Repair Strategies After Conflict Lesson Plan

Standards Addressed

• Self-Awareness: Recognizing one's emotions and values as well as one's strengths and limitations.
• Self-Management: The ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations.
• Relationship Skills: The ability to express needs and opinions confidently.

Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Explain what “repair” means after a conflict
• Tell the difference between solving a problem and repairing hurt feelings
• Follow a simple repair framework

Assessments

Students can be assessed in the following areas:

• Participate in a guided repair strategy discussion
• Choose a repair strategy that fits a situation

Materials

• Repair Strategies poster (copies for each student)
• Chart paper or whiteboard to record responses during discussion
• Index cards with different scenarios written out (see Lesson Step #3)

Activating Prior Knowledge

Note: This lesson should be done after completing the Conflict Resolution Lesson Plan.

Explain to students that sometimes after solving a conflict, repair is a necessary next step. Discuss the differences:

• Solving a problem fixes what happened.
• Repair fixes how it felt and protects the relationship.

Define repair as an intentional action to rebuild safety, trust, or connection after harm - even accidental harm. Emphasize that repair is not about punishment or forced forgiveness. It is about accountability and restoring safety.

Lesson Steps

1) Introduce the Repair Strategies poster. Display the poster and briefly explain each strategy.

2) Model the framework using the following classroom scenario and discussing possible repair strategies:

• Example Scenario - During group work, one student completes most of the project while another student talks about unrelated topics. The first student says, “You’re not even helping.”
  • Possible repair strategies:
    • Create a Plan: Assign clear roles
    • Clarify Intent: “I didn’t realize we were dividing tasks”
    • Offer a Redo: Restart with structured expectations
    • Ask for Mediation if roles are unclear

3) Place students in pairs or small groups and assign each group another scenario from below. Have them come up with at least two different repair strategies:

• Scenario 1 - During recess, a student joins a basketball game and misses a shot. Another student says, “That’s why we didn’t want you on our team.”
  • Possible repair strategies:
    • Acknowledge Impact: Recognize the comment was hurtful
    • Offer a Redo: Reset the tone of the game
    • Create a Plan: Rotate positions or teams
    • Take Space if emotions are high
• Scenario 2 - A student is presenting in class. Someone nearby whispers and giggles. The presenter stops talking and refuses to continue.
  • Possible repair strategies:
    • Clarify Intent: “Were you laughing at me?”
    • Acknowledge Impact: “We were laughing at something else, but I see how that looked”
    • Offer a Redo: Restart presentation
    • Take Space before continuing
• Scenario 3 - A student’s headphones are taken from their desk without asking. The other student says, “I was just borrowing them.”
  • Possible repair strategies:
    • Return or Replace immediately
    • Create a Plan: Ask before borrowing
    • Acknowledge Impact: Recognize that no one likes having their things taken from them
    • Ask for Mediation if trust feels broken

• Scenario 4 - A student is told to move seats due to talking. They say, “They were talking too. Why am I the only one moving?”
  • Possible repair strategies:
    • Clarify Decision: Explain teacher reasoning
    • Acknowledge Impact: “It feels unfair”
    • Create a Plan: Define clear expectations moving forward
    • Offer a Redo if appropriate

4) Additional scenarios may be provided to the students for extra practice, or you can choose to have the pairs/small groups of students create their own scenarios and decide on the repair strategies. Circulate to support students and offer guidance if they get stuck on a step.

Reflection

Facilitate a closing discussion. Ask students:

• What type of repair strategy feels easiest for you?
• What repair strategy feels hardest?

Let students know that it’s ok to take time before beginning the repair phase. Oftentimes people need time to gather their thoughts and decide the best strategy. Repair does not need to be immediate to be meaningful.

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Here is the printable version of  Repair Strategies After Conflict Lesson Plan.

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