Professional organization ethical codes are adopted to protect the public by educating their members to standards of conduct and by facilitating resolution of ethical complaints. Given that the last survey on ethics in school psychology was conducted over a decade ago, the aim of this study was to investigate the ethical dilemmas practitioners…

This qualitative case study research explored children's social disputes in one New Zealand kindergarten. The disputes typically related to the possession of resources and space. "First possession" was found to be significant, hence the name of this article. The notion that children have to experience "possession" and…

Behavior problems among third- and fourth-grade students have become an issue of concern among stakeholders in the education sector. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore teachers' perceptions of Second Step, a socioemotional curriculum with practices used to address behaviors with third and fourth graders. The…

Teacher intervention in children's disputes most commonly features cessation strategies, despite evidence showing the value of modelling problem-solving behaviours. Existing research has categorized strategies used by teachers in early childhood settings, but in this article we aim to illustrate how these practices are realized. Using the method…

In this follow-up to "Guidance for Every Child," author Dan Gartrell, EdD, expands on the advice broached in that book -- that children need guidance rather than discipline. Guidance is teaching for healthy emotional and social development. On a day-to-day basis as conflicts occur, guidance is teaching children to learn from their…

The purpose of this study is to analyze the pluralistic leadership behaviours of school principals in the Turkish educational context. The exploratory design was used in this study, which employs the first qualitative, and then quantitative data collection methods. The sample of the study was determined using the maximum variation sampling…

While social-emotional learning programmes in schools often have positive outcomes, many such initiatives are not well implemented and maintained. This paper reports on teacher reflections on the process of planning and implementing a whole school social-emotional learning (SEL) programme with a conflict resolution focus, called "Enhancing…

In this article, I draw on the ethnographic study of a Universal Pre-Kindergarten class to theorize the functional appeal of conflict that permeates young children's interactions. From a conflict theory perspective, I document how young children negotiate meaning in and with their world as they engage in learning through conflict. While…

Employing a quasi-experimental design, this pilot study on teacher practices with toddlers during social conflicts was conducted in the southeastern USA. Four child-care classrooms, teachers (n?=?8) and children (n?=?51) were assessed with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System -- Toddler [CLASS-Toddler; La Paro, K., Hamre, B. K., & Pianta,…

Establishing caring communities in child care centers is one of the most important, yet challenging undertakings for early childhood professionals. Lessons in accomplishing this goal can be learned from the inhabitants of the island communities of coastal Maine who work together to overcome the challenges of living in remote locations. In this…

Several administrators discuss the core elements of their curriculum. These core elements are: (1) Child-centered; (2) Play; (3) Problem solving; (4) Respect; (5)Creativity; (6) Community; (7) Independence; (8) Curiosity; (9) Love of learning; (10) Relationship; (11) Cooperation; (12) Self-confidence; (13) Language; (14) Joy; (15) Nature; Natural…

There are lots of ways to handle behavior problems in the classroom. Some teachers send difficult children to time out, others tell them what and what not to do, and many explain why. But these techniques have one thing in common: they all do the thinking for the child. In this article, the author discusses how to help children handle conflicts…

Gossiping staff in early childhood programs models destructive behavior and harms families' trust in the professionalism of the program. Bruno identifies some of the causes and motives for gossip and examines its occurrence in early care and education settings. She offers step-by-step strategies to help supervisors set and enact policies that…

Children with only months of life experience and brain development are just beginning to learn social problem solving. No wonder young children frequently make mistakes! Teachers tend to complain about tattling more than any other behavior. To many teachers, tattling is irksome, but there is more to this behavior than meets the eye. In this…

This brief article describes how classroom group time can be "talk central" for children to discuss problems, imagine solutions, even role-play hypothetical situations. It is often in the safety and support of the large group that children develop the tools they need to learn how to resolve the inevitable conflicts that arise throughout life.…