Conflict Resolution
Establishing Peace through Conflict Resolution:
Why we need it and how to make it work in the elementary classroom
Capstone Essay
Margaret Harris
Peabody College, Vanderbilt University
June 13, 2008
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Abstract
Current education practice puts little focus on conflict resolution strategies. This essay
argues that, in light of the inevitability of conflict both in the classroom and in our society,
teachers must teach students how to handle conflict constructively. Students will learn
something each time they encounter conflict, and it is the responsibility of the teacher to make
sure they learn something positive. This essay challenges typical views of conflict as negative. It
investigates why and how conflict resolution strategies should be implemented in an elementary
classroom in light of four major areas of educational practices: learners and learning, learning
environment, curriculum and teaching strategies, and assessment. In the area of learners and
learning, teachers must keep in mind a number of things when teaching conflict resolution. First,
students learn best when they can actively construct meaning for themselves, so conflict
resolution should not always look like the teacher solving the problem. Second, teachers must
equip learners to do what we ask them to do. Third, teachers must make conflict resolution
culturally relevant to all students. The learning environment must be one in which students feel
safe. It must cater to students’ need for consistency and stability. Conflict resolution must be
interwoven into the fabric of the classroom. It is more of a worldview and a philosophy than a
list of steps to take in the face of conflict. While there are a myriad of specific conflict resolution
strategies, the most successful ones share important characteristics. Assessing conflict resolution
strategies, while difficult, is of utmost importance. The teacher must use a variety of assessment
tools, and the assessments must drive further instruction. Finally, this essay explains in detail the
implications for teaching conflict resolution in an elementary classroom.
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Introduction
There is an epidemic of violence in our nation today. Many sources cite the U.S. as the
most violent nation on earth. We lead the world in rapes and assaults, and 3 people are killed
every hour (Levin, 1994). The figures only get worse for children. Gunshot wounds are the
leading cause of death for American teenage boys (Giuliani, 1994). A child who grows up in
urban Chicago is 15 times more likely to be killed than a child in Northern Ireland. In one public
housing project, a study found that every child had witnessed a shooting by the age of 5. Child
protection agencies report that nearly 3 million children undergo abuse, neglect, and
maltreatment each year (Levin, 1994).
Statistics like these have been at the forefront of my mind as I have pondered which
career path to take. What can I do that will make a difference in the lives of these children? Can
I make any sort of dent in these numbers? For a while I was set on being a counselor, then a
social worker, then a youth director in the ministry. I kept coming back to education however,
knowing that eight hours per day with children must give teachers a fair amount of influence.
But don’t teachers just teach the academic subjects? Can teachers really influence children’s
social and emotional development? Over the years, I have continued to find that the answer to
this last question is yes, teachers can have an enormous influence on the whole child. With the
right knowledge and support, we teachers can make all the difference in the world to about
twenty students each year – an admirable contribution to the world.
In the elementary classroom, however, we rarely deal directly with the killings and
assaults. They usually happen outside of school and with older students or adults. But we do see
some of the unfortunate effects of the culture of violence, even as young as kindergarten. We
see conflict, day in and day out. While conflict is not the cause of all violence, it is certainly
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related. When children who are completely accustomed to violence come across conflict, they
usually choose violence as a means of handling the conflict, thus beginning a vicious cycle.
Here is where we as educators come in. Kreidler (1984) wisely notes that teachers are in a unique
situation in regard to violence: we can see the effects of it on our students’ behavior, and we
have the opportunity to do something about it by teaching conflict resolution.
View of conflict
Conflict is inevitable. It is a natural fact of life, and it is neither positive nor negative in
and of itself. Conflict happens to everyone and can occur in any situation or setting. It is a key
element to living in a democratic society in which people are free to voice their ideas (Girard &
Koch, 1996). Conflict is particularly rampant in the classroom because children are naturally
very active, egocentric, and, relatively speaking, socially inexperienced (Porro, 1996). School
generally requires that children spend seven straight hours, five days per week working with
twenty other children whom they may or may not know or like. Conflict will always occur in the
classroom. Since we as educators are preparing our students to become active members in a
same democratic society, shouldn’t we prepare them to deal with one of its major elements?
Unfortunately, when most people think of conflict, a host of negative words and images
come to mind. Many people avoid conflict at all costs. It only follows then, that in most
schools, teachers attempt to rid their classrooms of any conflict or even talk of conflict. In other
words, even though conflict is a crucial ingredient to our society, schools often censor it out of
their curricula (Bickmore as cited in Huff, 1999). I have seen this time and again. Some
teachers waste countless minutes, often hours of time and much of their energy “putting out
fires” but never teaching strategies for students to put out these fires (or avoid them when
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possible) themselves. In fact, I would estimate that in one classroom I observed regularly, the
teacher ended up with only about 2 to 3 hours of instruction time each day – a number that she
could have doubled had she taught her students how to successfully handle conflict.
