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"How can the inevitable challenges that arise when people come together in groups serve as an opportunity for learning rather than a source of contention? How do we resolve interpersonal difficulties without resorting to punitive practices that disrupt relationships?"

These questions are posed by Ellen Hall and Jennifer Kofkin Rudkin in their article "Supportive Social Learning" (Exchange, 2010).

"If a teacher intervenes by removing either the child seeking to enter the group or a child who rejects these advances, this does not help and likely hinders the children’s ability to negotiate such situations more effectively in the future. In Supportive Social Learning (SSL), teachers attempt to keep children together in community. The goal is for members of the classroom to work with each other, not against each other.

"An unwillingness to condemn children does not mean that all behaviors are viewed as acceptable. A child who acts against another is held responsible for righting the wrong, but this is done in a way that brings the children together.

"The focus of SSL is not how to change problem behavior, but how best to create the conditions that make competent behavior possible. This means attending to classroom dynamics. It also directs attention to the physical environment. If there is not enough space in the room, or enough toys to share, or if the room is too loud or too busy, frustrations and hostile interactions become more likely."

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