A scenario-based activity helping teachers to identify ways to handle conflicts at school

A scenario-based activity for teachers/school principals/school staff (and/or even parents), working in pairs (or small groups) & plenary discussion aiming at raising awareness about quarrels and violent incidents at school and building capacity in order to prevent and respond to such cases.

Objectives

50-70 minutes

Facilitator: One or more instructors/trainers’ trainers

6-15 adult learners – school teachers/staff or even parents

Class environment: 

• Handout of the case study scenario (available here in print format) – one handout per team

• Classroom or paper board and markers 

E-learning environment: 

• Enabling break-out rooms that allows you to split your online meeting in separate sessions (depending on the platform you use, e.g. Zoom or Webex you can click for the instructions).
• Whiteboard feature that allows you to share a whiteboard with the other participants (depending on the platform you use, e.g. Zoom or Webex you can search for the instructions).
• Alternatively, in an online environment you can use a shared Google .doc or dropbox paper.

Instructions on how to share files from Google Drive
Instructions on How to create a Dropbox Paper doc

Methodology – steps for the facilitator

1. Explain the objective of the exercise to the participants. For example: “During this activity, we will discuss quarreling scenarios/scenarios of violent incidents (real or imaginary) that take place in your school and we will think critically about how we can respond and prevent them”. 
2. It is also important to establish ground rules. For example, you can explain to the adult learners that this is a safe open space, where everybody’s input is equally valued, and that no idea is bad as long as we respect each other.
3. Divide trainees into pairs or small groups (3-4 people maximum).
4. Give each pair (or small group) the following introduction to develop their own case/scenario (a handout is also available):

“In our school, there are quarrels and incidents of violence very often/from time to time. Boys and girls, children from other countries, fans of rival teams, students from different socio-economic backgrounds or ………. (you are free to fill in further) are often in verbal or physical conflict with each other and sometimes they even arrange to “fight” during breaks or after school. The reasons behind these incidents are……. As a consequence,……..”

5. Ask all pairs to develop their scenarios, based on their personal experience, knowledge and opinions. In every case, the participants need to describe one scenario and explain the reasons behind the conflict and its consequences. The following questions are given to facilitate the groups: 

• What is going on?

• Who is involved in this conflict and who is affected? 

• What are the reasons behind this conflict? 

• What are the consequences?

You can have in-person group discussions in class environments or online group discussions/break out rooms or even send personal/private messages to each other in an e-learning environment.

6. Give each pair/team 15-20 minutes to prepare.
7. Ask from all pairs/groups to delegate one spokesperson and present their thoughts/answers on their task. Give them 5 minutes to present. 
8. As facilitator, after all presentations are complete, you can open a discussion focusing on the issues that arise from the presented conflicts/violent incidents. 

• What are the feelings of the groups involved in the conflict as well as of the student-observers and the teachers? 
• What is the environment developed in the school? 
• Can we say that in such an environment the human rights of all are respected? 
• Who can act to change this situation?
• What needs to be done?

Seek for ideas and solutions either individually -at teachers’ level- or collectively, at the level of the school community, but also make sure to mention the role of the family, local authorities, civil society organisations, the media etc.

Keep notes, as facilitator, creating basic guidelines and good practices to prevent and to respond to similar incidents at school settings.

As facilitator you can bring to the group examples of effective ways of conflict resolution based on democratic and collective actions that are designed and implemented at the school level with the active contribution of students. These may include participatory sports and educational programmes, student campaigns, intercultural festivals of music, food, etc., activities involving parents, guardians, teachers and students, and other actions that provide peaceful solutions and promote democratic dialogue, human rights, cooperation and inclusion.

• How did you feel while you did the activity?
• What was one of the challenges of doing this activity?
• What was one positive thing that happened during the challenge?
• How do you feel after this activity?

The activity is based on:

“The social mobilisation  –  Case study” activity from Council of Europe (2021, p.30). HANDLING CONTROVERSY IN SCHOOLS THROUGH HUMAN RIGHTS AND CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION: Peaceful Coexistence and Communication, Conflict Resolution, Social Mobilisation. An Educational Toolkit for Teachers. Developed under the project “Sharing Knowledge, Handling Controversy in Schools of Greece, North Macedonia and Bulgaria”. Authors: A. Telliou, K. Pantziou, A. Radevska, G. Decheva, T. Hristova, Sept. 2021.  https://skhc.antigone.gr/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/SKHC-Toolkit_ENG_FINAL.pdf

University of Washington School of Social Work. (2011). Dealing with difficult classroom situations.

https://socialwork.uw.edu/sites/default/files/sswfiles/teaching/Dealing%20With%20Difficult%20Classroom%20Situations%202011.pdf