This negative view of conflict is the main culprit for conflict avoidance. I agree with the
advocates of conflict resolution who propose a new way of looking at conflict. There is much
research to indicate that conflict is an essential and beneficial aspect of human relationships and
development (Johnson & Johnson, 1996, p.464). We just have to train ourselves to see it that
way.
Kreidler (1984) attributes many positive and important effects to conflict, among them:
preventing stagnation; stimulating creativity in problem solving; and promoting personal and
societal change. Conflict, therefore, promotes growth, learning, and change, all of which are
essential elements of life. Conflict, when teachers view it as an opportunity for growth, can
become a resource as opposed to an obstacle.
What does this mean for a classroom teacher? As I said above, conflict is inevitable
everywhere, including the classroom. We can’t avoid it, but we can choose to handle it
constructively. Every time a conflict arises in the classroom, we have an opportunity to teach
our students conflict resolution skills, which will prepare them for conflict in the world.
Depending on how we (or our students) handle the conflict, it will either be constructive or
destructive (Kreidler, 1984). Therefore, even though a conflict may be neutral, its effects will
never be.
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Conflict resolution
The field of conflict resolution has only formed in the past 100 years, emerging out of a
plethora of disciplines – psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science, economics, and,
of course, education (Girard & Koch, 1996). Researchers and thinkers have discovered many
trends and theories in the field, but only recently have educators looked at implications of this
research for schools.
The social justice concerns of the 1960s and 1970s encouraged a surge of conflict
resolution talk and action in schools. Some groups, like the Quakers, have long supported
teaching conflict resolution and peacemaking skills, but a much broader spectrum of peace
activists and religious groups adopted the cause in the late 1970s. Many schools began to make
peacemaking a part of their curriculum (Girard & Koch, 1996).
Most past or current programs have been one of the following: peer mediation training
programs, classroom mediation skill-building programs, “peaceable school” programs, and
violence prevention programs. Probably the most notable study in this realm is a project
launched in 1993 called the Conflict Resolution in Teacher Education Program. The NIDR
(National Institute for Dispute Resolution) and NAME (National Association for Mediation in
Education) joined together to begin this project. They estimated that, in the mid 1990s, there
were over 6,000 conflict resolution school-based programs (Girard & Koch, 1996).
Many of these programs have been very successful, but there are considerably less
resources and research available for individual teachers to implement conflict resolution
strategies in their classrooms. Girard and Koch (1996) were aware of such a void and therefore
used the results of the above program to inform their book, Conflict Resolution in the Schools: A
Manual for Educators. I am particularly interested in books like this one, as I know I will be
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teaching in a school system that has implemented very few, if any, school-wide conflict
resolution programs. In my year of experience in this particular system, I have heard no mention
of the phrase conflict resolution or in fact of phrases that even relate to the field. I have,
however, seen countless conflicts between students, and I know that I want to equip myself to
teach students successful conflict resolution skills and strategies.
Whenever teachers begin any sort of new unit with students (in this case, an ongoing,
interwoven unit of conflict resolution), it is crucial to research (or pre-assess) where students are
coming from and what they already know. While each student will be unique, we can make
some general assumptions by drawing on knowledge of our culture. Unless trained otherwise,
our culture teaches people to respond to conflict in one of three ways:
1. To respond aggressively and “win” the argument (verbally or physically)
2. To appeal to an authority or someone with more power to “win” for them
3. To ignore the situation if it is not worth our time or energy, or if a victory is unlikely
(Kreidler, 1984).
Are these strategies effective? Do they turn conflicts into productive learning
experiences, do they make the conflict worse, or do they produce somewhat neutral results?
Kreidler (1984) has found that any responses to conflict cannot produce neutral results. How
people respond will either make a conflict escalate or de-escalate. Usually the conflict will
escalate if, throughout the process, the exposed emotion (anger, frustration, and so on) or the
perceived threat increases; if more people get involved and choose sides; or if the children have
learned few peacemaking skills. However, the conflict will usually de-escalate if the exposed
emotion or threat decreases; the focus is on the problem, not the people; and if the students have
peacemaking skills or can go to someone who does. De-escalation, obviously, is a goal that any
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teacher would have in response to conflict as it keeps the conflict from growing or become more
violent. Conflict resolution is, at its best, a way of de-escalating conflicts so they become
functional rather than dysfunctional, constructive rather than destructive (Kreidler, 1984).
The resolution strategies above (attack, appeal to third party, ignoring the situation),
however, are rarely effective ways of handling conflict (Kreidler, 1984). They are either passive
or aggressive, fight or flight. In fact, these methods often lead to an escalated conflict.
