From Conflict to Connection: Empowering Discipline Strategies for Educators - #IMW26025

Graduate-Level Credit / Non-Credit Hours
3 Semester Credits or 45 Clock Hours

Course Description

This course empowers educators to transform discipline from a reactive process to a proactive opportunity for connection and growth. Participants will explore research-based strategies to de-escalate conflict, foster student accountability, and create a culture of respect. Grounded in the work of researchers such as Dr. Ross Greene (The Explosive Child) and Dr. Bruce Perry (The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog), participants will explore how behavioral challenges are often manifestations of unmet needs and lagging skills—not intentional defiance.

The course integrates principles of restorative justice (as advanced by Howard Zehr) to reframe misbehavior as an opportunity for growth and relationship-building.  Educators will analyze discipline systems, recognize the role of equity and trauma, and design practices that build student relationships and restore trust. A toolkit of practices will be developed to foster safe, responsive, and equitable learning environments.

By the end of this course, educators will be equipped with practical, research-based strategies to replace punitive discipline with relational, restorative approaches that prioritize connection, accountability, and student dignity. Participants will design an implementation plan or presentation that demonstrates their ability to apply student-centered practices to real-world classroom or schoolwide challenges. Through this comprehensive approach, educators will be empowered to build trust, repair harm, and create inclusive learning environments where every student feels seen, supported, and capable of success.

Throughout the course, participants will engage in interactive dialogue through a variety of mediums to receive valuable feedback to reflect on from their instructor.  All formative and summative projects are reviewed and graded, and feedback from the instructor will be provided, allowing the participant to enhance their portfolio of educational tools/resources to impact their classroom or school community.

Global Outcomes/Goals of the Course

To deepen and/or apply the content and skills of the teacher’s existing professional knowledge base by meeting the following global goals of the course:

1. To understand the importance of strong relationships in educational settings, recognizing their impact on student achievement and discipline.
2. To examine the role of relational strategies in preventing and addressing student conflict.
3. To evaluate current school discipline systems and develop responsive alternatives.
4. To learn methods for fostering supportive and understanding relationships with students, including mentorship, emotional support, and creating a respectful classroom culture.
5. To equip educators with skills to manage and resolve conflicts effectively, using mediation, negotiation techniques, and proactive communication strategies that foster partitive discipline strategies to build student agency and trust. 
6. To establish ongoing processes for assessing and enhancing family and student relationships, utilizing feedback to improve educational practices and setting realistic goals for relationship development and maintenance.

• Interactive