How can you help students brainstorm effective solutions during a conflict?

1 Identify the problem

Before you can brainstorm solutions, you need to help your students identify the problem they are facing. This involves asking them to explain the situation, their emotions, their needs, and their objectives. To do this effectively, try using open-ended questions, actively listening to them, and paraphrasing what they say. For example, you could ask: What exactly happened? How did you feel when that happened? What was it that you needed or wanted in that scenario? And what were you hoping to achieve by your actions?

2 Generate possible solutions

Once you have identified the problem, you can help your students generate possible solutions that address their needs and goals. To do this, you can use brainstorming techniques such as asking each student to write down ideas without judgment or criticism, encouraging creativity and variety with prompts, combining and modifying ideas from different students, and writing down all the ideas on a board or paper for everyone to view. These methods can help foster an environment of exploration and innovation that can lead to successful solutions.

3 Evaluate and select solutions

After you have generated a list of possible solutions, you can help your students evaluate and select the best one for their situation. You can use criteria such as how well the solution meets the needs and goals of both parties, how fair and respectful it is, how realistic and feasible it is to implement, and how likely it is to prevent or reduce future conflicts. Ask your students to rate each solution on a scale of 1 to 5 based on these criteria, then compare and discuss their ratings. Additionally, have them identify the pros and cons of each solution, as well as how they would overcome any potential challenges or drawbacks.

4 Implement and monitor solutions

The final step is to help your students implement and monitor the solutions they have selected. This can be done by having them agree on the specific actions, responsibilities, and timelines for each solution and providing them with support, resources, and feedback as they carry out their plans. Additionally, you should check in with them regularly to see how they are progressing and if they need any adjustments. Celebrating their successes and acknowledging their efforts will also help reinforce their learning. Ultimately, by following these four steps, you can help your students brainstorm effective solutions during a conflict and improve their SEL and conflict resolution skills.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?