Furthermore, when teachers use them, children’s dependence on the teacher for reaching
solutions usually increases (Porro, 1996). But there is a whole range of alternative options
between aggression and inaction – options that Kreidler (1984) calls creative conflict resolution.
Losing or winning a conflict, he says, are not our only options. In fact, a successful resolution
would be one in which both parties win, or get what they need. Once participants determine that
they can both win, they (or a mediator) can shift their attention away from the people involved
and instead onto the problem itself.
Do these alternative options work? Can teaching creative conflict resolution skills really
help children make conflict constructive? Research on conflict resolution is limited, but what is
available overwhelming indicates that when teachers commit to it, teaching conflict resolution
strategies enhances classrooms and schools in a number of ways. These strategies have reduced a
multitude of negative behaviors, such as name-calling, put-downs, and violent fighting. They
have decreased the number of suspensions and improved school climate (Girard & Koch, 1996).
These results are significant and desirable ends in and of themselves in any school. Furthermore,
it is evident that the above results could only result in creating more time and energy for both
students and teachers to focus on academics.
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Barbara Porro (1996) has taught conflict resolution education in the classroom for years,
and she outlines many significant benefits to doing so:
1. Conflict resolution education saves time.
2. Conflict resolution education teaches valuable skills.
3. Conflict resolution education teaches children to care about others and treat them
respectfully.
4. Conflict resolution education reduces stress.
5. You can use your new skills at home with family and friends.
6. Conflict resolution education may contribute to the prevention of drug and alcohol use.
7. You can feel good about making a contribution to world peace (p.112-114).
It is our duty as teachers, therefore, to equip ourselves with the tools for resolving
conflicts productively and to teach these tools and strategies to our students so that they, in turn,
can function successfully when they encounter conflict both in and out of school. This is why I
chose to research conflict resolution in the classroom.
In this essay, I will focus on student v. student conflicts, but it should be noted that there
is much to say about teacher v. student conflicts, teacher v. parent conflicts, etc. Also, I will
focus on the conflict resolution strategies that enable students, not just the teacher, to be the
peacemakers. I am interested in how to teach “peace literacy,” (Huff, 1999) not just provide
peace mediation.
In the remainder of this essay, I review the research on conflict resolution and interweave
my thoughts, my experiences, and classroom implications in relation to the 4 topics: learners and
learning; learning environment; curriculum and teaching strategies; and assessment. I follow up
with a more specific implications section in which I elaborate upon what I will or will not do in
my classroom next year, based on the research I have read.
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Learners and Learning
In this section, I apply what I know about learners and learning to the field of conflict
resolution. To begin, I pondered this question: What conflicts do our learners encounter? And
how do they, as the learners they are, handle them? Kreidler (1984) has found that conflicts in
the classroom are one of three types: conflicts over resources, conflicts of needs, and conflicts of
values. Conflicts of resources occur when more than one person wants an item (scissors, paper,
the ball, a certain classroom job, or even a teacher’s attention) that is in short supply. Conflicts of
needs occur when the needs of one person (a need for power, friendship, achievement, and so
forth) conflict with the needs of another in the same class. These conflicts are often more
difficult to handle because the reason behind them is sometimes less distinct. Conflicts of values
are those in which one person’s values or goals clash with those of another, and these are often
the most difficult type of conflict to resolve as people usually adhere strongly to their values and
goals.
Meeting the Needs of Learners
Though it is difficult and actually unnecessary to categorize all conflicts, thinking about
the reason behind a conflict helps us to understand what is actually going on. The most
important part of this process is to determine what they underlying needs are that each person is
striving to have met. In other words, we must identify a conflict in terms of needs. Often,
children are too young to be able to actually voice their needs (or to know what they are), and the
teacher must determine the need. Once both parties have determined and voiced their needs,
then they (or the mediator) are more able to define the problem and choose a reasonable means
of resolving it. Furthermore, people are able to speak more rationally about conflicts and issues
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once they have taken a step back and can view the issue more objectively (a benefit of the needs
perspective).
Take, for example, this typical classroom conflict. Damion wants to play with the blocks
and knock them down. Anna is complaining that she is trying to read and needs it to be quiet.
From my experience, most teachers would simply either tell Damion to keep it quiet or tell Anna
that she will have to learn to read with noise around her (or both). The teacher would be thinking
that only one child will actually get what he/she wants: either Anna will get her peace and quiet
while Damion has to compromise his play, or Damion will get what he wants and Anna will have
to deal with the noise. While neither of these solutions is all that detrimental, they are win-lose
solutions in which one party does not get what he/she has expressed as a need. Most likely, the
conflict would escalate or resurface the next day. Instead, a teacher could identify the problem in
terms of needs and think: What these children really need is a space in which they can go about
their activities without interruption. The problem, then, is how to find such space, not how to
make the children deal with each other. While this need cannot always be met in a school setting,
it often can. Perhaps there are some solutions where this need is met and both children “win.”
