Resolving conflicts

"The law of win-win says: let's not do it your way, let's do it the best way"                                                            Greg Anderson

The thing about "resolving conflicts in the classroom" is perhaps one of the most difficult issues that teachers have to face when teaching students. Watch this video and try to think if the response of the 'mocked student' is the appropiate one.

However, do you think that it is all his fault? From my point of view, the teacher is the 'responsible number one' of this conflict, since he is the "mature" one who should not make fun of any student in the class, especially if the student is trying to participate in class. Secondly, he must not allow that other students laugh when a student is trying to give an answer to a question that he has asked.

It is also true that the student of this video did not have the appropiate level to be in that class. For this reason, a teacher's job is also to find out whether that student has the adequate knowledge to follow the lesson and give to that student support or advice. Finally, the response of the 'mocked student' was violence, which does not solve anything at all, and indicates a problem of self-esteem and control that must be analysed by a therapist.

So, WHICH IS THE BEST WAY TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS IN THE CLASSROOM?

First of all, teachers should contemplate conflicts as a chance for them to grow as professionals and also because they should always help students in order to become social individuals, capable to be involved into the society.

Secondly, every problem has a solution. Although some students will come up with family problems, lack of interest for the subject, misbehavior, etc., teachers have to do a "research", exploring the reasons why the student has academic failure, why he/she is not capable of respecting his/her classmates... 

Finally, teachers must propose solutions, adequated to the context of education and mutual respect. It is also important for teachers to detect every single fault from one student to another. Even the slightest insult could be a sign of a future conflict. 

As a conclusion, teachers and all the staff that work in schools and centres of secondary education (the caretaker, cleaning personnel, head teacher...) have the responsibility of creating an atmosphere of tolerance, solidarity and respect.