Some principals have personalities that can drive teachers around the bend and back again. Sure, most are wonderful bosses who support teachers in any way, but woe betide teachers if they are unlucky enough to run across one of the six dreaded "problem principals" identified in this article. Teachers do not have to be held hostage by difficult…

Parents and teachers want their children to be safe and to learn the skills they will need to live successful lives in a competitive society. In a diverse and rapidly changing world where people are only an e-mail's blink away from all those strangers everywhere, then it would be safest in the long run to teach young children to "enjoy diversity."…

Effective management relates to creativity, good leadership, and a strong educational basis. Managing conflict is one of the main responsibilities to be an effective administrator. The purpose of this study was to investigate conflict management methods that administrators are using and what the perceptions of subordinates. Thirty-eight…

This brief publication provides bullet points of what education authorities are doing well and how they can do better in the following areas: (1) Planning for implementation; (2) Transition arrangements; (3) Meeting additional support needs; (4) Resolving disagreements; (5) Coordinated support plans; and (6) Working with children and young…

The Principal's Legal Handbook contains information and recommendations for practice in four areas. Section 1, "Students and the Law," yields interesting and informative answers on a number of issues related to students and the law: recent issues in schools relative to students' rights; the use of technology; and the latest case law and…

The purpose of this practicum was to resolve conflict in a peaceful and constructive manner in the sixth-grade. Students participated in a conflict resolution and peer mediation program designed to enable friendships to grow and to reduce the number of violent acts within the school setting. Thirty students initially began in the program. During…

This report informs about an international seminar, convened by the Lugansk Regional Committee of Educators for Peace. Among the interrelated themes dealt with included: (1) the role of technology in education for a new age; (2) systems thinking; (3) education for peace and new world order; (4) international projects such as "The Peace…

A training program is presented for helping teenagers and young adults deal creatively with interpersonal conflict and violence. It explores the dynamics of anger, hurt, conflict, communication, cooperation, and assertiveness as it teaches listening, mediation, and conflict-defusing skills. The manual consists of 10 sections, 8 of which form the…

Project VIP (Violence Is Preventable) is a comprehensive research-based program designed to help children and young adults make smart choices about violence. It emphasizes the use of student-centered approaches to help develop strategies for conflict resolution and for avoiding violence. The student book is a workbook with a number of activities;…

This booklet for parents, in question and answer format, provides basic information on the mediation process in the resolution of conflicts between parents and educators concerning special education. The first section is intended to help parents decide if mediation is the appropriate route in their situation. It addresses such topics as how…

This paper examines the role of international teaching assistant (ITA) trainers within American universities, focusing on their interaction with university administrators, faculty, and students. Through the presentation of research findings and scenarios, it argues that administrators often blame ITA trainers when a problem arises between an ITA…

This curriculum module for students in grades 7-12 focuses on the subject of tolerance. The lessons provide students with opportunities to develop knowledge about issues and events of intergroup relations, increase student awareness of the dynamics of intolerance, and help students build a framework for developing their thinking about these…

Even parents who are very involved in their children's day-to-day lives have difficulty resolving school problems, largely due to lack of information. This document outlines the workings of the public and private school systems and provides parents with methods for coping with common school-related problems that may affect their children. Topics…

This manual is intended for use in training volunteer community conciliators involved in resolving conflicts between schools and parents of special education students. After an introduction, the manual outlines the principles of conciliation, emphasizing that it should be voluntary, informed, self-determined, impartial, and confidential.…

Three action research projects were conducted with the intention of creating peaceful learning environments in Canadian schools from kindergarten to twelfth grade. The first project focused on social skills development, especially conflict management, for elementary school students in a rural New Brunswick school. Staff used Washington state's…