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.
Archive
Something is Wrong – Exploring the Roots of Youth Violence
A 382-page pdf curriculum guide addressing violence in the lives of youth. From the introduction:” The Chicago Freedom School, Project NIA and Teachers for Social Justice have partnered along with other volunteers to develop a curriculum guide in order to contribute to the ongoing efforts by young people and their adult allies to analyze the root causes of youth violence and to create local solutions”
The authors “wanted to create a curriculum that would provide a holistic view of violence in the lives of young people across a number of arenas. Through this curriculum, we want to challenge youth to think about a) the roots of violence in their lives; b) the enforcers and victims of violence; c) the effects of violence on both victims and perpetrators; and d) how violence can ultimately be minimized through systemic changes.”
Training Module for Education for a Culture of Peace
This module, released in January 1999, is based on experiences working in Sierra-Leone. It was written to provide some relevant information on practical ideas to enhance women’s traditional conflict resolution and mediating practices since they are also stakeholders in conflict situations but are often left out in conflict resolution initiatives.
The material is divided into 8 units.
Unit 1 – Understanding Gender and distinguishing between Gender and Sex Roles
Unit 2 – Trauma Healing and Counselling
Unit 3 – Conflict Resolution
Unit 4 – Gender Awareness in Conflict Resolution/Reconciliation, Concept of Repentance and Forgiveness
Unit 5 – Mediation and the role of Women in Peace Building within the Family, the Community, the School and the total Social Environment
Unit 6 – Raising Awareness of Gender Issues and Peace Building through the use of Drama
Unit 7 – Understanding Basic Rights and Freedom and their Limitations
Unit 8 – Practices for sustaining Peace after the Resolution of Conflict/Institutionalizing transformation
Fitting in: Lesson and activity excerpted from the Tanenbaum curriculum passages to immigration
6-page pdf lesson plan which explores the ideas of home, belonging and fitting in, for grades 1-6. Activities include, “The Sharing Circle,” “I am, we are poems” and “Unity and diversity circles.”
SACSC Toward a safe and caring secondary curriculum
Web site developed by the Society for Safe and Caring Schools and Communities in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada whose mission “is to encourage home, school and community practices that teach, model and reinforce socially responsible and respectful behaviors, so that living and learning can take place in a safe, caring and inclusive environment. Achieving this mission requires the involvement not only of parents, teachers, and children, but of all the important adults in children’s lives.” The “purpose of the Society for Safe and Caring Schools and Communities Toward a Safe and Caring Curriculum Secondary Unit and Lesson Plans web-based resource is to provide units, lesson plans and other resources that integrate safe and caring knowledge, skills and attitudes into all subject areas in the Alberta secondary curriculum… this resource was developed by Alberta reachers in whose classrooms the accompanying lessons have been field tested.” The lessons address 6 topics: Living Respectfully; Developing Self-Esteem; Respecting Diversity and Preventing Prejudice; Managing Anger; Dealing with Bullying; and Resolving Conflicts Peacefully for junior and senior high school students.
SACSC Elementary unit and lesson plans
Web site developed by the Society for Safe and Caring Schools and Communities in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada whose mission “is to encourage home, school and community practices that teach, model and reinforce socially responsible and respectful behaviors, so that living and learning can take place in a safe, caring and inclusive environment. Achieving this mission requires the involvement not only of parents, teachers, and children, but of all the important adults in children’s lives.” The site houses a number of lesson plans and educational units “focusing on adult modeling, the SACSC programs prevent negative social behavior through character education, conflict management training and building respect for diversity. They promote a problem-solving approach to discipline that encourages positive social behavior by expecting young people to fix the wrong they have caused, thereby learning from their mistakes.” They focus on 5 topics: Living Respectfully; Developing Self-Esteem; Respecting Diversity and Preventing Prejudice; Managing Anger and Dealing with Bullying and Harassment; and Resolving Conflicts Peacefully for grades K-6.
Harmony Island STAR and APE Activity Handouts
This 6-page pdf provides colorful poster and handout examples excerpted from the Teacher’s Guide for Harmony Island by Academic Edge, Inc. Harmony Island is a multimedia-enhanced conflict resolution curriculum designed to help learners broaden their understanding of conflicts and develop their conflict resolution skills. Students are introduced to core strategies that have proven to be effective in conflict resolution. STAR (Stop, Think, Act, Refect) is a series of steps learners can take to think about and avoid or resolve conflicts. APE (Active Listening, Problem Solving, and Emotional Awareness) is an acronym that summarizes some of the key skills involved in avoiding and resolving conflicts. The full teachers guide and information on purchasing the game materials is available via www.harmonyisland.org
Teaching global and local conflict in the classroom
24-page pdf document that accompanied a professional development program hosted by the World Affairs Council. Document consists of a list (with web addresses) of resources that relate to confict and conflict resolution. Recommend sites and sites that include lesson plans are noted.
Inter-agency P.E.P.: Skills for constructive living: Teacher activity book
361-page pdf manual which “is one of the components of the Inter-Agency Peace Education Programme, the programme is designed for education managers of ministries dealing with both formal and non-formal education and for agencies which implement education activities on behalf of the government … the teacher’s main resource it has a lesson-by-lesson curriculum for formal schooling structured according to the children’s cognitive and emotional development.”
Inter-agency P.E.P.: Skills for constructive living: Teacher training manual 3
50-page pdf manual which “is one of the components of the Inter-Agency Peace Education Programme, the programme is designed for education managers of ministries dealing with both formal and non-formal education and for agencies which implement education activities on behalf of the government … the manual looks at ‘good teaching’ and the skills required to develop ‘good teaching’, these skills are useful not just for a Peace Education Programme but also for all aspects of the professional life of the teachers whom you are training.”
Inter-agency P.E.P.: Skills for constructive living: Teacher training manual 2
58-page pdf manual which “is one of the components of the Inter-Agency Peace Education Programme, the programme is designed for education managers of ministries dealing with both formal and non-formal education and for agencies which implement education activities on behalf of the government … the manual looks at “good teaching” and the skills required to develop “good teaching”, these skills are useful not just for a Peace Education Programme but also for all aspects of the professional life of the teachers whom you are training.”
Inter-agency P.E.P.: Skills for constructive living: Teacher training manual 1
61-page pdf manual which “is one of the components of the Inter-Agency Peace Education Programme, the programme is designed for education managers of ministries dealing with both formal and non-formal education and for agencies which implement education activities on behalf of the government … the manual looks at ‘good teaching’ and the skills required to develop ‘good teaching’,
these skills are useful not just for a Peace Education Programme but also for all aspects of the professional life of the teachers whom you are training.”