ABSTRACT
The heart of preventing and solving discipline problems is the constructive resolution of conflict. Whether a discipline problem is mild or severe (involving violence), it represents a conflict between teachers who wish to restore order and the misbehaving students. The conflict may be among students or between students and the teacher or other staff members. The way in which conflicts are managed has profound influences on the effectiveness with which teachers instruct and socialize students and manage the classroom as well on the methods they use to intervene when discipline problems occur. When conflicts are resolved constructively, teacher effectiveness increases. When conflicts are managed destructively, the teacher’s ability to instruct students and manage the classroom is obstructed.
