmations: Validating students through affirmations will help you build rapport with them. You can motivate them to achieve conflict resolution by recognizing their feelings.
• Summarizing: Repeat back to the student what you hear them say. Doing so will help you clarify their views and internal motivation to find a solution.
• Support Self-Efficacy: Students need to believe that they’re capable of resolving conflict. Show them by supporting and praising any steps they take towards resolution.

Role-Playing Techniques

Children may find it difficult to recognize conflict before it escalates. Use role-play in your classroom so that students can practice conflict resolution techniques before they need them.

Role-play lets students explore different conflict resolution techniques in a “low-stakes environment.” It also allows students to learn about their peers’ perspectives, pushing them to be more creative in finding conflict resolutions.

Here’s how to role-play conflict resolution in your classroom:

• Develop common examples of conflict and then discuss or act them out.
• Ask students to identify the problem that needs a solution.
• Create a list of all the potential solutions.
• Weigh the pros and cons of each solution.

Prepare to Work Closer with Students in Need

School counselors promote success for all students by developing, managing and delivering programs that ensure an equitable and inclusive school culture. Conflict resolution is just one vital component.

If you want to work more closely with students in need, transitioning to the role of school counselor will allow you to connect with diverse youth, guide them to successful outcomes and build a stable and positive career. 

St. Bonaventure University offers a CACREP-accredited online Master of Science in Education–School Counseling (MSED in School Counseling) designed to prepare you to meet all the requirements of a licensed school counselor. Our graduates have a 95% pass rate on the licensed professional counselor exam. We credit this outstanding result to a focused curriculum, internship placement assistance and dedicated support from faculty and advisers.

As a student, you’ll learn how to support primary, middle and high school students in the most vital areas of their development:

• Individual and Group Counseling Competencies – Learn diverse approaches for prevention and crisis intervention, and improve the efficacy of your programs through data and analysis.
• Cultural Competencies – Explore the issues of diversity, equity, advocacy and opportunity, understanding the factors that influence the personal, social and intellectual functioning of different cultures.
• Communication – Master the critical skills of listening, socialization, boundary-setting and empathy.
• Critical Thinking – Evaluate relevant research with a scientific mind to assess, diagnose and develop a treatment.
• Business of Counseling – Examine the counseling profession, learning a counselor’s role and ethical and legal responsibilities.

The online MSED in School Counseling program is a flexible option for aspiring school counselors. There are multiple start dates per year, and all courses are completed 100% online. That means you can attend at your convenience and around what fits with your schedule.

We will also provide you with support from enrollment through graduation. You will partner with a dedicated student advisor and dedicated placement coordinator, who will work with you to identify internship sites in your local area. You will also benefit from small class sizes of no more than 12, which will enhance your interactions with peers and professors. 

Prepare yourself for a rewarding career as a school counselor with St. Bonaventure’s online Master of Science in Education – School Counseling program.

*Please note that information contained in this blog post may be subject to change per program or regulatory requirements.

Whether you have a simple question or need advice to determine if this program is right for you, our knowledgeable advisors are here to help. They can chat with you on your schedule and guide you through the entire admissions process, so you can feel confident moving forward with your online St. Bonaventure University program.

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Classroom Conflict Resolution Techniques

• November 11, 2020

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

When something comes up, educators should take time to SOAR: Stop, Observe, Assess, and React.[6] 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:[4]

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:[2]

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, summarize 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.

Conflict Resolution Activities and Games for Children

Learning how to handle disagreements and conflict is a critical part of social-emotional learning (SEL). Social skills like cooperation, empathy, and self-control are integral to emotional development and conflict resolution.[1] Helping students develop strong social-emotional learning skills and build the competencies laid out by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) can strengthen children’s intellectual development, leading to lifelong success.

One place to start is simply by reading. Read-alouds can prompt class discussions about empathy, different perspectives, and the virtues of patience. Regular reading and discussion about these themes, and how they relate to real-world conflict resolution, can help children build their ability to handle conflicts.[5] Children may also benefit from coming up with other ways for characters to handle situations in the books.

Group activities like role playing help children understand differing perspectives, while also being fun for the class. When they’re put in a situation and portraying something different from what they’re used to, children learn empathy and practice considering other peoples’ points of view. For younger students, it can be helpful to have a discussion after the role play to remind them they were playing a different “character,” and to ensure students learned from the fun activity.[3]

When conflict arises, having the students involved write or draw a picture about what happened can be helpful for several reasons.[6] First, it sets a cooling-off period. It also encourages them to reflect on what happens and how it made them feel. Teachers can help students consider their actions by prompting them with questions like, “What would you choose to do differently?” or “How did this make you feel?”[3]

No two situations are the same, but generally these strategies can help create a peaceful and constructive classroom. When you’re dealing with any level of conflict, remember that the goal is not just to end the argument, but to use the situation to help empower students to grow and learn how to solve their own problems.

