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Check out these effective ways of teaching kids conflict resolution skills at home & school with these easy-to-implement ideas & strategies.
Are you looking for ideas and materials for working on conflict resolution and compromise skills with your middle and high school students? Check out this lesson plan for conflict resolution!
Check out these effective ways of teaching kids conflict resolution skills at home & school with these easy-to-implement ideas & strategies.
Social Emotional Workshop offers practical tools for social emotional learning and counseling.
Do your students need help in learning how to deal with conflicts and social situations? Explicitly teaching social skills is so important, and this unit is targeted for primary grades including preschool, kindergarten, first grade and second grade. Included in this download are seven different sto...
20 Fun Conflict Resolution Activities for Kids / Worksheets, activities and games that explore conflict resolution strategies
Some general do's and don'ts of conflict resolution. This handout is great for classroom discussion on conflict resolution: ask students if they agree or disagree on the "rules" ask them what they would add or remove from the list, give them an opportunity to discuss reach rule and why they agree, disagree, or neutral about it. Have them check off things they do well in conflict and areas they need to improve. This handout can be used during classroom guidance, SEL time, or for start/end of day for classroom relationship building. This can also be used in small groups or in individual sessions with students.
Yes, I remember telling you that I really disliked the word bully, bullying, etc.
Everything I ever needed to know about middle school I learned in advisory!
Read about helpful conflict resolution skills for kids, including using I-statements, finding win-win solutions & being a good listener.
You can prepare your child for school and stop the tattling at home when you teach conflict resolution with these 3 simple hand movements.
After a year-and-a-half hiatus of in-person schooling, many students are struggling the most with conflict resolution. Sure, we expected children to find it difficult to make friends and socialize, but we may have overlooked the importance of resolving conflicts on their own. Considering we are now in the second semester of the school year, hopefully, your kiddos have established a few solid friendships. But with new friendships come new conflict, and the need to teach students how to navigate them effectively. While conflict resolution must be taught and modeled explicitly, there are a number of other skills that need to first be built on. 1. Teach Students to Identify and Understand their Emotions Many students lack the ability to resolve conflict simply because they are unable to tell how another person might be feeling or how their actions might affect/impact the other person. When students are able to process and label their own emotions, they are slowly but surely going to be able to do the same for those around them. I love using this free Feelings Check Poster in all three settings of school counseling. Feelings anchor charts too are great for helping students understand what an emotion looks, sounds, and feels like. This exercise helps them understand that we could each have a different emotional response to the same stimuli, and it is, therefore, imperative to understand that even during a conflict, each person involved could feel differently about it, and will therefore respond accordingly. Conflict resolution calls for recognizing these differences and yet trying to find a compromise. 2. Teach Perspective-Taking Once my kiddos are familiar with identifying their own and others' feelings, I love to get them talking about why we feel these different feelings. We talk about perspective-taking and optical illusion visual aids such as 'duck or rabbit' or 'vase or faces' are exercises I use to drive home the point. Here's when it's important for students to see that it is possible to have different or conflicting feelings/behaviors from another person, and that does not necessarily mean one is wrong and the other right. This then leads into a natural discussion on conflict resolution. 3. Talk about Size of the Problem Vs Reaction Now that your students are able to recognize emotions and understand that it is normal for each person to have their own perspective/feelings regarding a situation, the next step would be to ensure that they are able to manage their own emotions well. Helping students identify the size of their problem is a big part of self-regulation and the first step in getting them to react appropriately to life's challenges, conflicts included. Being able to put problems into perspective will help students both inside and outside of the classroom. Some of my favorite activities to use with kids to teach this topic include this set of Size of the Problem Activity Pack, a Size of the Problem Scoot Game, and this Size of the Problem Digital Activity. Once students are more familiar with how to categorize their problems/conflicts as tiny, small, medium, and big, and react