5th Grade Lesson - Conflict Resolution

During the month of September, fifth graders participated in a lesson on conflict resolution.  Through class discussion and watching a video entitled Solving Conflicts with Teachers, Parents, and Peers (Human Relations Media, Inc.), we determined that conflict is normal and is not always a bad thing as long as we handle it appropriately. We discussed how poor communication leads to conflict and misunderstanding.  This includes the words we say but also our actions and body language as well.  We discussed guidelines for talking it out effectively and how to apply the "Rules of Fair Play" to conflict situations.  We also discussed the fact that we are responsible for our own actions and reactions.  This is Habit 1 from The 7 Habits of Happy Kids, Be Proactive!

Selected slides from the PowerPoint presentation I used for this lesson are pictured below.  It is my hope that students remember the conflict resolution skills we discussed in this lesson and begin to apply them in their daily interactions at school and at home.

What do you see in the picture above?  Some students saw two faces looking at each other whereas others saw a table, candlestick, and birdbath. 

What do you see in the second picture?  Some students saw a lady's face whereas others saw a man playing a saxophone.  In life, we see things differently, just as we saw different things in the pictures above.

The lesson reinforced the fact that we cannot solve conflicts when we are angry.  We discussed taking time to calm down and think before we try to solve a conflict.  We also talked a lot about the use of "I" statements.  Instead of telling someone everything they did wrong in the situation, rephrase what  you want to say and tell them how you feel or how it appeared to you.  For example, instead of saying "You are mean because you left me sitting all by myself in the courtyard", say "I felt left out when you went to play with her in the courtyard.  I felt alone and upset because I didn't have anyone to talk to."  By rephrasing our statements, we are not accusing the other person of anything and we allow the other person to really see how we feel.

Thank you in advance for reinforcing these conflict resolution skills with your children.  We will continue to work on conflict resolution here at school and help the students learn to apply these skills in their everyday lives.