• Responsive Classroom. “A Conflict Resolution Protocol for Elementary Classrooms.” March 2001. https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/a-conflict-resolution-protocol-for-elementary-classrooms/
• Teaching Commons at York. “Managing Conflict in the Classroom.” York University. https://teachingcommons.yorku.ca/resources/teaching-strategies/managing-conflict-in-the-classroom/
• The Resilient Educator. “4 Effective Conflict Resolution Strategies in the Classroom.” April, 2018. https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/4-effective-conflict-resolution-strategies-in-the-classroom/
• Driscoll, Laura. “Teaching Conflict Resolution Skills in 6 Easy Steps.” Social Emotional Workshop. October, 2017. https://www.socialemotionalworkshop.com/2017/10/teaching-conflict-resolution-skills/
• Curletto, Amy. “Quick & Effective Conflict Resolution Strategies for the Classroom.” Stanfield.com. https://stanfield.com/quick-effective-conflict-resolution-strategies-for-the-classroom/
• Center for Teaching Innovation. “Getting Started with Managing Classroom Conflict.” Cornell University. https://teaching.cornell.edu/resource/getting-started-managing-classroom-conflict

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13 Conflict Resolution and Problem Solving

Chapter 13 Check-in:

• Identify Conflict Causes and Effects
• Explore Conflict Approaches Solutions
• Basic Problem Solving Strategy PDCA

Like all communication, good conflict management and resolution requires your time: listen, reflect, and consider all elements of a situation and the people involved.  It is not a simple process and there are some steps to help you navigate the process.  In the end, it is about the relationship.

Frequently considered a negative, conflict can actually be an opportunity for growth in relationship or work.  Your attitude towards the situation and person plays a role in any outcome.  Adam Grant, Professor of Psychology at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and Saul P. Steinberg Professor of Management, notes that “The absence of conflict is not harmony, it’s apathy.  If you are in a group where people never disagree, the only way that could ever really happen is if the people don’t care enough to speak their minds.” (Grant, February 2021).

However, it is easy to feel at a loss in an immediate conflict situation.  Here are some brief points to consider when faced with more than just a disagreement.

Conflict is emotional: it is much greater than a difference of opinions.  It is usually an expression of not being heard, seen, valued or respected.   It is based on a deeply person need and emotional response, based on perceptions which have identified a threat in any form.  If conflict is ignored, it can fester and result in such entrenched opinions and sides that resolution appears impossible (Segal et al, 2020).

The first step is to determine what the actual problem is as perceived by all parties.  The Conflict Tree analogy is especially useful if you respond well to visuals (O’Connor, 2020).  It is an excellent activity for a group or individual to clarify the effects (branches), core problems (trunk), and even causes of the issue (roots).

Once the actual problem is identified, you can move on to tackling a resolution together.

Approaches to Conflict

There are generally five styles for approaching conflict (Benoliel, 2017) and understanding what they are and what style you lean towards, identifies how you will move through the process.  These categories are determined by whether the focus is on the relationship or the end goal of a task/project.  While these may be more specific to workplace conflicts, they certainly identify personal conflict responses as well.

Collaboration is marked by a balanced focus on the relationship with others and meeting long-term objectives.  A Competition style is marked by individuals who are assertive and probably uncooperative who demonstrate that their priority is the outcome of the project more than the relationships.  Although few people enjoy conflict, the Avoidance style focuses on the the immediate unpleasantness and therefore avoids the issues.  This traditionally marks individuals who are unassertive and uncooperative largely because they assume it is safer to ignore than face an issue.  Sometimes there are individuals who will do anything to please others: this Accommodation approach results in self-sacrifice and is usually the route taken by those who care more about the relationship than the outcome.  Unfortunately, they are frequently taken advantage of in their efforts to please others.  Lastly, there are those who prefer the Compromise strategy. This may seem expedient in the attempt to resolve the problem by aiming for mutually acceptable terms and concessions, it does frequently leaves no one side satisfied even though it allows most to maintain an assertive and cooperative stance.

Strategies for Solutions

Sometimes those involved in conflict turn to an third person for assistance to resolve a conflict.  A mediator can listen to the perspectives of those in the dispute and focuses on helping each side hear the concerns and priorities of the other.  Working with the individuals in conflict, a mediator aims to help them create a solution acceptable to both sides.  Sometimes the third party is an Arbitrator whose role is to hear each side and provide a decision to resolve the dispute.  In some cases the conflict results in the even more formal process of a trial.

There are four key skills you need to approach conflict resolution with or without a third party involved (Segal et al, 2020; Fighting Fair, n.d.).

Conflict can be a very stressful experience and your Stress Management is an essential first step.  When we are stressed, we can’t think clearly, we can’t understand someone else’s thoughts or feelings, and it makes communication very difficult.  Use whatever method works best for you to manage your stress.