accordingly, teaching conflict resolution strategies explicitly is not such a Herculean task. 4. Address Conflict Resolution Explicitly Like most other skills, conflict resolution needs to be taught and modeled explicitly. And the good news is that there are a plethora of interesting ways to go about it. I tend to use a combination of them all depending on the situation and the students involved. Here are my typical go-to's: I-Statements: One of the most valuable school-wide lessons I teach is on using I-statements. I think it's so important for students to be able to express how they feel, why they feel that way, and what they would prefer the other person to do differently the next time. This I-Statements Board Game is quite handy and fun. I also find that it is extremely helpful to teach children how to apologize appropriately. Kelso's Choices: Providing children with choices helps them feel more in control of their situation. When it comes to conflict resolution, I swear by Kelso's Choices, the leading tool for teaching conflict management skills for elementary school children. Kelso the frog is a fun and engaging way for children to learn conflict management and Kelso's choice wheel that has 9 conflict resolution strategies to choose from, also teaches children the difference between big problems and small problems. I love to show this funny video that the kid's can rap along to too! (For more school counseling videos, check out this post!) Role Plays: If your kiddos enjoy charades, then role-playing is a fun way to teach conflict resolution, especially in a Tier 1 or Tier 2 setting. Assign conflict scenarios for students to solve and provide positive feedback along the way. Games: Just like a remote control can pause a movie, stopping to pause and think of a solution is a helpful way to resolve conflicts and avoid problems. This Pause It and Resolve It game is a fun place to start. I also enjoy using these Conflict Resolution Reflection Cards which you can grab for free. Groups: Every year, when I send out my Needs Assessment Form there is almost always a lot of kids who need extra help with problem-solving and conflict resolution. That's when I bring out this 8-week conflict resolution group that helps students practice being peacekeepers rather than 'pirates'. Students will learn how to resolve conflicts and how to implement conflict resolution strategies within their friendships both inside and outside of the classroom. What are your favorite ways to teach conflict resolution? Let me know in the comments.
How do you teach kids conflict resolution skills? I follow a step by step process to build the most basic skills first to help kids work it out!
Read about helpful conflict resolution skills for kids, including using I-statements, finding win-win solutions & being a good listener.
We have a lovely school counselor this year who came to visit each of our classrooms and explain a common "Peace Process" for conflict resolution. I loved this for so many reasons and can't wait to share it with you! For one, common language across all grades is invaluable, especially when kids experience conflict at recess, in the lunch room, or even in the hallway when they are away from their classroom teacher and intermixed with other grades. Also, the fact that this process is broken down into such simple and manageable parts gives kids the confidence to go through it themselves, complete with sentence starters and all. I want to share this Peace Process with you in case you are looking for a way to help manage conflict and empower your students to problem-solve with one another. Feel free to download the freebie to share with others in your school, or even send home to parents... this can work with anyone in any situation! Step 1: Breathe The first step is the most important: make sure your body is calm enough to engage in the process of making peace. In the heat of the moment, the "fight or flight" response is in high gear, anger may be driving the show, and there is no way the rest of the process can be successful. By stopping to breathe, everyone can get back into a more calm state. How you breathe is just as important. Start by "smelling a flower" by breathing in through your nose and counting to three slowly. Then, hold for one count, and exhale our your mouth as if you're "blowing out a candle" for four counts. Practice this with your students and see how it changes the feel in the classroom. Some may be silly for the first breath or two, but after practicing for several breaths, the whole tone of the class will be calmer and more subdued. It's a good practice to keep on hand for other times during the day, too! Remind kids to take as many breaths as they need. This process can't be rushed, so even if they need some time alone to compose themselves, that's a-okay. I would still encourage a few common breaths together at the start of the process to be sure there's lots of fresh oxygen in the brain! Step 2: "I" Statements This is the first back-and-forth conversation that takes place. The person who feels harmed begins with a statement about how they felt. The framework of: "I feel ____ because ____" always gives kids a good place to start. During this