The inner referee knows what to do

I recently took over the break supervision for a colleague. In the school building in question in Emmental, around one hundred pupils from year one to year nine share the playground. The task of break supervision is therefore carried out by two teachers.

As breaks are part of lesson time, pupils are under the care and authority of the school. Teachers are therefore obliged to supervise break times as part of their professional duties. In purely legal terms, this is therefore part of working time and is remunerated as part of the fixed annual working hours.

The more a conflict escalates, the more difficult it becomes to resolve it. It is far easier to prevent a conflict from arising in the first place.

If the children and young people interact peacefully during the break, as a teacher you can even enjoy the beautiful weather and fresh air during supervision. In moments like these, it's easy to forget about the coffee you missed.

However, supervision can also be hectic and very challenging. When two children are fighting at the same time, a scraped knee needs to be tended to and a child is not following the rules on the football pitch, you have your hands full. But the most exciting breaks usually come with the first snow.

Conflict in the sandpit

Back to my break supervisor. It's just before ten o'clock. I'm on the playground a little earlier. At 9.55 a.m. on the dot, the electronic «bell» chimes three times. A short time later, the first children come out of the school building with their snacks.

The more children enter the square, the louder and livelier the hustle and bustle becomes. The atmosphere on this day is peaceful. I stroll around the playground, chat to my colleague and watch the goings-on.

Two girls have independently started two building projects in the sandpit. While one girl is busy piling up a huge hill, the other girl is getting closer to building a long trench.

A little later, the pile of sand belonging to her classmate appears to be in the way of the continuation of the trench, whereupon part of the mound is unceremoniously removed. This is also noticed by her colleague, whereupon the trench is filled in again. I see the looming conflict and slowly approach. The first angry words have already been spoken, followed shortly afterwards by the first tears.

If children's needs are recognised, they work better together and are willing to show consideration.

I try to intervene as a mediator and calm things down for the time being. Both girls are allowed to comment on the controversial situation one after the other. They listen to each other in an exemplary manner. Instead of blaming them or presenting them with solutions, I then encourage them to make their own suggestions.

They agree to mark out a boundary in the sand and not to cross it from now on. I am impressed by this solution, which is as banal as it is ingenious. I couldn't have solved the conflict any better. By respecting the boundary, the peace actually lasts until the end of the big break.

Social skills have a preventative effect

Even if the conflict just described was relatively harmless and easy to resolve, it is a good example of where the trigger usually lies: Conflicts often begin when a boundary is crossed.

Offences can take many forms. Insults are just as much a part of this as physical assault or disregard for property rights. Regardless of the form in which a boundary is crossed, the offence always constitutes an assault on integrity.

This often triggers a reaction that leads to a dynamic that is difficult to predict. The more a conflict escalates, the more difficult it becomes to resolve it. It is far easier to prevent a conflict from arising in the first place.

To prevent conflict, the boundaries of our fellow human beings must therefore be respected. Social skills are therefore needed to prevent boundaries from being crossed in the first place. With empathy, the other person's boundaries can be recognised at an early stage. And respecting this boundary can nip an escalation in the bud.

Learning success is only possible when children are free from conflict.

In the language of violence prevention, we speak of the inner referee at our school. This referee recognises the boundaries of the other person and reminds them not to overstep them. In contrast to the referee as we know him in sport, the inner referee corresponds to our own reason, whose judgement we do not question.

Should the boundaries nevertheless be crossed, there are useful strategies and tools for conflict resolution, such as the peace staircase. Specialist centres help schools to develop and implement concepts for prevention and management.

Specific case studies are discussed and possible solutions reflected on at further training events. Teachers learn about games and exercises that they can incorporate into their lessons. This enables them to support learners in acquiring the social skills required for peaceful and understanding coexistence.

The curriculum names these skills as the ability to engage in dialogue and cooperation, the ability to deal with conflict and diversity. This investment is worthwhile. A well-organised school day and successful learning are only possible if children and young people are free from conflict. If children feel comfortable and their needs are recognised, they work better together and are willing to show consideration.

These strategies also help us in adult life. If we are aware of our role model function, we should also listen to our inner referee and respect our own boundaries as well as those of our fellow human beings. A successful culture of conflict includes resolving conflicts with consideration and understanding. We should make this commitment.