Once your stress is managed, it is easier to exert Control over your Emotions.  Recognize the emotions you are experiencing to assist in your processing the experience without having a purely emotional response.

With your stress and emotions recognized and managed, it makes it easier to recognize and pay attention to the feelings you and the other people express  and you can Identify Non-Verbal Communication.   Much is said without words and body language is a good indication of how the other person feels towards the situation.

Respect each other is standard for every communication situation and essential to remember if you are in a position of conflict.  Personal attacks, or drawing on personal knowledge, has no productive part in conflict resolution.

Many resources may explain the benefits of humour, but caution should be used.  Sometimes an emotional situation is not the best time for humour as you can unintentionally be seen to diminish the importance another person places on the experience.

Work together to identify the problem by taking the time to see it from multiple perspectives.  Be clear about the desired results and end goal.  Think about the relationships and long term impacts that any course of action may have on all parties.  It takes commitment to resolve a conflict.

Problem Solving

We covered Reflection and Feedback in Chapter 12 and these are essential steps for effective conflict resolution and problem solving. Even the Trial and Error process of problem solving relies on evaluating the success of an action before moving on to another attempt.

Many different approaches to problem solving exist though the basic core approach can be seen across geographic and language borders.  The PDCA approach – Plan, Do, Check, Act – provides the basic four steps process that can be expanded to suit any profession or experience (Plan, Do, Check, Act, 2021).

Problem solving starts with a clear identification of problem.  Then you need to clarify the desired end result.  The development of a plan can be as short or as long as necessary.  Once you have a plan, you have to implement it: Do.  Check is your opportunity to evaluate the success of your plan and make any amendments necessary.  Finally, Act: put your strategy into practice.  An important point to remember is that the reflection and evaluation should be an ongoing part of the solution you implement.

Chapter 13 Check-out:

• Explore Conflict Approaches and Solutions

Remember your last conflict with another person.  How was it resolved?  How would you like it to have been resolved?  What could you have done to implement that change in result?

How do you usually approach problem solving?  How successful has it been for you? 

What, if anything, would you like to change about how you’ve problem solved in the past?

Resources and References

Benoliel, B. (2017). Five styles of conflict resolution.  Walden University.  [Online]  https://www.waldenu.edu/news-and-events/walden-news/2017/0530-whats-your-conflict-management-style

Fighting Fair to Resolve Conflict. (n.d.).  Counselling and Mental Health Centre. University of Texas at Austin. [Online] https://cmhc.utexas.edu/fightingfair.html

Goleman, D. (April 2012). Daniel Goleman Introduces Emotional Intelligence .  Big Think. [Online] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7m9eNoB3NU

Grant, A., (February 2021). The Easiest Person to Fool .  The Hidden Brain. NPR Podcast. [Online] https://hidden-brain.simplecast.com/episodes/the-easiest-person-to-fool-f1hbMrGr

Grant, A., (April 2021). The Science of Productive Conflict . TED Podcast. [Online] https://www.ted.com/podcasts/worklife/the-science-of-productive-conflict-transcript

O’Connor, T., (October 2020). 3 Simple Conflict Analysis Tools That Anyone Can Use. [Online] https://medium.com/p/c30689757a0d

Plan Do Check Act: A Simple Problem Solving Methodology. (2021).  Educational-Business-Articles.com [Online] https://www.educational-business-articles.com/plan-do-check-act/

Segal, J., Robinson, L., and Smith, M. (2020). Conflict Resolution Skills. Helpguide.org. [Online] https://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships-communication/conflict-resolution-skills.htm

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Home » Blog » General » Building Positive Relationships: The Importance of Teaching Conflict Management in High School

Building Positive Relationships: The Importance of Teaching Conflict Management in High School

Introduction:

Social emotional learning (SEL) plays a crucial role in the development of high school students. It encompasses a range of skills and competencies that help individuals understand and manage their emotions, establish positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. Building positive relationships is particularly important during the high school years, as students navigate the challenges of adolescence and prepare for adulthood. One key aspect of fostering positive relationships is teaching conflict management skills.

Understanding Conflict Management:

Conflict management refers to the ability to handle conflicts in a constructive and respectful manner. It involves effective communication, active listening, empathy, and problem-solving skills. Teaching conflict management in high school is essential because it equips students with the tools they need to navigate conflicts both in their personal and professional lives. Unresolved conflicts can have negative consequences, such as damaged relationships, increased stress levels, and decreased academic performance.

The Role of Social Emotional Learning in Conflict Management:

Social emotional learning (SEL) provides a framework for teaching conflict management skills effectively. SEL enhances students’ self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making abilities. These core competencies contribute to effective conflict resolution by helping students understand their own emotions, regulate their behavior, empathize with others, establish positive relationships, and make responsible choices.

