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 in this event 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. 

Managing and Resolving Conflicts Effectively in Schools and Classrooms was developed by the National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Drug Prevention and School Safety Coordinators, through a contract with the U.S. Department of Education's Safe and Drug Free Schools Office. The work of the Center concluded on January 31, 2006; many of its products can be found at www.k12coordinator.org and on www.ed.gov. Thanks go to the following colleagues for their efforts:

Jennifer Batton, MA
Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management
Columbus, Ohio
www.disputeresolution.ohio.gov

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.