Not all conflicts can be resolved smoothly through creative conflict resolution ideas, and
many conflicts will not result in win-win resolutions. But redirecting our perspective on
conflicts and thinking of them as constructive processes in which we can attempt to meet the
needs of our students will refocus our conflict resolution strategies. At the least, it will make us
aware of the needs of our students as learners, which will, in turn, help us to meet the needs of
our learners.
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Sharing the Power with Learners
Research and my experience have proven time and again that students learn best when
they learn actively and have some control and power over their own learning. Learners must
actively construct their own meaning if they want authentic meaning for themselves. In terms of
conflict resolution, then, we must allow learners to experience conflict resolution for themselves
so that they can construct their own meaning of it. Therefore, we should not confirm to the
mainstream school culture that believes that conflict resolution is simply adhering to the decision
of a higher authority. This simply leads to a more authoritarian teaching style, and it does not
give students the opportunity to actively participate in any conflict resolution. It will also leave
some students feeling defeated or beaten, a feeling that certainly prohibits learning (Kreidler,
1984).
In one active research project in an urban 1st grade classroom, researcher/teacher Emily
Huff (1999) noticed that her students learned best when they had an active role their learning and
decision-making. Instead of mediating every conflict, she went to the children and handed many
decisions over to them. She found that the children learned to meet their own needs and the
needs of their peers through talking, listening to, and collaborating with each other to solve
problems and resolve conflicts. This would not have happened nearly as much, she noticed, had
she kept all the power in the classroom (Huff, 1999).
Furthermore, when students have an active role in classroom decisions, they take more
responsibility for upholding the decisions. This is a large reason why advocates of the
Responsive Classroom model such as Ruth Charney (2002) and K.Brady (2003) encourage
teachers to allow students an active role in creating classroom rules. Students are much more
likely to believe in the rules and uphold them if they help come up with them. If we as teachers
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share the power in the classroom with our students in all processes, specifically in conflict
resolution, they will learn to take responsibility for their learning.
Equipping Learners
In sharing this power, we give much control to our learners. Therefore, it is all the more
important to make sure we have prepared students to use this power wisely. In other words, we
must equip children to do what we ask them to do. This seems like obvious logic, but often
teachers fail to equip their students for learning. In their book, Understanding by Design,
McTighe and Wiggins (2005) explain that equipping students is one of the main roles of the
teacher. Often, for example, we are surprised when our students can’t transfer what they have
learned into new situations. But if we reflect upon our teaching, we may likely find that we have
never taught students explicitly how to transfer learning! We cannot expect students to do what
they don’t know how to do (McTighe and Wiggins, 2005).
Coleman McCarthy, developer of The Center for Teaching Peace, is passionate about
teaching because he wants to promote nonviolent ways of dealing with conflict. He makes some
surprisingly not-so-obvious points in his Washington Post article. He points out that students
rarely use negotiation, compromise, or other nonviolent means because they do not learn them in
school. How can we expect students to know or do something when teachers do not teach it?
The lack of teaching nonviolent peacemaking skills results in something he calls “peace
illiteracy” (McCarthy, 1992).
Probably, every elementary school in the country has a rule against fighting, hitting, and
kicking. But each of these schools probably still deals with fighting, hitting, and kicking.
Kreidler (1984) remarks that even if we tell students not to fight, we must teach them other
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options or they will continue to fight. Research shows that when teachers explicitly teach
students nonviolent conflict resolution skills such as mediation and negotiation, they can
successfully learn and implement them (Johnson & Johnson, 1994). Just as we equip students
with the tools they need to read, we must equip our students with the tools and techniques to
resolve conflicts peacefully.
Cultural Relevance for Learners
No matter how much we understand about how students learn or how hard we work to
equip our students, we must always remember this: our learners’ cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and
socioeconomic histories will affect their learning. Learners are greatly affected by their
background, and teachers must know each learner’s background in order to maximize learning.
We must, however, view background differences as differences, not as deficits as I have seen so
many teachers do. I therefore diverge slightly in order to focus on a specific type of learner.
Here I explore how teachers can cater conflict resolution instruction specifically for AfricanAmerican learners. I focus on this because the African-American culture differs from mine and
is one I am interested in teaching.
Statistics unwaveringly show that there is an achievement gap in American education in
relation to both ethnicity and socio-economic status. Black students consistently score lower on
tests; the average poor, inner-city 11th grader performs on a 7th grade level while most middle to
upper-class students are close to, on, or above grade-level; black students 3 times as likely to
drop out of school as their white counterparts (Ladsdon-Billings, 1994; Purcell-Gates, 1991).