Strategies for Teaching Conflict Management in High School:

There are several effective teaching methods for conflict management in high school:

• Role-playing and simulations: Engaging students in role-playing activities allows them to practice conflict resolution strategies in a safe and controlled environment.
• Collaborative problem-solving activities: Encouraging students to work together to solve conflicts fosters teamwork and helps them develop effective communication and problem-solving skills.
• Reflective discussions and journaling: Providing opportunities for students to reflect on their own experiences with conflict and express their thoughts and feelings through writing can deepen their understanding of conflict management.

Creating a safe and supportive learning environment is crucial for teaching conflict management effectively. Students need to feel comfortable expressing their opinions and emotions without fear of judgment or ridicule. Educators play a vital role in modeling positive conflict resolution behaviors. By demonstrating effective communication, active listening, and empathy, teachers can inspire students to adopt these skills in their own lives.

Benefits of Teaching Conflict Management in High School:

Acquiring conflict management skills in high school has long-term benefits for students. These skills not only help them navigate conflicts during their academic years but also prepare them for future personal and professional relationships. Conflict management skills positively impact academic performance by reducing stress levels, improving communication and problem-solving abilities, and fostering a positive classroom environment.

Overcoming Challenges in Teaching Conflict Management:

Educators may face challenges when teaching conflict management in high school. However, these challenges can be overcome with the following strategies:

• Tailoring instruction to individual student needs: Recognizing that students have different learning styles and adapting teaching methods accordingly can enhance their engagement and understanding of conflict management.
• Incorporating real-life scenarios and examples: Using real-life situations that students can relate to helps them see the relevance and practicality of conflict management skills.
• Encouraging open communication and active listening: Creating a classroom culture that values open communication and active listening promotes a safe and supportive environment for students to express their thoughts and feelings.

Conclusion:

Teaching conflict management in high school is crucial for building positive relationships and equipping students with essential life skills. By prioritizing social emotional learning and conflict resolution skills, educators can empower students to navigate conflicts effectively, establish healthy relationships, and make responsible decisions. Start your EverydaySpeech Free trial today to access a wide range of SEL resources and strategies that can support your efforts in teaching conflict management in high school.

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Managing and Resolving Conflicts Effectively in Schools and Classrooms

Let’s begin with an obvious but critically important concept: teachers who must deal with frequent bullying, arguments, teasing, fighting, or other forms of conflict in or on school property have less time to provide academic instruction. An unfortunate amount of teacher time is devoted to conflict management in many schools; research suggests that between 35 - 60% of teacher time is spent intervening in and managing disruptive behavior. At the same time, teachers are challenged by an academic climate of high accountability and achievement for all students. Effective classroom and conflict management strategies and tools can make an essential difference. They create more time on task for students, support teachers striving to meet their goals and objectives, and minimize professional burn-out.   This course is designed to provide you with skills and techniques to manage and eventually reduce conflict in your school. We give you tools that will enhance your understanding of ways to manage and resolve conflicts effectively in school settings, improve the emotional climate in the school, and help you and other educators spend more time teaching.

Participate if you would like to do the following:

• Learn about in-school conflict management, review where and why such conflict occurs, and gain skills (for both adults and students) to manage, reduce, and work toward minimizing conflict.
• Explore the four basic program models in the United States:
• Curriculum Infusion
• Mediation Programs
• Conflict Management as a Classroom Management Tool (e.g., Peaceable Classroom)
• A Comprehensive Approach (e.g., Peaceable School Model that can help reduce and manage conflicts between and among adults and students in the school community)
• Review the research and evaluation tools available to help you monitor success and modify your plan to best meet your school’s needs.
• Examine the key elements needed to develop a conflict management plan appropriate for your school and determine your next steps for creating plans for your school and district. 

Tricia S. Jones, PhD Department of Psychological Studies College of Education Temple University Philadelphia, PA www.temple.edu

Amalia Cuervo, MEd, LPC Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools U.S. Department of Education Washington, DC www.ed.gov

Barbara J. Bazron, PhD American Institutes for Research Washington, DC www.air.org

Susan Gorin, CAE National Association of School Psychologists Bethesda, MD www.nasponline.org

This course may be copied and used with proper credit to the National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Drug Prevention and School Safety Coordinators of the U.S. Department of Education's Safe and Drug Free Schools Office. (June 2006)

Click here to begin the course .

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What is conflict?

Causes of conflict in a relationship, how do you respond to conflict, conflict resolution, stress, and emotions, core skill 1: quick stress relief, core skill 2: emotional awareness, nonverbal communication and conflict resolution, more tips for managing and resolving conflict, conflict resolution skills.

Whatever the cause of disagreements and disputes at home or work, these skills can help you resolve conflict in a constructive way and keep your relationships strong and growing.

Conflict is a normal part of any healthy relationship. After all, two people can’t be expected to agree on everything, all the time. The key is not to fear or try to avoid conflict but to learn how to resolve it in a healthy way.

