Conflict is a steady issue in schools. Daily students experience many conflicts including conflict with learning, conflict with friends, conflict with protocols, and conflict with matters they bring to school. A big part of an educators' job is helping out with that conflict. Sometimes it's as easy as bringing two students together to each tell their side of the story, and other times it's a very complicated conflict change that extends from home into the neighborhood and to school. What makes the complex conflicts most difficult is the lack of hands or time to resolve the issue. For example our school has 400 students and two counselors. On an average day, that works, but when a complex conflict arises, that's often not enough support. Or for another example if you're one teacher in a classroom with many children, it's difficult to put the rest of the children on hold while you deal with a complex conflict with one or two issues, and if the conflict includes home or neighborhood issues, that's even more challenging.
In general, conflicts are easy to resolve, but when those complex conflicts arise, it's not unusual to feel a bit unprepared or ill-equipped, but with thought and collaboration we typically find a way to resolution. Onward.
