Sometimes when the noise on the inside rises, the reaction on the outside starts getting louder. A simple example is of a student. When they keep suppressing emotions, conflict resolution becomes difficult for them. So, yes, they are both correlated, and this is why undergraduates have to be taught emotional regulation.
Even the researchers support this practice in teenagers because a high emotional intelligence (EQ) means better self-control, stronger relationships, and fewer conflicts. Moreover, with a greater EQ score, the students can understand their feelings, stay calm under pressure, and respond instead of reacting.
Conflict Resolving Lesson for Students
he two words, respond and react are not true synonyms. We often hear them as substitute terms as if they mean the same thing, but the severity says otherwise. According to the experts, when you respond, you take a moment, think it through, and then choose what to say or do.
Therefore, it’s calm and thoughtful. But when you react, it’s quick and emotional, just like a reflex. In that moment, you don’t stop to think; you just act. That’s why it is deduced that one of these conflict resolution strategies comes from the head, the other from the gut.
Immediate Reflexes of Students in a Conflict
Imagine a situation where a young boy and his friend are working on a group project. One keeps asking the other for assignment help but never contributes equally. This makes the other person frustrated, and he lashes out. This quickly escalates into a heated argument, and they eventually break the group.
Now, this was one situation, but the classroom is not just two students; it’s 25+ at a time, and there are more than a hundred reasons why the tension can grow between them. Here is a small reflection of how the youngster behaves in such complicated situations.
Reaction Type |
Description |
Aggressive | It is when one yells, argues, name-calls, or physically confronts the fellow student. Thus, an impulsive behaviour full of emotions only. |
Avoidance | Some learners ignore the issue, walk away, or pretend nothing happened. They may also delay resolution. |
Emotional Withdrawal | A few become quiet, disengaged, or isolate themselves. It is a common practice for them to suppress the conflict. |
Seeking Elders’ Help | A small number of pupils might ask a teacher, counsellor, or peer for help. |
Problem Solving | Other students calmly discuss the issue, listen to each other, and try to find a fair solution. |
Passive Compliance | Some of them agree outwardly to avoid conflict but feel resentment or frustration inside. |
Gossip or Rumours | Moving on, a few avoid direct confrontation and talk behind others’ backs. This can escalate tension. |
Looking for Peer Support | A small number of them turn to friends or classmates for advice or emotional backup before addressing the issue. |
Sarcasm or Humour | You will notice a few pupils using jokes or sarcasm to mask discomfort. They do it to avoid serious discussions. |
Eight Effective Strategies that Actually Work
There are more than one type of stressful situations that a teenager or an undergraduate goes through in his or her daily life. For example, there are peer disagreements, bullying, emotional struggles, harassment, teacher-student conflicts, and socio-cultural differences with society. So, yes, conflict is a natural part of their life, which is why they must learn to deal with it. By the way cipd is one of the certifications that covers this subject even in more depth.
The resort that an adolescent chooses will make a difference in their present and future life; therefore, it is the duty of a teacher to guide these people. Here are eight effective strategies that can be adopted with the students :
Active Listening: The best thing a teacher can do is to encourage the pupils to listen attentively to each other without interruption. This will help them in aiming to understand the other person’s perspective. In addition, the instructor can also teach them to paraphrase or summarise what they hear to ensure they understand correctly. Also, the students should learn how to validate the other person’s feelings, even if they don’t agree with them.
Use ‘I’ Statements: The teachers must also make the learners talk to each other using the ‘I’ statements. For example, one could say – I feel irritated when you touch my pencil case without asking me. Such a conversation is the best way to address the problem without blaming and accusing. Moreover, it makes it easier for the other person to understand and respond constructively.
Brainstorming Solutions: The third strategy is to promote a multiple-solution hunt in students. This is very simple. You just have to give them a hypothetical situation and let them all share their solution one after another. Even if some answers are silly, the overall class exercise will help pupils think creatively to resolve issues.
Try to Compromise: Then we have the second easiest way: compromise. Teachers should make students compromise turn by turn. If once, Emma cooperated and shared her crayons, then next time, Daniel should let her use his geometry box. This way, both parties learn to negotiate.
Identify the Root Cause: After that, another way of helping learners in resolving conflicts is to teach them to look beyond the surface. Once they realise where the root of the problem is, they will know that fighting each other will not solve anything.
Practice Empathy: Recognising your own emotions is important, but being mindful of what it is impacting on others is more crucial. So, the sixth strategy is to make them understand what other people are feeling. They should also realise that the opponent’s point of view is equally important. The most effective exercise for teaching this is role-playing, where one student imagines himself as the other.
Ask for Help Immediately: Another one is to remind students that it’s okay to ask for help from a teacher, counsellor, or trusted adult. Especially if they are unable to resolve the conflict on their own, this works because it prevents conflicts from escalating.
Change your Perspective: Last but not least, the instructors should motivate students to change their perspectives once a tough situation arises. This is important as it helps the learners in reframing the conflict and focusing on the issue rather than personal attacks.
The Summary of Conflict Resolution
So far, we have understood that the ability to fight the problem mindfully helps students handle problems effectively. Yes, it is commendable the way they stay calm during a mess and respect the other person, no matter how angry or hurt they are.
So, start early and emphasise teaching the toddlers better ways of handling rough situations. As a result, when they grow older and reach their student life, they will still talk things out and understand different points of view very effortlessly. Last but not least, these skills are also necessary for students because they make school a better place where everyone feels safe and heard.
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