FIG. 9.2 Resolving a conflict between students before it escalates.
Building classroom community and supporting students requires mediating conflicts be-
tween students before they escalate. One approach is to help students view the conflict
from the perspective of other people who are involved. Before students sit down to “talk it
out,” it may be helpful to have them complete the following report.List the participants in this conflict:___________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
What was the immediate cause of the conflict?________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Do you know the underlying causes of the conflict? If so, what were they? _______________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Describe what happened from your perspective. ______________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
How do you think the other person or people view what happened? ____________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
What choices did you make that escalated the conflict? ________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
What could you have done differently before the conflict?______________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
What could you have done differently at the time of the conflict? _______________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
In your view, how would these different courses of action have shaped the conflict? ______
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
In your view, what should be the result of the conflict? Explain. _________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________246 CHAPTER 9