A school principal at Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School in Richmond, Virginia, describes the application of the Clifton Youth StrengthsExplorer assessment developed by the Gallup organization. A fifth-grade girl who was in frequent conflict with peers and teachers was helped to identify her strengths and develop more effective emotional and…

The Search Institute, a nonprofit research organization in Minneapolis, Minnesota, defines developmental assets as good things everyone needs to be happy in life, such as a supportive family, a caring neighborhood, integrity, self-esteem, resistance skills, conflict resolution skills, constructive activities and a sense of purpose. "A…

A teacher describes how she managed to turn one student's disruptive behavior into an opportunity for all students to learn about conflict resolution. (JL)

Describes a multicultural unit for fifth graders in which each students receives a prop, develops a character around it, and writes a sketch which is videotaped and critiqued. Describes how students' characters identify their differences and figure out how to get along. Notes that students' ongoing relationships with eighth-grade penpals provided…

A fifth grade teacher describes ways to curtail tattling in the classroom by teaching students to express themselves in writing. When a problem arises, students are encouraged to write notes explaining their side of the story. The teacher reads the notes, talks with the students involved, and handles things accordingly. (SM)