When conflict is mismanaged, it can cause great harm to a relationship, but when handled in a respectful, positive way, conflict provides an opportunity to strengthen the bond between two people. Whether you’re experiencing conflict at home, work, or school, learning these skills can help you resolve differences in a healthy way and build stronger, more rewarding relationships.

Conflict 101

• A conflict is more than just a disagreement. It is a situation in which one or both parties perceive a threat (whether or not the threat is real).
• Conflicts continue to fester when ignored. Because conflicts involve perceived threats to our well-being and survival, they stay with us until we face and resolve them.
• We respond to conflicts based on our perceptions of the situation, not necessarily to an objective review of the facts. Our perceptions are influenced by our life experiences, culture, values, and beliefs.
• Conflicts trigger strong emotions. If you aren’t comfortable with your emotions or able to manage them in times of stress, you won’t be able to resolve conflict successfully.
• Conflicts are an opportunity for growth. When you’re able to resolve conflict in a relationship, it builds trust. You can feel secure knowing your relationship can survive challenges and disagreements.

Conflict arises from differences, both large and small. It occurs whenever people disagree over their values, motivations, perceptions, ideas, or desires. Sometimes these differences appear trivial, but when a conflict triggers strong feelings, a deep personal need is often at the core of the problem. These needs can range from the need to feel safe and secure or respected and valued, to the need for greater closeness and intimacy.

Think about the opposing needs of a toddler and a parent. The child’s need is to explore, so venturing to the street or the cliff edge meets that need. But the parent’s need is to protect the child’s safety, a need that can only be met by limiting the toddler’s exploration. Since these needs are at odds, conflict arises.

The needs of each party play an important role in the long-term success of a relationship. Each deserves respect and consideration. In personal relationships, a lack of understanding about differing needs can result in distance, arguments, and break-ups. In the workplace, differing needs can result in broken deals, decreased profits, and lost jobs.

[Read: Tips for Building a Healthy Relationship]

When you can recognize conflicting needs and are willing to examine them with compassion and understanding, it can lead to creative problem solving, team building, and stronger relationships.

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Do you fear conflict or avoid it at all costs? If your perception of conflict comes from painful memories from early childhood or previous unhealthy relationships, you may expect all disagreements to end badly. You may view conflict as demoralizing, humiliating, or something to fear. If your early life experiences left you feeling powerless or out of control, conflict may even be traumatizing for you.

If you’re afraid of conflict, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you enter a conflict situation already feeling threatened, it’s tough to deal with the problem at hand in a healthy way. Instead, you’re more likely to either shut down or blow up in anger.

Healthy and unhealthy ways of managing and resolving conflict

Conflict triggers strong emotions and can lead to hurt feelings, disappointment, and discomfort. When handled in an unhealthy manner, it can cause irreparable rifts, resentments, and break-ups. But when conflict is resolved in a healthy way, it increases your understanding of the other person, builds trust, and strengthens your relationships.

If you are out of touch with your feelings or so stressed that you can only pay attention to a limited number of emotions, you won’t be able to understand your own needs. This will make it hard to communicate with others and establish what’s really troubling you. For example, couples often argue about petty differences—the way she hangs the towels, the way he slurps his soup—rather than what is  really bothering them.

The ability to successfully resolve conflict depends on your ability to:

• Manage stress quickly while remaining alert and calm. By staying calm, you can accurately read and interpret verbal and nonverbal communication.
• Control your emotions and behavior. When you’re in control of your emotions, you can communicate your needs without threatening, intimidating, or punishing others.
• Pay attention to the  feelings being expressed as well as the spoken words of others.
• Be aware of and respect differences. By avoiding disrespectful words and actions, you can almost always resolve a problem faster.

To successfully resolve a conflict, you need to learn and practice two core skills:

• Quick stress relief: the ability to quickly relieve stress in the moment.
• Emotional awareness: the ability to remain comfortable enough with your emotions to react in constructive ways, even in the midst of a perceived attack.

Being able to manage and relieve stress in the moment is the key to staying balanced, focused, and in control, no matter what challenges you face. If you don’t know how to stay centered and in control of yourself, you will become overwhelmed in conflict situations and unable to respond in healthy ways.

Psychologist Connie Lillas uses a driving analogy to describe the three most common ways people respond when they’re overwhelmed by stress:

Foot on the gas. An angry or agitated stress response. You’re heated, keyed up, overly emotional, and unable to sit still.

Foot on the brake. A withdrawn or depressed stress response. You shut down, space out, and show very little energy or emotion.

Foot on both gas and brake. A tense and frozen stress response. You “freeze” under pressure and can’t do anything. You look paralyzed, but under the surface you’re extremely agitated.

