Restore the Respect: How to Mediate School Conflicts and Keep Students Learning

Unresolved conflicts in schools build barriers to learning, including low motivation, lack of focus, and disruptive behaviors that remove students from the classroom. When teacher-student conflicts occur, the negative effects can be long-lasting without a safe and structured way to repair the relationship.This reader-friendly guidebook has a concrete, evidence-based solution: an easy and effective 50-minute mediation technique for teachers and students in Grades K-12. School psychologist Ondine Gross guides you through the whole process of starting a teacher-student mediation program, conducting successful mediations, and collecting and monitoring data to measure the effectiveness of the program. You'll also learn how to use the technique to mediate conflicts between students and between adults in schools, including staff members and parents. Highly successful as a Tier II intervention, this common-sense solution will help your school leave ineffective discipline techniques behind—and embrace more supportive approaches that model social and problem solving skills, reduce suspensions, and keep students learning.WHY MEDIATION?Reduces disciplinary actions—82% of students who participated in teacher–student mediation had no further disciplinary referrals from that teacher* Removes or reduces obstacles to student learning and achievementGives teachers insights into student stressors so they can develop positive solutionsStrengthens and repairs relationships among all members of a school community: teachers, students, staff members, and parentsEnhances social-emotional learning and communication skillsBuilds trust and promotes a caring and respectful environment among people of different backgroundsFits perfectly within response to intervention and systems of schoolwide positive behavior support frameworksWorks in any school—embed it as a Tier II intervention in your multitiered system of supports or use it as a standalone strategy *Statistic derived from average of three years of data from a midsize public high schoolPRACTICAL MATERIALS: Compelling school stories; candid feedback from teachers, students and administrators; step-by-step mediation training and practice scenarios; sample mediation dialogue and communication tips; an intervention tracking tool; and a "mediation toolbox" of handouts and forms. Read more