Kids learn better and feel better about themselves in an atmosphere of safety and respect. This book shows you how to help students in grades three through six: (1) Foster kindness, compassion, and empathy; (2) Manage anger; (3) Prevent conflict; (4) Respond to conflict; (5) Address name-calling and teasing; (6) Deal with bullying; and (7) Accept…

In "Responsive Circles," author JR Entsminger equips educators with practical strategies to address conflict and improve student behavior through restorative practices. The book emphasizes using responsive circles to repair harm, foster empathy, and address student conflict while reducing reliance on traditional punishment. It also…

Information sharing is a critical aspect of effective team functioning. However, it can be challenging to discern whether the information communicated is fact, opinion, or someone's best guess (FOG) due to the varied understandings, assumptions, and interests team members bring to any collaboration. In this article, we introduce a role-play…

Teachers are the backbone of schools, yet they are leaving in droves. This book addresses the post-pandemic crisis of early career teacher turnover that is harming students and entire school systems. The author provides teacher educators and mentors with strategies to help new teachers proactively navigate the early years and thrive in the K-12…

Introduce diversity and social-emotional learning to elementary students through a wide array of culturally relevant, quality children's literature. This valuable resource shares recommendations for books that explore race, ethnicity, gender, (dis)ability, religion, and more. The authors pair activities with book suggestions to promote healthy…

Conflicts are inevitable, often hard to navigate, and can quickly multiply and become unmanageable. And resolving conflict requires self-reflection, understanding, and vulnerability. But knowing how to tackle difficult conversations will strengthen relationships, create a more equitable community, and improve the impact educators have on the young…

Undergraduate students, particularly those with limited experience in business, struggle to appreciate the complexity of organizational communication dynamics. Communication complexities such as role conflict, position power, and individual perception--and their influence on effective communication--are particularly challenging for this…

In a small-group communication course, students participate in a semester-long project to observe an organization while applying many group communication principles, including conflict resolution, group dynamics, teambuilding, leadership, and diversity. In groups of five, the students select any organization, agency, or department on campus or in…

Courses: Communication and Conflict. Objectives: Through the use of a game-based framework, students will build intrinsic motivation to engage with course material and course content, and will engage their critical-thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills in relation to conflict management over the length of the course. A list of…

When educators are challenged to address problem student behaviors, the question in their minds should never be "What's the right punishment?" Instead, this book describes the benefits to both teachers and students of using a relational discipline approach. The author draws on deep experiences as a teacher, coach, and school principal to…

Over 400 schools throughout the world have adopted Invitational Education to foster innovative thinking, sustained positive action, and the creation of socially and emotionally safe schools. As educators are now involved in an epic rethinking of what they do and how they do it, "Developing Inviting Schools" provides a dependable guide…

Metatheoretical perspectives, and their role in influencing the research process, can be difficult for undergraduate students to grasp. The communication field brings together myriad approaches to communication, lending to students' confusion (Muller, H. L., & Craig, R. T. [2007]. Introduction. In R. T. Craig & H. L. Muller [Eds.],…

Courses: Conflict communication, negotiation, small group. Objective: This activity will enhance students' awareness and critique of their own negotiation behaviors. A list of references and suggested readings is included.

Courses: Intercultural Communication. Objectives: Students will achieve the following learning outcomes--(1) demonstrate knowledge of intercultural systems by identifying roots of intercultural communication conflict, (2) address intercultural problems by taking action within the context of their own lives, (3) collaborate with peers to problem…

Group work doesn't have to be a classroom management headache. At Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, where collaboration is one of five core values, students regularly participate in group projects. To support productive group work, the staff uses several strategies: apply these strategies to your next group project to ensure students…