time, the other person must stay silent and practice listening. This is important, because the second part of this step is to repeat what that person said. When the first person is done with their "I" Statement, the second person repeats what they heard, including all of the important parts, not just generalities. "I heard you say you felt ___ because ___" is a perfect launching point. At the end of their retell, they need to ask if they got it right. Person 1 needs to feel confident enough to say no, if needed, and retell the parts that were left out. This may need to happen a few times, especially at the beginning. The inclusion of "I heard you say..." is also crucial because it reinforces the idea that this is a listening exercise, not just an airing of grievances. Step 3: Repairing the Harm We want to encourage kids repair the harm, and sometimes "sorry" is enough. Other times, they may need an apology and an additional follow-up about what will happen if this occurs again. There may be something that they need or can do for one another, like get an ice pack or take turns with the item in question. There are other alternatives, too, and usually two or three actions are needed to repair the harm that was done. The important part is to make sure they are reasonable, and that both are agreeable to the ideas. Person 1 should feel that the harm is indeed repaired, or on the way to being repaired as best as possible. Step 4: Moving Forward While a physical touch may not always be appropriate, it is often a useful and effective starting point for moving forward. A handshake, high five, or fist bump can be powerful "wrap up" gestures that solidify the discussion and resolutions discussed. The important part, like the rest of the steps, is that both parties agree on the common gesture. Even a thumbs-up or peace sign can work. ... Always be sure to offer your presence and guidance, especially at at the beginning, as kids are working on practicing and internalizing these steps. After a while, you will not need to be as present, although you should always need to be available to help. Some conflicts go beyond the Peace Process and will need additional intervention by you or others to be truly effective and safe. However, I think you will find that this can be an excellent tool for navigating issues throughout the day. * As you introduce this to your classroom, have kids role-play through the Peace Process with common conflicts and/or issues that you have been hearing about. Extend the areas beyond the classroom and onto the playground, bus, neighborhood, and lunchroom. This activity will also get them more familiar with the steps and language in real-life scenarios. * An even more powerful way of incorporating this schoolwide is to have older student be "Peace Aides" and help younger students work through the process. How powerful for all parties involved! If you're interested in the freebie, click HERE to find it in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store. Have you used a process like this at your school? Do you have additional steps or any feedback? Please leave a comment and share your experiences!
I-statements (I-messages): Examples and fun worksheets to help your family develop an assertive communication style and improve conflict resolution
Teaching Character Education in the classroom is just as important as phonics and adding and subtracting.
I-statements (I-messages): Examples and fun worksheets to help your family develop an assertive communication style and improve conflict resolution
Check out these effective ways of teaching kids conflict resolution skills at home & school with these easy-to-implement ideas & strategies.
Check out these effective ways of teaching kids conflict resolution skills at home & school with these easy-to-implement ideas & strategies.
The worksheet presented is a practical tool aimed at developing conflict resolution skills by exploring various strategies. Under the title “Conflict Resolution Strategies,” the directions at the top instruct users to contemplate a personal conflict and determine the most applicable strategy for resolution, also questioning why a particular approach is favored. This reflective process is...
20 Fun Conflict Resolution Activities for Kids / Worksheets, activities and games that explore conflict resolution strategies
20 Fun Conflict Resolution Activities for Kids / Worksheets, activities and games that explore conflict resolution strategies
Check out these effective ways of teaching kids conflict resolution skills at home & school with these easy-to-implement ideas & strategies.
Discover Thomas Kilmann Conflict Model that categorizes human behavior into 5 Conflict Resolution Styles. Understand the correlation between Assertiveness and Cooperativeness
Read about helpful conflict resolution skills for kids, including using I-statements, finding win-win solutions & being a good listener.
Resolving conflict is a key ingredient in healthy relationships yet sometimes avoiding it is the wiser choice. Not because resolving things isn’t important but because at the wrong time it can do more harm than good. Here you'll learn when conflict should be avoided so you can keep yourself safe.
