You use the guidance approach in your pre-K classroom. Imagine a parent comes to you regarding an issue between their child and another child. The parent wants to know how you are punishing the other child so the issue does not happen again. How do you respond to the parent?
The focus on skill development rather than on negative behaviors lies at the core of the guidance approach, and this theoretical principle would inform my response to the parent regarding my reaction to conflicts involving this person’s child. When communicating with this person, I would emphasize the role of pre-K students’ stages of psychosocial development and insufficient experiences in conflict management to explain my selection of intervention methods (Gartrell, 2014).
Depending on the circumstances of the conflict in question, I would stress the fact that the student that allegedly offended this person’s child is still in the process of internalizing and experimenting with social norms and the various forms of peer interaction (Lawrence & Hinds, 2016). This discussion would support me in paving the way for justifying the shift from more “traditional” but ineffective approaches to discipline, such as even the slightest forms of corporal punishment, to teaching the basics of conflict management to pupils. In particular, I would make it clear to the parent that there can be no physical punishment from my side, even if the other child is largely responsible for the conflict.
Next, in my response regarding punishments, I should rely only on the established facts and offer my impartial analysis of the situation to the parent. As an example, in case of a quarrel reported to me by another teacher or one of the affected sides, it would be essential to follow the argument analysis procedures of the guidance approach and refrain from taking sides (Gartrell, 2014). If the side that initiated the conflict is known, it is critical to communicate this information to the parent even if it turns out that it is this person’s child who should be disciplined. Having checked the provided facts, I would share my conclusions about the required communication strategy.
Finally, I would provide a detailed description of the planned skill development strategies required to prevent further conflicts. In the majority of cases, aside from exceptional circumstances, such as bodily injuries, the intervention would be based on restorative (for instance, focused communication to model expected behaviors) rather than retributive justice principles (Lawrence & Hinds, 2016). As opposed to shaming the conflict initiator in front of the group, I would conduct a one-on-one conversation to model the application of the relevant skills and strategies (for example, sharing toys, taking turns when playing games, developing motor skills to avoid harming others unintentionally, etc.) to prevent unwanted behaviors (Feeney & Freeman, 2014). Additionally, I would mention my decision regarding reporting the incident to the initiator’s parents/caregivers.
Conflicts will undoubtedly happen within a classroom, and students need to learn how to solve some of these issues independently. What is the teacher’s role in conflict resolution? At what point does a teacher intervene?
Despite their potential negative influences on the emotional climate, classroom conflicts are inevitable and can even facilitate the acquisition of social norms. The teacher’s role in resolving them includes protecting the conflicting sides’ safety (Feeney & Freeman, 2014). Concerning safety, having noticed the first signs of incompatible interests, the teacher is anticipated to monitor the situation and conclude on the threats of its escalation, thus enabling children to resolve the problem without help and physical aggression if they possess enough skills to do so (Gartrell, 2014). In this sense, the teacher fulfills the functions of an outside observer who makes sure that the conflict remains constructive and non-violent.
Another dimension of the professional’s role involves maximizing the involved parties’ productive takeaways from interpersonal conflicts during classroom activities. In this work, the teacher is expected to find and maintain the right balance between firmness and friendliness and demonstrate positive consistency when selecting the right interventions (Gartrell, 2014). As per the guidance approach, the practitioner acts with predictability and sets clear limits to make children know what to expect in certain situations. It helps students to draw links between certain unwanted behaviors (for instance, swearing, hitting others, etc.) and their consequences and reduce the willingness to create and exacerbate conflicts in the future.
The right moment for the professional’s interventions is another critical question. The teacher is supposed to have enough experiences in predicting the outcomes of interpersonal conflicts and consider different types of information, including children’s psychological traits, the cause, and the situation, to make the best decision. Most importantly, it is essential to intervene in the conflict when there are any threats to children’s safety (Gartrell, 2014).
It is also beneficial to consider children’s unique personality characteristics and responses to stress when determining the best moment for interventions. As per Frank Kulle’s teaching philosophy, overprotection does not actually benefit students, and children should be given an opportunity to experience the consequences of their mistakes (Rogers, 2014). Therefore, intervening at the early stages of conflict situations might be relevant if the teacher knows that the participants are particularly sensitive to stress or have medical conditions affecting their responses to others’ emotions.
Aside from the aforementioned situational factors, there are certain behaviors that point to the need for the teacher’s help in most of the cases. The signs of children’s attempts to control their peers’ actions or make decisions on behalf of someone else are among the key examples that teachers may encounter (Gartrell, 2014). If students demonstrate bossiness, it is the teacher’s role to intervene by shifting the conflicting sides’ attention to less competitive activities or explaining the principle of fairness to make sure that all children have equal opportunities to participate in games and decision-making.
References
Feeney, S., & Freeman, N. K. (2014). Reporting classroom behavior: Balancing responsibilities to children and families. YC Young Children, 100-104.
Gartrell, D. (2014). A guidance approach for the encouraging classroom (6th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Lawrence, E., & Hinds, T. (2016). From punish and discipline to repair and restore. Principal, 20-23.
Rogers, J. (2014). Classroom management lessons from Frank Kulle. Independent School, 12-14.