How stress affects conflict resolution

Stress interferes with the ability to resolve conflict by limiting your ability to:

• Accurately read another person’s body language .
• Hear what someone is really saying.
• Be aware of your own feelings.
• Be in touch with your own, deep-rooted needs.
• Communicate your needs clearly.

Is stress a problem for you?

You may be so used to feeling stressed that you’re not even aware you  are stressed. Stress may pose a problem in your life if you identify with the following:

• You often feel tense or tight somewhere in your body.
• You’re not aware of movement in your chest or stomach when you breathe.
• Conflict absorbs your time and attention.

Learn how to manage stress in the moment

One of the most reliable ways to rapidly reduce stress is by engaging one or more of your senses—sight, sound, taste, smell, touch—or through movement. You could squeeze a stress ball, smell a relaxing scent, taste a soothing cup of tea, or look at a treasured photograph. We all tend to respond differently to sensory input, often depending on how we respond to stress, so take some time to find things that are soothing to you. Read: Quick Stress Relief .

Emotional awareness is the key to understanding yourself and others. If you don’t know how or why you feel a certain way, you won’t be able to communicate effectively or resolve disagreements.

[Read: Improving Emotional Intelligence]

Although knowing your own feelings may sound simple, many people ignore or try to sedate strong emotions like anger, sadness, and fear. Your ability to handle conflict, however, depends on being connected to these feelings. If you’re afraid of strong emotions or if you insist on finding solutions that are strictly rational, your ability to face and resolve differences will be limited.

Why emotional awareness is a key factor in resolving conflict

Emotional awareness—the consciousness of your  moment-to-moment emotional experience—and the ability to manage all of your feelings appropriately, is the basis of a communication process that can resolve conflict.

Emotional awareness helps you to:

• Understand what is really troubling other people
• Understand yourself, including what is really troubling you
• Stay motivated until the conflict is resolved
• Communicate clearly and effectively
• Interest and influence others

Assessing your level of emotional awareness

The following quiz helps you assess your level of emotional awareness. Answer the following questions with:  almost never, occasionally, often, very often, or  almost always . There are no right or wrong responses, only the opportunity to become better acquainted with your emotional responses.

What kind of relationship do you have with your emotions?

• Do you experience feelings that flow, encountering one emotion after another as your experiences change from moment to moment?
• Are your emotions accompanied by physical sensations that you experience in places like your stomach or chest?
• Do you experience distinct feelings and emotions, such as anger, sadness, fear, and joy, which are evident in different facial expressions?
• Can you experience intense feelings that are strong enough to capture both your own attention and that of others?
• Do you pay attention to your emotions? Do they factor into your decision-making?

If any of these experiences are unfamiliar, your emotions may be “turned” down or even off. In either case, you may need help developing your emotional awareness. You can do this by using Helpguide’s free Emotional Intelligence Toolkit.

When people are in the middle of a conflict, the words they use rarely convey the issues at the heart of the problem. But by paying close attention to the other person’s nonverbal signals or “body language,” such as facial expressions, posture, gestures, and tone of voice, you can better understand what the person is really saying. This will allow you to respond in a way that builds trust, and gets to the root of the problem.

[Read: Nonverbal Communication and Body Language]

Your ability to accurately read another person depends on your own emotional awareness. The more aware you are of your own emotions, the easier it will be for you to pick up on the wordless clues that reveal what others are feeling. Think about what you are transmitting to others during conflict, and if what you say matches your body language. If you say “I’m fine,” but you clench your teeth and look away, then your body is clearly signaling you are anything but “fine.” A calm tone of voice, a reassuring touch, or an interested facial expression can go a long way toward relaxing a tense exchange.

You can ensure that the process of managing and resolving conflict is as positive as possible by sticking to the following guidelines:

Listen for what is felt as well as said. When you really listen, you connect more deeply to your own needs and emotions, and to those of other people. Listening also strengthens, informs, and makes it easier for others to hear you when it’s your turn to speak.

Make conflict resolution the priority rather than winning or “being right.” Maintaining and strengthening the relationship, rather than “winning” the argument, should always be your first priority. Be respectful of the other person and their viewpoint.

Focus on the present. If you’re holding on to grudges based on past conflicts, your ability to see the reality of the current situation will be impaired. Rather than looking to the past and assigning blame, focus on what you can do in the here-and-now to solve the problem.

Pick your battles. Conflicts can be draining, so it’s important to consider whether the issue is really worth your time and energy. Maybe you don’t want to surrender a parking space if you’ve been circling for 15 minutes, but if there are dozens of empty spots, arguing over a single space isn’t worth it.

Be willing to forgive. Resolving conflict is impossible if you’re unwilling or unable to forgive others. Resolution lies in releasing the urge to punish, which can serve only to deplete and drain your life.

Know when to let something go. If you can’t come to an agreement, agree to disagree. It takes two people to keep an argument going. If a conflict is going nowhere, you can choose to disengage and move on.