The list of staggering statistics could fill a book. What have we done to enhance the learning of
white students? Or perhaps we should ask what we haven’t done to serve our minority learners?
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While educators don’t have the power to change the SES of a student, we do have the
power to view their status and culture as a resource rather than a deficit, a difference rather than
a problem. Mainstream, white teachers, as a whole, have not done this. We have seen poverty
and color (of any kind) as an obstacle in teaching students. Instead, we need to see these
attributes as resources and tailor our views, our instruction, and our assessment so that they meet
the needs of each individual student, no matter what class or color. Students learn best when
their teacher understands their culture and therefore the environment and curriculum are relevant
to their personal lives and their specific culture. Research has proven this time and again, (Hale,
1994; Ladsdon-Billings, 1994; Risko, 2007) but most teachers don’t do it! It certainly is not an
easy thing to do, but it is crucial for a teacher who teaches students from other cultures.
Unfortunately, in many schools, the dominant culture rules. More specifically, in the
classroom, the culture of the teacher becomes the classroom culture, no matter the culture of the
students. Lisa Delpit (1995) researches and writes about educational movements in poor and
non-white cultures. She has found that despite a majority of black children in a school, teachers
and administration often make curriculum decisions based on dominant white culture trends
(often with the best of intentions). They see things through the worldview of a white, dominant,
privileged position. This creates tension and conflict in the classroom when the students
themselves are not from a white, dominant, privileged position. This is obviously detrimental to
black children because teaching them without an awareness of their culture will decrease or
stagnate learning and cause more conflict.
Janice Hale (1994) writes passionately about how African-American children need to be
taught and nurtured in the context of their own specific culture. Most teachers are white females,
and they often fail to understand that black males, specifically, have different learning styles and
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needs than do white males (the same is true for females, of course). Delpit (1995) elaborates
when she points out that black males, due to cultural influences, have a higher level of need for
physical interaction. I have seen this to be true. The boys who are more likely to need countless
hugs from the teacher or who make physical contact with their friends (either positive or
negative) are more often black students. If a white teacher is not aware of this cultural
difference, she may think that something is “wrong” with this student. The result is a high
number of black males who fail to learn what their white teacher is trying to teach them or,
worse, the teacher getting frustrated with the students’ behavior (often due to a lack of
engagement) and then labeling the student as dumb, slow, LD, or special ed. This lack of
cultural awareness on the part of the teacher leads to a lack of culturally relevant instruction and
is one reason for the disproportionate amount of black males in special education (Delpit, 1995).
Just as a teacher’s cultural awareness of her student’s can translate into a view of
differences as differences rather than deficiencies, it is important to be aware of culture when it
comes to conflict. When students (and teachers) understand each other’s cultural codes
(behaviors, language, and so forth), they are better able to prevent (sometimes) or peacefully
resolve conflicts. Teachers and students are capable of a higher level of understanding their
peers when they can identify specific cultural characteristics (Girard & Koch, 1996). More
understanding leads to the ability to change perspectives, which of course aids in conflict
resolution.
Learning Environment
In order for successful conflict resolution implementation, the teacher must set up the
learning environment in a certain way so as to create a “peaceable classroom” – one in which
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conflict resolution, or peacemaking, can occur. By learning environment, I mean both the
physical set-up of the room and the atmosphere in which the students learn.
The physical set-up of any elementary classroom should be organized and clean. There
should be a space for whole class meetings, ideally on a rug where everyone can sit in a circle.
The teacher should arrange desks in groups to foster cooperation. Many successful peaceable
classrooms have a separate area where conflict resolution happens such as a conflict corner
(Porro, 1996) or a Peace Table (Huff, 1999). Teacher and students should decorate the walls with
reminders of how to handle conflict. The “Peace Area” at one school is decorated to reinforce the
idea that peace works better than violence, and reminders and pictures of MLK Jr. and St.
Francis of Assisi adorn the walls (Murphy, 2004).
We often forget about the intangible aspects of a learning environment, but they are of
equal importance. Levin (1994) and other researcher have found that students learn best when
their classroom promotes trust and safety. The classroom should be a structured environment in
which students have choice and feel safe as they practice new conflict resolution strategies (Huff,
1999). Students should be able to trust that, for the most part, he or she will find consistency at
school – consistency in the schedule, in routine, and in the teacher’s actions. Without a
physically, socially, and emotionally safe environment, students will simply resort to what is
comfortable and habitual for them. In other words, when they encounter conflict, they may
resort to violence even if their teacher has proposed other options (Kreidler, 1984).
More specifically, in a peaceable classroom, students must be able to trust that they will
have some privacy. Often, when conflict occurs, a teacher or students need to have a private
conversation. Charney (2004) elaborates when she says that the environment for any sensitive
conversation should be a safe and comfortable one in which students feel confident that they can
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voice their opinions and will not be laughed at. Furthermore, the conversations should happen
away from other classmates and in privacy so all participants can concentrate.
