Education System

Do you have all the skills you need to deal with difficult students and parents?

We can give your staff the practical tools to handle tricky conflicts so that they can feel calm and confident when dealing with big issues like challenging behaviours and bullying.

In a school environment, there are countless ways for children to feel dysregulated and disconnected. Even though teachers spend years learning how to impart knowledge, to truly help their students learn and grow, they need more than curriculum; teachers need a full set of conflict management tools.

Tangible tools for student wellbeing

Third Way Conflict Specialists helps students in two ways:

Directly, we provide programs for students themselves. They can learn to better self-regulate and be more collaborative through difficult conflicts. We can even stop bullying.

Indirectly, we provide training programs for educators who work with students and parents. With better tools, staff can better support students while also feeling more confident and calm when approaching their most challenging relationships.

Our approach to conflict management

Most approaches to student conflict in education attempt to have adults step in on behalf of the wronged students. A solution is imposed from the top down. Often, this ends with punishment. The problem, though, is that both students and teachers know it doesn’t really work.

We take a different approach: We put students at the centre of the solution, and we teach practical conflict management tools.

Why? Children in conflict are lacking essential skills in conflict management. (And, often, the adults who try to help them lack these skills too!) At the root of many of these conflicts is trauma, which means they need to be approached with a trauma-informed lens.

Our conflict management methodology works with students to reach a cooperative solution that benefits everyone involved. We help students find their strong and kind voice — a voice that is confident, but also empathetic.

With our simple, proven methodology, you and your students can learn conflict management tools that will serve them not just in these incidences of conflict, but throughout their whole lives.

“I have attended teaching conferences for 30 years and I have never enjoyed a session more, let alone two! The profound way she eloquently expressed her thoughts about working with students who have been bullied or those who may be the bully was truly inspiring.” — M. Severson

Is it really going to work?

As the creator of Cooperative Conflict Coaching - a method that resolves bullying - I (Kathleen) am well versed in resolving our most complex school conflicts.

I was a teacher in the Ontario school system for over a decade and almost every day, I saw that schools lacked the tools to end the pain caused by bullying.

If you’ve been around the education system long enough, you might be a little cynical when it comes to anti-bullying techniques — and for good reason. I studied conflict and bullying at the university level for years, but the real learning came from dealing with difficult students and parents on a regular basis. I had years to craft and perfect the methodology, and I became the go-to educator for bullying and conflict.

My first realization was that this methodology works every time. Whether you’re working with elementary, secondary, college students, or adults, you can see extraordinary results.

But my second realization was that I was no longer fearful. I was calm and confident, even through my most challenging conversations. And that’s why I knew I wanted to get these techniques into the hands of teachers and students: Everyone can feel calm, confident, and effective.

How we work with schools

We work with schools in multiple ways to put an end to ongoing conflict, and prevent new conflict from arising.

Training
We offer live and in-person training to help school staff to become Cooperative Conflict Coaching certified (my signature methodology for students who are targeted in bullying situations), and train teachers and students with my popular Sensitivity Training program (for students doing the bullying).

Workshops
For schools looking to learn a different approach to dealing with student conflict, challenging behaviours, or solving bullying, we offer speaking and workshops. Both speaking engagements and workshops can be conducted virtually, and each talk or workshop is customised to your school and the kinds of bullying and conflict problems you’re experiencing.

To learn more about our speaking and workshop services for schools, get in touch.

Workshop: How To Deal With "That Parent"

To book Kathleen’s popular workshop for educators, How to deal with that parent, please fill in the form below.

Virtual Speaking and Workshops

To book Kathleen for virtual speaking or online workshops, please fill in the form below.

Teacher & Administrator Workshops

How to Handle Our Hardest Students
This workshop looks at the 6 archetypes of most challenging behaviours we face every day with our students – from the student who is shut down and out, all the way to the student who explodes repeatedly in our classrooms. Participants will learn a bit of theory on why this behaviour is presented, will hear stories of how they present in a classroom and school, and, most important will gain some important tools in helping a child or teen manage these behaviours. (1 hour – could be longer with Q&A)

How to Handle “That Parent”
This workshop helps teachers and administrators to understand and handle our hardest parents. Often, difficult personalities put a wrench in solving issues for our students. Participants will learn about the 9 archetypes of parents who can wreak havoc when it comes to problem-solving student issues. Participants will leave with a significantly better understanding of why they are seeing these behaviours from parents, and, how to manage them effectively so that communication can flow, and student problems can be resolved. (1 hour)

How To Stop Bullying Before It Starts
In this workshop, Kathleen shares a few simple things we can do - as teachers, administrators and support staff - that will proactively reduce bullying incidents in our schools. Participants will leave knowing how to set up their classrooms for success, what tools need to be taught to students directly in conflict, and how to best get students working together instead of against each other.

Student Workshops

School Wide Sensitivity Training (grades 4 and up)
This school-wide workshop helps students understand why we use aggression as a method to solve problems, why bullying relationships are formed, and the long-term impact of bullying. Throughout the workshop, students reflect on how to be a more effective friend, bystander, or supporter of those stuck in cycles of bullying. Students learn tangible ways to stop bullying, to stand up to a bully, and to resolve conflict in a more productive way. Students receive a handout so that they can reflect on what this information means to them. This workshop is presented best in a classroom environment with teachers present. (1 hour – could be longer with Q&A)

Mental Health and Conflict Management (grades 4 and up)
This school-wide workshop helps students to learn how to effectively solve conflict by first dealing with their emotions. Kathleen shares 8 effective ways of releasing feelings – and the students stomp, swing their arms, and tap along with her. This workshop is best presented in a classroom format with teachers present. Students receive a handout to reflect on the best new methods for them. The second half of the workshop steps students through effective conflict management strategies to resolve their issues. Teachers are left with a classroom activity which gives the students some time to role-playing different ways of solving school-based programs. (1 hour – could be longer with Q&A)

Sensitivity Training for Students - Small Group
Sensitivity Training is a program for students who are using aggression or bullying to resolve their issues. This group-based program is suitable for students from grade 4 to 12. Sensitivity Training is booked after an assault, bullying, or harassment. The program is 1.5-hours in length. It helps students to think through why they are choosing aggression to problem solve, it helps develop empathy, and gives them an opportunity to make amends. (1.5 hours)

Cooperative Conflict Coaching and Sensitivity Training

Become Cooperative Conflict Coaching Certified
We offer a 2-day Cooperative Conflict Coaching workshops for school counsellors, social workers and psychotherapists, held every quarter. This training will help you get to the root of any bullying incident, and know how to resolve the situation quickly, confidently, and in a trauma-informed way. It will help you work with the student targeted, parents, teachers, and administrators, to reach a peaceful resolution for everyone.

Duration: 2 days (14 hours)
Cost: $800 per person

Sensitivity Training for Facilitators
This 2-day training will set schools up for success to run their own Sensitivity Training program. Sensitivity Training is a program for students in grade 6-12. Students who are bullying, or who are showing aggression to resolve their issues can be referred to this 1.5-hour program. Students have the chance to explore their reasons for their choice in behaviour, the impact of their actions, and take time to make amends. The training includes at least 1 administrator from each school for a ½ day, and then a minimum of 2 staff Sensitivity Training leads from each school. This program is trauma informed, and is based in Restorative Justice and other conflict management philosophies. Training includes a training manual, the PPTs and handouts for the program.

Contact Kathleen to learn more