Conflict Resolution, Negotiation and Bullying

This set of topics relates to the personal and professional lives of teachers as well as the lives of students.  For the last few years, Wisconsin law has required that all teacher students get some training in the subject of conflict resolution.  As we have said in Ed. Psych., maintaining good relations with everyone: colleagues, students, parents and everyone in your personal life will go a long way to having a satisfying and successful life as a teacher.

Here is a link to a summary of an excellent book (in Bill's opinion, the best) on negotiation.  Some students have a picture of negotiation as a form of quibbling or as a contest in which all parties to the negotiation attempt to chisel or trick all the other parties.  Negotiation can definitely be that. However, it can also be a rational and caring analysis of differing views, needs, goals and dreams of the parties involved.  Working on your knowledge of good principles of negotiation, such as outlined in the book mentioned above, "Getting to Yes" by Fisher and Ury (now in its second edition) can be very valuable and increase your ability to get what you want while giving others what they want in your classroom, your professional activities and your personal life.

Here is a link to an ERIC digest on the subject of teasing which is certainly a part of many children's lives.  That subject relates to harassment, sexual and other kinds, and race, ethnic and gender relations.  A related subject is bullying, on which much research and discussion is focused currently.  The link relates to bullying among children and youth but bullying of various kinds is also found in virtually any adult type of workplace and can be a matter of concern to anyone.

Current, research based information on these subjects, related subjects and virtually any subject related to schools and teaching can be found at the US government web site on education: http://www.ed.gov