What: To learn how to spot potential conflicts and develop strategies to avoid it.
Why: Middle school is a transitional period for all students. You find yourselves with greater autonomy, mobility and self-awareness along with many questions surrounding how to manage these new responsibilities. A safe environment is widely acknowledged as perquisite to effective learning, and is consistently reiterated as the first step in the development of conflict resolution. We need to build stronger relationships and help create a safe, comfortable learning space to help us come to know each other as resources, cooperative partners and friends.
How: To work learn about how conflict occurs and how we can better prevent or manage it.
Why: Middle school is a transitional period for all students. You find yourselves with greater autonomy, mobility and self-awareness along with many questions surrounding how to manage these new responsibilities. A safe environment is widely acknowledged as perquisite to effective learning, and is consistently reiterated as the first step in the development of conflict resolution. We need to build stronger relationships and help create a safe, comfortable learning space to help us come to know each other as resources, cooperative partners and friends.
How: To work learn about how conflict occurs and how we can better prevent or manage it.
A safe environment
Discussing conflict can be hard. It requires trust, acceptance, respect and a perception of safety. Most of you know that you are expected to treat one another respectfully, but you are not always sure, or perhaps haven’t been asked to consider, what respectful treatment looks like specifically. Indeed, it changes context to context, group to group and person to person.
Task 1: Create a classroom poster
DIRECTIONS
1. Brainstorm with your class about behaviors that would make the classroom safe and most conducive to learning.
Brainstorm questions might include:
• When you’re sharing an idea, what would you like your classmates to be doing?
• What would you like your teachers to be doing?
• What can your peers do to show you respect?
• What requests do you have of your classmates while in the classroom?
2. Record a list of ideas on the board.
3. Be specific. - For instance, if you suggest, “Be respectful,” what does that looks like.
4. Once everyone’s ideas are listed, agree on a set of proposed guidelines. - If there’s disagreement, ask why. Modify the list until it’s agreeable to all.
5. Turn the list into a large poster.
1. Brainstorm with your class about behaviors that would make the classroom safe and most conducive to learning.
Brainstorm questions might include:
• When you’re sharing an idea, what would you like your classmates to be doing?
• What would you like your teachers to be doing?
• What can your peers do to show you respect?
• What requests do you have of your classmates while in the classroom?
2. Record a list of ideas on the board.
3. Be specific. - For instance, if you suggest, “Be respectful,” what does that looks like.
4. Once everyone’s ideas are listed, agree on a set of proposed guidelines. - If there’s disagreement, ask why. Modify the list until it’s agreeable to all.
5. Turn the list into a large poster.
How do we get into conflicts?
When confronted by things we perceive as offensive or threatening, we react. For the most part these reactions are fast and automatic. We can respond so quickly that we sometimes end up in conflict without realizing how it’s happened. This exercise helps you understand the mental process that fuels negative interactions, and, hopefully, use that understanding to respond more productively to upsetting stimuli.
Conflict Management Styles
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Conflict Scenarios
Read the following Scenarios - How would you react?
| conflict_management_styles.docx |
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Better Communication - Avoiding You statements
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When we’re upset with someone, we often express our dissatisfaction in the form of you statements: “You missed my game again. You never show up when you say you will.” We accuse, guess at others’ intentions and reprimand their actions. Rather than improve the situation, you-statements tend to trigger defensiveness and provoke denial and rebuttal.
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when, i feel, i need
It’s been said that “you” and “should” are the most dangerous words in the English language. They’re accusatory and directive and often very hard to hear. They commonly rouse anger and a what-gives-you-the-right type of defensiveness. I messages, statements that only describe the speaker, are harder to dispute and can greatly improve the quality of conversation in confrontational situations. This activity helps you identify your emotions and express them using a standard I-statement.
Reframing language to avoid conflict
The ability to reframe harmful or accusatory language is one of a mediator’s most valuable skills. Insulting words like, “stupid” or accusations like, “You did that on purpose!” are commonly heard in disputes, but generally do not help one reach resolution. Plus, negative language like this is hard to hear when it’s directed at you, especially if your emotions are already running hot. A good mediator can identify loaded language and restate it in a way that’s less abrasive. When it’s done well, a reframed statement highlights the truly important content – emotions, interests, requests – and omits the inflammatory extras.
| compiled-activities-1-r5x71c-pages-525471-72.pdf |