Using humor in conflict resolution

You can avoid many confrontations and resolve arguments and disagreements by communicating in a humorous way . Humor can help you say things that might otherwise be difficult to express without offending someone. However, it’s important that you laugh with the other person, not at them. When humor and play are used to reduce tension and anger, reframe problems, and put the situation into perspective, the conflict can actually become an opportunity for greater connection and intimacy.

More Information

• CR Kit - Covers causes of conflict, different conflict styles, and fair fighting guidelines to help you positively resolve disagreements. (Conflict Resolution Network)
• 12 Skills Summary - A 12-step conflict resolution training kit. (Conflict Resolution Network)
• Effective Communication - The art of listening in conflict resolution. (University of Maryland)
• 10.3 Causes and Outcomes of Conflict – Organizational Behavior . (n.d.). Retrieved May 25, 2022, from Link
• Başoğul, C., & Özgür, G. (2016). Role of Emotional Intelligence in Conflict Management Strategies of Nurses. Asian Nursing Research , 10(3), 228–233. Link
• Corcoran, Kathleen O’Connell, and Brent Mallinckrodt. “Adult Attachment, Self-Efficacy, Perspective Taking, and Conflict Resolution.” Journal of Counseling & Development 78, no. 4 (2000): 473–83. Link
• Yarnell, Lisa M., and Kristin D. Neff. “Self-Compassion, Interpersonal Conflict Resolutions, and Well-Being.” Self and Identity 12, no. 2 (March 1, 2013): 146–59. Link
• Tucker, Corinna Jenkins, Susan M. Mchale, and Ann C. Crouter. “Conflict Resolution: Links with Adolescents’ Family Relationships and Individual Well-Being.” Journal of Family Issues 24, no. 6 (September 1, 2003): 715–36. Link

More in Communication

Using laughter and play to resolve disagreements

Boost your EQ to help find happiness and success

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How to feel and respond to the emotions of others

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The 5 Love Languages

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Dealing with Conflicts in School: Advice from a Former Principal

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by Suzanne Capek Tingley, Veteran Educator, M.A. Degree

Having to deal with teacher conflicts in school is unusual but not unheard of. As with any workplace, sometimes teachers prefer some colleagues to others, or have educational approaches or personalities that don't mix. But when a disagreement rises to a level that draws outside attention, the principal has to take action. One instance of a conflict between two teachers that I needed to mediate occurred between my colleagues Iris and John.

Read More:  Fostering Healthy Classroom Debate

How a Conflict Can Arise

For many years, Iris taught fifth grade with Shondra. Iris taught the English/language arts classes, and Shondra's subjects were math and science. They were a great team and friends outside of school as well. Students loved them and parents respected them. Then Shondra retired.

In her place, I hired John, a young man right out of college. I respected and admired Shondra, but I was excited about the fresh ideas John would bring to the classroom. I also hoped he might be a good role model for our boys—perhaps he'd even get involved in some after-school activities with them. Teaming him up with a veteran like Iris would help him learn the ropes quickly. I figured she could give him some helpful tips, especially in terms of classroom management (which is always challenging for new teachers). My optimism kept me from realizing I had whipped up a recipe for disaster.

There were problems within a week. Iris was not interested in mentoring a new teacher or giving him any say in the scheduling or day-to-day decisions. John resented being treated like a student teacher. He complained about wanting a softer disciplinary approach than Iris's, and as a result, some student behaviors were acceptable in his class but unacceptable in hers. Iris thought he was more interested in being popular than holding kids accountable (and said this to him), and he said that she was too hard on them. Before their first month as a team was over, they weren't on speaking terms. Iris and John relied on e-mail to communicate and their students were caught in the middle.

Finding a Resolution

Reluctant to take sides, the feuding teachers' colleagues brought this conflict to my attention. They thought it was time for me to step in and get things on track. I considered speaking to Iris and John individually, but ultimately I decided that it would be better to meet together and put all the cards on the table.

In a neutral conference room, I began the mediation process by laying out the conflict as I saw it. I admitted that perhaps I bore some responsibility for the problem—the differences between John and Iris's styles, experiences, and expectations for students were too great for them to generate the cooperation and mutual respect needed to make a successful team.

Interestingly enough, neither wanted to admit that they could not work together cooperatively. "Well," I said, "I haven't seen any evidence of cooperation so far, and your students are bearing the brunt of the problem. This can't continue. What do we need to do to improve the situation?"

To their credit, both Iris and John admitted that they could have done a better job. Having the principal speak to them about their behavior was embarrassing, but my decision to not blame either one directly lessened their defensiveness. In the end, the three of us came up with some specific actions they would take to improve the situation, and we agreed to meet again in two weeks to monitor the progress.

Handling Conflict

I'd like to say that John and Iris ended up being great friends and continued to work together in harmony for many years, but that wasn't the case. While their relationship did improve, I reassigned them to different teams at the end of the year, and the fresh start was beneficial. Everyone learned something from this difficult experience, including me.

