Resolving Conflict Creatively in the School Community
"Negotiation" & "Mediation"
"Negotiation" addresses the issues of interpersonal conflict and outlines a five-step conflict solving approach that
can be used to work out conflicts without the aid of a third party.
It also demonstrates how to conduct role-playing.
In, "Mediation", peer mediators demonstrate in detail a four phase mediation process and encounter two circumstances
where the process breaks down - when dealing with issues of alleged sexual harassment and racism.
These two videos employ real students, parents and, school staff as participants in a workshop exploring negotiation and mediation skills under the guidance of a prominent workshop leader. The workshop footage is intercut with a series of dramatic "vignettes" that provide the viewer with an "eye witness" glimpse of the conflicts that the workshop participants will explore later through role-playing.These vignettes are chaptered in the DVD version and available as a separate program in VHS onl y(click here)
To emphasize that conflicts at school are interrelated with conflicts in the greater community (which includes the home) the video begins with a conflict between Sophie (16) and patronizing "big" brother (18). At the same time, their parents are arguing in another room, and eventually this conflict spills into a confrontation between Sophie and her mother. Sophie is later seen arriving at her school workshop on conflict resolution where she becomes actively involved in the learning process. Throughout the workshop we observe Sophie and the other participants actively involved in the learning process by asking questions, volunteering their experiences and even arguing. After the workshop ends, we see Sophie arriving back home where she timidly tries to apply her acquired knowledge of the mediation process with some dramatic and comical results.
Reviews
"These two videos, used together, are an outstanding source for training or classroom practice of conflict management. A very effective production device invites the viewer to invest personal feelings with the role play scenarios. The video shows highlights of a workshop with real students, parents, and school staff (no actors!). Workshop demonstrations are preceded by "eye-witness" dramatic vignettes of conflict topics chosen by the audience. The conflict reenactments are believable and instructive. The closing scene regarding a tense family mediation is worth the price of admission. The workshop facilitator models not only the procedure for win-win negotiation and mediation, but honestly and non-judgementally addresses when these models are not useful to resolve disputes. The videos are supported by a 10 lesson teacher manual and student handouts with a detailed conflict styles survey. Also, the bibliography has excellent sources for cross-cultural conflict resolution."
National Institute of Dispute Resolution (NIDR) & National Association for Mediation in Education
"I have just completed using the Resolving Conflict Creatively resource with our grade 9's in Career and life Management. ... The resources provided by your--lesson plans, handouts, and videos has been most valuable. ... very user friendly, and all of my grade 9 teachers have felt confident in teaching this portion of our C.A.L.M. curriculum. The lesson plans are easy to follow, and the videos are exellent, promoting a lot of discussion in class. I have also used this resource with our Grade 12 Co-Op Education class. Even though these students are 3 or 4 years older than the grade 9's, these resources were age appropriate. These older students were able to identify with the concepts presented. What I like is the inclusion in the video of students as well as adults in role plays. I believe this portrays adults in a different light than usually presented i.e. an authority figure."
Dorothy Firth, Dalhousie Regional High School,New Brunswick
"I found [the videos] to be refreshing, informative, and non-preachy. I especially liked the technique of dramatic vignette followed by a reenactment role-play. It heightened the immediacy and relevance of the issues. I also appreciated the non-judgmental attention given to irresolvable differences of values."
Wayne Benenson, Ph.D, Dept. of Curriculum, Illinois State University
"I liked the discussion on role-play technique in Appendix I. As a trainer, training design is very important to me. Of all the scenes in the two videos (Negotiation & Mediation) I liked best Sophie's mediating for her parents. I thought it was very realistic, yet hopeful, because they really did listen, and they did try something new. Hooray!"
Suzanne Reed, Volunteer Manager, Getting Things Done, Montana
Another optional video entitled "HEALING CIRCLES " has been used as a powerful and effective tool in ANTI-BULLYING programs. A "healing circle" transforms an adversarial approach to a communal process: the goal is not to blame and segregate (or expel) but to hold accountable the offending behaviour and to help victims, and the community-at-large, deal with the psychological consequences as well.
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Other titles in the Series,Resolving Conflict Creatively
RCC in the Multicultural Community
RCC between Victims & Youth Offenders
Watch a video clip for Resolving Conflict Creatively in the School Community
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