In addition to trust and safety, there are more aspects necessary to a learning environment
in which a teacher can teach and implement conflict resolution. Kreidler (1984) outlines what he
thinks are the most important characteristics of a peaceable classroom. Unless students and
teacher strive for these characteristics, he says, a classroom will not be peaceful. Therefore,
teachers should strive to maintain an environment in which these characteristics are present:
1. Cooperation
2. Communication
3. Tolerance
4. Positive emotional expression
Kreidler (1984) adds that two goals should be evident in a positive learning environment
for conflict resolution to succeed. The first is that everyone in the classroom will strive to help
create a peaceful and productive classroom. The second is that students will gain essential life
skills so as to be productive citizens in a democratic community. It is the responsibility of the
teacher to direct the atmosphere of the learning environment in such a way as to strive for these
goals. If these two goals are evident and guide instruction, and if the teacher promotes a sense of
safety and trust, the classroom will be a learning environment conducive to peaceful conflict
resolution and, of course, to great learning and joy (Kreidler, 1984). Furthermore, once a teacher
establishes positive conflict resolution skills in the classroom, widespread use of these skills will
most certainly enhance the learning environment by making it more stable and peaceful.
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Curriculum and Teaching Strategies
Before choosing or creating specific curricula or lesson plans for conflict resolution, it is
wise for a teacher to understand his/her classroom culture and to ask questions such as these:
Where do my students come from? Are they prone to conflict? What type of conflict? How do
they handle conflict in their homes? Thinking about and researching answers to these questions
is a form of pre-assessment. Teachers should allow assessments such as these to drive their
instruction (Huff, 1999).
A large part of any conflict resolution curriculum is the knowledge of how to handle on
the spot conflicts. We cannot control when conflicts will happen, so it is unrealistic to have a
“conflict resolution” block each day and expect everything to happen within that time period. To
prepare for the spontaneity of conflict, then, a teacher should simply do their best to gather a
conflict resolution “bag of tricks” in their head. Also, many of the lessons that teachers try to get
across in conflict resolution are lessons on vague topics such as perspective and respect. While
we can teach these using explicit lessons, they are mindsets that we must encourage throughout
the day in a variety of ways that may not fit into typical lesson plan structure.
Implementing Curriculum
Obviously, there will be a number of obstacles to overcome when implementing the
teaching of conflict resolution. One of the largest barriers to teaching conflict resolution
strategies in a classroom is that of time (Giuliani, 1994). All teachers would agree that they
simply do not have enough time to teach all that they want or are required to teach. Conflict
resolution, however, does not have to become another subject to teach. Instead, conflict
resolution should be woven into the fabric of philosophy and everyday life in the classroom.
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Specific strategies and their characteristics
There are far too many teaching strategy and curriculum ideas for conflict resolution to
cover in this essay, but I will touch on some general aspects and highlight some characteristics of
the most successful ones.
First of all, a teacher must explain a few basic yet vital ideas to the students. Some of
these are underlying beliefs about both conflict and conflict resolution that I have discussed
already in this essay. Others are simply classroom management big ideas that teachers should
teach whether or not they plan to implement conflict resolution. For example, students will
probably not have learned such as: conflict can be a good thing and provide wonderful learning
opportunities; both parties can win in a conflict; taking on someone else’s perspective, while
difficult, is often helpful. Establishing ideas like these in the classroom at the beginning of the
year will enable the students to understand and successfully practice conflict resolution
strategies.
Once the teacher believes that the class is ready for conflict resolution, he or she may
begin teaching specific conflict resolution lessons such as these that Barbara Porro (1996)
suggests: the nature of conflict, how to cool off, how to talk calmly about your feelings, how to
listen well, and how to work together to find fair solutions. We must always keep in mind,
though, that just hearing or seeing isn’t enough for students: they must do! In other words, just
knowing conflict resolution techniques is not enough. Students must have the opportunity to
practice what they learn in real-life situations (Johnson & Johnson, 1994).
As I state before, there are a plethora of specific lessons and techniques teachers can use
to teach conflict resolution strategies and peacemaking skills. They range from dealing with
fights (break it up, cool down, and work it out), to smoothing it out (for more ephemeral
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conflicts), to time out, to story telling (particularly for young children). While each technique
has its own individual nuances, all of ideas have a few things in common.
First of all, each technique is only used when it is the best technique for the situation.
There is not a catch-all conflict resolution strategy. To decide which strategy is best, the teacher
should quickly consider factors such as: Who’s involved? Is the time right? What do these
students really need? Is this a simple resource conflict or a more complicated one over values?
Once the teacher has assessed the situation in this way, he or she is more equipped to choose the
appropriate conflict resolution technique (Kreidler, 1984).
