Course: EDUC – 6165 – 6

Week 5 Blog Assignment

Conflict

Joanne Lynch

Date: Saturday 30^th November, 2013.

       A school is an institution that is designed for teaching children under teachers’ direction. Likewise the scheduled time spent with these children, which is the instructional time, is a critical element in driving academic excellence. However, at the elementary school where I work, teachers perform their task feverishly with children, so as achieve mastery and learning of the school’s program of studies.

       Certainly, the school has been plagued with the negative attitude of some parents, who frequently want to break the school rules, by not adhering to the stipulated time that is set for visiting their children, hence, creating discord between the home and the school.  Moreover, some parents fail to realize that when child-teacher interaction and supervision are maintained, it is not ethical to disrupt the sessions, since they can become distracted.

       Admittedly, an unresolved conflict can call on tremendous amount of attention, because conflict resolution requires skills. However, through the Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA) meeting, I have to be proactive in resolving this issue, by reaching an agreement through skilled dialogue, a relational approach to communication and interactions with the parents. Additionally, I had to request that both parties would like in a way that clearly and specifically stated what we wanted, rather than what we do not want, and that is truly a request and not a demand.

       Moreover, the compromising strategy did call for both sides of the conflict to give up elements of position, so as to establish an acceptable, if not agreeable solution. Consequently, this nonviolent communication has resolved around compassion, connection, and peace, and back up talks with concrete, structured, yet flexible methodology that teaches us how to enact these ideals, through specific way of speaking and listening, that builds connection and mutually satisfying relationships.

       Indeed, I will like to get my colleagues’ responses/feedback about the importance of instructional time, as well as, whether or not parents/guardians or even visitors should be allowed in the classroom during instructional time.

Reference

The Center for Nonviolent Communication. (n.d.). The center for nonviolent communication. Retrieved

                       From http://www.cnvc.