An Alternative to “Knock it Off!” when Students Fight (Ep. 52)

In this episode of “Courageous Conversations about our Schools,” host Ken Futernick talks with educator and interpreter Shelby Rideout about a simple, in-the-moment strategy for handling kid conflicts without defaulting to “Knock it off,” “Go to your room,” or forced apologies. Instead of sending kids away to “work it out” without tools, Shelby guides them to pause, lower the emotional temperature, and actively look for what they have in common. 

She shares a hallway incident where two normally kind girls shifted from name-calling to laughing together after she led them in a “common ground” game—discovering shared faith and even a love of Ethiopian bread. The episode offers a practical reset strategy that educators and parents can use to help kids reconnect and work through their conflicts. Oh…it turns out this strategy can also work with adults.