In the room
Playground conflict
Ethics class with scraped knees.
What is actually happening
Conflict is how children practice perspective, inhibition, and repair. If you solve it every time, they never get the reps. If you vanish, the biggest body writes the rules.
Do
- Spot safety, then wait 10 seconds
- If stuck: each child says what they wanted, then one try of a plan
- Coach repair, not forced apology theater
Don't
- Who started it as the only question
- Forced hug
What to say
- You both wanted the swing. Two ideas: timer, or you push first then switch. Which?
- What could you say to Jordan?
The scaffold
Role-play the scene later with stuffed animals. Rehearsal is ZPD for social skill.