Conflict Coach

Hook 5 min

1. "Two people want to say the same thing: 'my stuff got wrecked.' One gets an apology. One starts a fight. How can the same message go two ways?" (Tone. Blaming. The words they picked.)
2. "Today we'll say a line, watch the other kid react, then rewind and say it another way."

Explore 18 min

The Slides, teacher drives, class votes (11 min):

1. Pick The Slides and read Jordan's setup aloud. Point at the meter: it starts at Tense.
2. Turn 1, Say it. For this first round, pick the blame card on purpose: "You never do your part. You're so lazy." "What happened to the meter? To Jordan's arms?" (It dropped to Heated. Jordan crossed their arms and leaned away.)
3. Read Jordan's reply. Stop here: "What did Jordan know that we didn't?" (Their grandma is staying with them and they have no quiet place to work.) This is the surprise.
4. Press Rewind. Partners whisper, then vote A to D. Pick the I-statement. "Look at the faded Last time bubble beside the new line. Same problem. What changed?" (No blame: a feeling, what happened, what we need. The meter went to Listening.)
5. Press Next to Hear them. If the class picks "Just do them at lunch then," ask: "That sounds helpful. Why didn't the meter move?" (We fixed it before showing we heard them.) Rewind and try the reflective listen.
6. Press Next to Fix it. Try "Never mind, I'll do all of it" first. "The argument ended. Why is the meter stuck?" (Our need disappeared.) Rewind and pick a plan, then read the ending card.

Partners (7 min):

1. Pairs on laptops pick The Lab Controls or The Weekend Plan. "Try one weak line each turn, rewind, then go for a Clean run." Rewinds don't break it.

Make sense 7 min

1. On the board: Say it = I-statement, Hear them = reflective listen, Fix it = both-sides plan or ask what works.
2. Open Line Builder with The Slides. Use the feeling tile "like you don't care" and three good tiles, then Check my line. "Why isn't that a feeling?" (It's a thought about them. A feeling is one word, like stressed or worried.)
3. Swap in "stressed" and press Say it to them. "What changed in Jordan's reply?" (It went from guarded to open.)
4. "In every scene, the other kid had a reason we didn't know. When did we find it out?" (Only after we stopped blaming and listened.)

Apply 10 min

1. Hand out the printed The Markers cards. Partner 1 takes the Speaker card, Partner 2 the Listener card.
2. Speaker reads the I-statement frame aloud and fills it in. Listener says back "So you feel ___ because . Did I get that right?", then "From my side, ." Agree on one plan.
3. Swap roles with the same cards and do it again.
4. Project Show both sides for The Markers. "What did each of you not know at the start?" Call on two pairs.

Exit check 5 min

Read a new made-up moment: "Your locker partner keeps piling wet gym clothes on top of your books." On scrap paper, students write one I-statement with all four parts: I feel ___ when ___ because . Could we ? (I feel annoyed when my books get wet, because I need them for class. Could we each use one shelf?) Students who write "I feel like you..." or skip the ask need another round in Line Builder.