Resolving conflict is tough business. Thankfully our students already have some great tools to help them navigate conflicts. By this point in the year, Old Mill students know the process of self-regulation and the benefits of using I Statements to effectively communicate. We believe having the ability to calm big emotions, and effectively communicate during conflicts, potentially puts our students above many adults out there. This month we would like to build on what our students already know and refine their conflict resolution skill. We do this by introducing the STEP process.

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Whenever our students confront a conflict, we encourage them to first self-regulate any big emotions they may have. They know this is a crucial step to help them clearly. After self-regulating any big emotions they move onto the STEP process; Say, Think, Explore, Pick.

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The first step is to take a step back and Say the problem out loud. This helps our students identify what they are really upset about. Sometimes when there is back and forth in a verbal conflict the root of the problem is lost.

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The second step is to Think of as many solutions as possible. This is fun step, kids are creative and they can come up with some amazing solutions.

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After the students think of solutions they move on to Exploring the consequences (good and bad) of their solutions. In this step they try to see which solutions are the most fair and equitable with the best consequences for all involved. 

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Finally, the students move on to Picking the best solution. After exploring the consequences of each solution, this is usually an easy step and the conflict is typically resolved without too much hassle. 

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We are excited to see our students use the STEP process. Couple the STEP process with self-regulation and communicating with I statements and we are sure to have a fantastic rest of the school year!