Purpose
Conflict stoppers are actions that students can take to prevent common classroom conflicts or to keep an existing disagreement from getting out of hand. They are a critical part of conflict management and afford students time to regain composure and think about the problem and possible solutions. Conflict stoppers can also be used as informal classroom reminders whenever a dispute arises.
Breaking It Down
There are many ways to avoid the daily conflicts students might experience in a classroom, a hallway, or another public setting. A list of possible conflict stoppers includes:
- Share
- Take turns
- Apologize
- Ignore
- Make amends
- Compromise
- Laugh it off
- Flip a coin
- Wait until later
- Get help
- Talk it out
- “Focus on behavior and events, not personality” (Nelson, n.d., para. 11)
- “Be respectful and optimistic” (Nelson, n.d., para. 11)
Consider displaying a poster or printed list of these conflict stoppers for students to consult when they disagree. When minor conflicts arise, students should first try one or more of the options on the list, and this may avert the need for a more formal intervention process.
Fine-Tuning the Technique
The more the students practice these options, the more they internalize them. Consistently use the language of conflict stoppers in your classroom. Keep the list posted in your classroom or make sheets available to the students or teams and refer students to this resource as needed.
Instead of getting drawn into simple conflicts, ask the students involved whether they have tried any conflict stoppers. If not, have them consult the list to see if any of the options is a viable solution. Initially, you may need to help walk them through each possibility.
Publicly praise the students for using these strategies independently and averting any need to go through a more formal process. This brief article is only a starter list of conflict stoppers. Periodically help the students brainstorm some conflict stoppers of their own and encourage them to talk to one another about their favorite strategies. By listening to others, students might discover new options that they would never have thought of on their own
Reference:
Nelson, V. (n.d.). Help your college student learn to manage conflict. Collegiate Parent. https://www.collegiateparent.com/student-life/help-your-college-student-manage-conflict/