Another characteristic that productive conflict resolution strategies have in common is
that they put some of the power in the hands of the students. While there is often a need for a
mediator (especially for children who are just beginning to learn these strategies), students too
often become dependent on a third party to resolve their conflicts. Good conflict resolution
techniques allow for students to participate in if not completely decide upon appropriate
solutions to the conflict. In many techniques, the involved students brainstorm resolution ideas
and do their best to decide upon one that satisfies both parties. Ideally, these strategies will help
wean students off of a dependence on a third party, usually the teacher, for resolving conflicts.
In one study, Johnson & Johnson (1994) found that before conflict resolution training, students
ran to the teacher more than 50% of the time seeking help in resolving an issue. After the
training, however, students ran to the teacher less than 15% of the time.
A third common factor of effective conflict resolution techniques is that they allow for
both parties to cool down and then state their side. This is important not only because all sides of
an argument are valid and important so that students can resolve the conflict, but also simply
because we as teachers must make students feel that what they think and say is valuable. What
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the teacher may think is trivial and unworthy of a minute of her time may actually be extremely
important to a child, and ignoring it could do damage to his or her self-esteem. This is why it is
always important to allow students to state their side of the issue. Furthermore, the best conflict
resolution scenarios are ones in which students are able to take on the perspective of the other
side, and students can only do this if they hear what the other person has to say. Techniques
such as role reversal plays are particularly useful for understanding perspective (Kreidler, 1984).
Assessment
There is very little research on conflict resolution assessment, perhaps because it is
somewhat difficult to do. Any authentic assessment of students’ conflict resolution skills would
be informal, and I have found that teachers tend to do much more formal than informal
assessment, as it is easier. However, knowing that assessment should drive instruction, it is
crucial for any teacher who wants to implement a conflict resolution program to constantly be
assessing students’ growth and development.
To authentically assess students’ understanding and philosophy on conflict resolution,
teachers should use a variety of assessment tools. One such tool could be a writing prompt in
which the teacher asks students to respond to something like, “One way I learned to solve
problems was _______” or “Now I know how to get along with people because __________.”
Leaving prompts or questions open-ended allows for all students to show what they know (Huff,
1999).
Another way to assess students’ conflict resolution skills would be to keep data
throughout the year of each student’s visits to the peace area, conflicts they have resolved, or
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times they encounter or create conflicts. A chart or table of what types of conflict the students
most often encounter could be very helpful for driving instruction.
One teacher used a poetry book as a culminating assessment. She told the students that
they were going to write a book together to share with next year’s class all the things they know
about peace. Each student chose a poetry starter, either “Peace looks like…” or “Peace sounds
like…” They completed the line and then illustrated it. The teacher compiled and then
published the book. The result was a beautiful, heartwarming book full of students’ thoughts –
thoughts that clearly revealed their deep understanding of what peace is and how to attain it
(Huff, 1999).
Implications
There are a number of implications from this research on conflict resolution in the
classroom. Many of them are simply good teaching strategies that any teacher could apply to his
or her classroom of any age or culture. I will focus, however, on how I will teach conflict
resolution in my 3rd grade class next year.
First, I will do my research on my students’ cultural, academic, and social backgrounds.
Have they had any experience with conflict resolution before? If so, what? I will gather this
information by talking with other teachers in the school, parents, and of course, the students
themselves. I will also do a few pre-assessment activities in which I could see how the students
handle conflicts.
Then, I will begin with a clear and positive perspective on conflict, and a goal-oriented
definition of conflict resolution (Girard & Koch’s definition, Huff 47). This will help to orient
me as I plan and implement my ideas. I will also be sure to share these definitions and goals
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with my students, as they will be driving my instruction. I want them to understand that they
have the power to de-escalate the conflicts that will occur in the classroom. My goal will be this:
to teach students to use peaceful strategies when they encounter conflict in and out of the
classroom. Instead of fighting or withdrawing, I want students to handle conflicts positively and
on their own. I want them to notice me being a peacemaker and then be the peacemakers
themselves (Porro, 1996). Hopefully, my job as a teacher will become to remain neutral and
help children discover how to resolve each conflict (Porro, 1996).
Before implementing my program, I will spend a few weeks setting the tone for the
classroom and explicitly teaching the skills that students need to be successful peacemakers. I
plan to use some of Porro’s (1996) lesson plans to start off the year. As I mentioned earlier, she
covers topics such as the nature of conflict, how to cool off, how to talk calmly about your
feelings (assertive statements), how to listen well, and how to work together to find fair
solutions. Her book, Talk It Out, is an excellent resource as it explains in detail how to teach
lessons on these topics. While I might not do everything exactly as she does, I will most likely
stick to the big understandings she teaches in each of these lessons.