While this conflict might have been avoided, most conflicts in school between teachers simply occur without warning. But I've learned some techniques that other principals and school administrators can use when confronting conflict between teachers, including:

• Focus on the problem, not on the personalities. You're looking for a solution, not for a culprit.
• Be courteous, but don't sugarcoat the problem. Describe the effect it's having on others, especially students.
• Keep your conversations or decisions strictly confidential. You cannot control what others say, but nothing should come from you.
• Rather than impose a resolution, look to the participants to come up with one together. This is their problem to resolve, and you are simply a mediator.
• Make it clear that you expect improvement and will monitor progress.

Further Reading:  Book Review: Navigating Colleague Conflict with Crucial Conversations

When you're in an administrative role, it's your duty to help resolve conflicts between teachers. These situations can escalate to the point that they affect students and their education, which is not what we want as educators. As long as you have the right rapport with your teachers, you can ensure any conflict is dealt with in a timely and thorough manner.

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Managing Conflict in School Leadership Teams

There’s healthy and unhealthy conflict. Most of us are familiar with the unhealthy kind, but what does healthy conflict look and sound like? Check out these suggestions for school teams in addressing conflict.

If you are a team leader -- a department head, grade-level lead, coach, or an administrator -- chances are high that conflict makes you nervous. It makes most of us nervous, and when we're in a position of leadership, there's an implicit understanding that we're supposed to do something about conflict. We may even worry that we contributed or caused the conflict.

I want to make something clear: It is your role to address unhealthy conflict in a team you lead or facilitate. Your primary role as a leader is to attend to your team member's dynamics with each other and to build a constructive team culture.

Without a healthy team culture, you probably won't get into the kinds of conversations that make a big difference for students because those conversations are challenging ones in which conflict will most likely surface. That said, let me offer you some ways to manage unhealthy conflict in teams that you lead.

Name the Conflict

Because many of us are afraid of conflict, we can hide in denial of its existence. The first step is to acknowledge that there's conflict in a team you lead, and to name it. It helps if you name the conflict as a communication dynamic rather than blame conflict on individuals. There's a difference between thinking, James is so resistant to new ideas, and James makes declarative statements that put an end to discussions. Identify the behaviors that generate unhealthy conflict and separate them from people as human beings.

Once you've identified the conflict in the team, then you'll need to name it with the group. Sometimes you may need to name it for them, and sometimes you'll see more investment from your team if you facilitate a discussion in which they identify the conflict. A team may experience conflict because the personalities of individuals are very different from each other or because they disagree on goals or action steps. Identifying the sources of conflict can help to depersonalize it. Sources can also include a shortage of resources or time, organizational politics, and organizational dysfunction.

Consider Addressing the Conflict Now or Later

When you notice unhealthy conflict in your team, you'll need to make an assessment about whether it needs to be addressed in the moment, with the team, or whether it's a conflict between two team members that needs to be addressed later. Most likely, you'll know if the situation is the latter; you'll have seen these team members engage in unhealthy conflict with each other before, or you'll be able to see the clearly interpersonal conflict between two people. There's a whole set of tools you'll need in order to address the interpersonal conflict later (that's the content for a future blog post).

Anchor Team Members in Their Norms

Hopefully, your team has some norms or community agreements for how members will behave with each other. Ideally, these help to prevent unhealthy conflict. When a norm is broken, you can remind the team of their norms and share the impact on the team when a norm isn't adhered to. You might say something like, "I want to remind everyone that one of our agreements is to assume positive intent," and that might be enough to subtly shift how a group is behaving.

Sometimes it's useful to name how the unproductive behavior is affecting the group by saying, for example, "When we interrupt, we don't get to hear someone's full idea. We need everyone to contribute and share their thoughts so that we can be sure we're making the best decision. If we don't make good decisions, we're less likely to get full commitment from each other. Let's be mindful of giving everyone the full time they need to express their thoughts."

If unhealthy conflict continuously surfaces, then you may need to go back to norms, and team members will need to recommit to how they want to work together.

Conflict Can Be Healthy

There's healthy and unhealthy conflict. Most of us are familiar with the unhealthy kind, but what does healthy conflict look and sound like? One leadership team I worked with identified the following as indicators that their team was engaging in healthy conflict:

• We wrestle with ideas.
• We ask questions to probe for deeper understanding.
• We change our minds.
• We demonstrate curiosity.
• We hold student needs at the center of our work.

This kind of conflict can lead to deep discussions that positively impact students. Having a discussion with a team about the role that healthy conflict can play, and what healthy conflict looks and sounds like, can help mediate unhealthy conflict and set the team on a powerful path.

As team leaders, rather than just stopping certain behaviors, our role is to shift unhealthy team dynamics into becoming healthy ones. Such an intention has transformational potential.