Leading a Workshop on Conflict Management for Teaching Assistants

Article Abstract: The aim of this article is to share a conflict management workshop that the authors developed to train teaching assistants to proactively manage conflict, achieve productive results for conflict, and establish a climate of trust in which relationships beneficial to learning can flourish. The article begins by defining an approach to conflict management and explaining the rationale behind the workshop. A detailed plan of the workshop is then presented. Finally, results are reported of a “before the workshop” and “after the workshop” survey from two recent groups of workshop participants that shows improved perceived ability to deal effectively with conflict.

Coaching youth initiatives: Guide for supporting youth participation

150-page PDF guide which, “explores the concepts of coaching, youth initiatives and youth participation, including practical tools and methods, advice and information, opportunities and support for those encouraging young people’s participation in youth initiatives … As a handbook which aims to offer practical support for people active in coaching youth projects, the biggest part of this publication deals with ‘coaching’ itself and the adaptation of different coaching techniques to the field of youth work.”

Lessons from literature: Classroom manual for English literature teachers

40-page PDF manual which provides “the framework for [teachers] to use the books and stories you’re already teaching to increase awareness about the damaging effects of physical, sexual and verbal abuse. Designed to integrate easily into your existing literature curriculum, the program empowers you with resources that help your students build key academic skills and meet national education standards while also learning to recognize abusive uses of power and control and alternatives to violence. Two in-depth lessons are included in this manual.” The books used in this manual are “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” by Zora Neale Hurston and “Lord of the Flies,” by William Golding.

Community-Based Institutes on Peace Education (CIPE) organizer’s manual: A peace education planning

78-page pdf manual “designed to assist formal, non-formal and grass-roots educators and educational planners by providing ideas and tools for the development of community-based peace education learning projects that might contribute to the reduction of violence at all levels of the global social order. More specifically, it has been developed to aid in the planning of “Community-Based Institutes on Peace Education (CIPE),” a special community-centered initiative of the International Institute on Peace Education (IIPE) … As you explore the contents you will see that this manual is arranged like a workbook. It is organized around inquiries into practical considerations for designing peace education initiatives in multiple and varying contexts. These inquiries are designed to engage you – the educator/planner – in reflections upon your own unique situation and possibilities for affecting change through education.”

Social and emotional learning (SEL) and student benefits

12-page pdf document brief which “shares the latest research on the effects of social and emotional learning SEL) on students and includes strategies for implementing SEL, it explains how SEL works, elaborates on how SEL can be an integrative prevention framework that addresses the Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) core elements, and spells out implications of the research for SS/HS grantees.”

Managing and resolving conflicts effectively in schools and classrooms

A multipart learning module developed by the National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Drug Prevention and School Safety Coordinators which contains a five-day curriculum which providing educators and administrators with the skills and techniques to manage and eventually reduce conflict in schools. Day 1 addresses conflict and conflict management in education, day 2 presents curriculum infusion and peer mediation, day 3 introduces the peaceable school and classroom, day 4 presents best practices in conflict resolution education and day 5 helps educators develop a conflict management plan. Includes annotated bibliography and list of CRE organizations and programs.

Iman and the pastor, The: Coexist, Lessons from Nigeria and beyond

27-page Powerpoint presentation given at the Second International Summit on Conflict Resolution Education which presents, “The work of religious peacemakers and the experiences of the Imam and the Pastor will be shared as well as ways that COEXIST helps youth gain needed skills to prevent and resolve conflicts that arise due to misunderstandings about diverse beliefs and cultural assumptions.”

Cool school: Where peace rules

Link to “high quality and free video game that teaches kids conflict resolution strategies. Targeted at children from Kindergarten through 2nd grade, the game is set in a fantastic school where all of the objects (chalk, erasers, books, etc.) come to life, depicting conflicts facing children every day. The game uses engaging, colorful characters and a vivid school setting to help children learn how to resolve these conflicts in a peaceful fashion.” Game is hosted on the Curriki & Global Education and Learning Community website.

Creating harmony in the classroom: Building safe and inclusive classrooms for special populations

231-page pdf manual designed “to assist teachers with building an inclusive and safe classroom for all students, including special needs, deaf, and visually impaired youth. Teachers who build an inclusive and safe classroom environment are encouraging all youth to excel academically and socially.” Includes chapters on building self-awareness in students, enhancing student’s problem-solving skills, mediation in school settings, evaluting conflict resolution education programs and a chapter on resources.

Podcast audio resources for conflict studies

Pdf article from Conflict Management in Higher Education Report, Volume 6, Number 1, (Nov 2005), which introduces the concept of podcasting and its use in conflict resolution education, it also provides basic start up information and sites of interest.

Men stopping rape exercises

Pdf article from Conflict Management in Higher Education Report, Volume 6, Number 1, (Nov 2005), which presents a “list of some of the exercises developed by the members of Men Stopping Rape in Madison, WI, for use in anti-rape workshops, I compiled this list for use in Syracuse at a Man-to-Man training program entitled ‘Practical Strategies for Ending Abuse: A Skill Training for Educators.'”

Doing anti-rape work: One man’s perspective

Pdf article from Conflict Management in Higher Education Report, Volume 6, Number 1, (Nov 2005), which discusses the author’s “anti-rape prevention work with men [which] means trying to reduce the likelihood that the men who attend a workshop will behave in ways that are assaultive.”

Promoting better resolution of conflict with “learn for free!”

Pdf article from Conflict Management in Higher Education Report, Volume 5, Number 1, (Sept 2004), which presents a project at Dalhousie University College of Continuing Education in Halifax, Nova Scotia called “Learn for Free! … a day of one-hour sessions — each of which provides a glimpse into the content of our workshops, the expertise of our instructors, and the skills we seek to develop, the objectives of Learn for Free! are to expand our reach with an alternative approach to handling conflict, to boost our profile within the community, to provide a service to the community in which we live, and to attract new workshop registrants.”

Teaching and learning in circle

Pdf article from Conflict Management in Higher Education Report, Volume 3, Number 2, (February 2003), which “explores the impact of teaching using a circle format, both at the high school and college level.”