For example, when teaching the nature of conflict, I will make sure to get across that
conflicts are neutral in and of themselves, but that it is how we hand them that makes them either
constructive or destructive. I will share that I see conflicts as wonderful learning opportunities.
Also, for example, when teaching about making assertive statements, I will highlight the
importance of using “I Statements” instead of accusatory “You statements.” I will guide
students to understand that if they can step back and attempt to calmly voice how they feel and
what they need, they are well on their way to peacefully resolving a conflict.
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Once I have taught these beginning lessons, I will begin to implement the following
conflict resolution plan into the daily life of my classroom. I will include mediation, negotiation,
and consensus building (Kreidler, 1984). By mediation, I mean that I will act as a neutral 3rd
party to resolve student v. student conflicts. While eventually I would hope to have to mediate
less and less, I know it will be necessary at the beginning of the year as students may be learning
these skills for the first time. Most likely, if I feel it is appropriate for my specific students and
meets their needs, I will use Porro’s (1996) Talk It Out process, and I will have a Peace Table in
the room. I would also give students the option of using Kreidler’s (1984) ABCD Problem
Solving Approach, which I flesh out later in this section.
Eventually, my plan will also include negotiation in which students work it out
themselves without a mediator. I envision that at first, this will happen through the Talk It Out
process mostly at the Peace Table, but I hope that eventually, students will be negotiating
without even realizing it and in all settings – the playground, the lunchroom, without needed the
formal steps or Peace Table setting.
Also, my plan will include consensus building in which the whole class gathers for
meetings to discuss any conflicts as necessary. At first, this will simply look like a large Peace
Table meeting, perhaps with two students volunteering to Talk It Out in front of their peers. It
also might simply be me facilitating group decision-making. Eventually, I will make class
meetings less structured, or perhaps students could be the facilitators. Most likely they will take
place during a morning meeting time I plan to have each morning.
The Peace Table process will be extremely structured at first. I will explain and model
the ins and out: where the table is, when we can use it, and how to use it. I will explain (and we
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will practice, practice, practice) the two options of processes to use at the Peace Table. These
will also be posted above the table.
“Kreidler’s ABCD Problem Solving Approach
A) Ask “what’s the problem?”
B) Brainstorm possible solutions
C) Choose the best solution
D) Do it” (1995, p.256).
“Porro’s Talk It Out steps:
1. Stop. Cool Off.
2. Talk and listen to teach other.
3. Find out what you both need.
4. Brainstorm solutions.
5. Choose the idea you both like best.
6. Make a Plan. Go for it!” (1996, p.135).
Furthermore, I will guide students in a discussion in which they come up with ground rules for
using the Peace Table. Students will not be able to participate in the Peace Table process unless
they follow these rules:
“Ground rules for Talk It Out:
1. Treat each other with respect.
2. Listen without interrupting.
3. Work to solve the problem” (Porro, 1996, p.137)
Of course, I will constantly assess students to see if they are gaining the big
understandings of conflict resolution. Are they trying the new strategies? Do they believe in
them? Are they causing more conflicts than their peers? If so, why? I plan to keep charts or a
journal of what I notice as I implement conflict resolution in the classroom.
I must admit that I know my plan will not always work. In fact, there will be many times
in which Talking It Out at the Peace Table would be contrived and excessive for the situation.
Sometimes, we will not need to follow the problem-solving steps I have laid out above. While
these approaches are useful most of the time, there are instances in which other approaches are
more efficient or appropriate. Porro (1996) suggests that there are times for: giving commands,
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offering choices, finding a compromise, and s imply avoiding the problem. It is easy imagine
instances in which each of these techniques is more appropriate and more efficient to use than a
scripted problem-solving strategy.
Finally, there are implications for future research in the field of conflict resolution
education. First, educators must make known the importance and urgency of teaching conflict
resolution. The field currently receives very little focus in the education world. Teachers and
administrators alike need to remedy this. Furthermore, there is a great need for more widespread
professional development for teachers in conflict resolution. Most teachers are unaware of the
field but have a great need for what it can teach them about dealing with conflict in the
classroom. Of course, there is also a void of research concerning how teaching conflict
resolution to children actually effects how they will handle conflict as adults. There are very few
long-term studies like this, and many of those that exist are greatly flawed (Johnson & Johnson,
1994).
Conclusion
“Preventing conflicts is the work of politics; establishing peace is the work of educators”
(Montessori, M. as cited in Kreidler, 1984, p. 51). My research has made clear to me that my
duty as a teacher goes far beyond simply teaching academic skills to children. I have the
privilege of teaching them how to be successful citizens in a diverse, democratic society – one in
which conflict will inevitably occur. While I cannot prevent violence or conflict in our society
or even in my classroom, I can and will teach students to be peacemakers.
Conflict Resolution
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