e l 

Week 5 Discussion – Handling Conflict

After completing this week’s Readings and Resources, respond to the following questions.

Think of a time when you have witnessed (or maybe you have been involved in) a situation with conflict. As the conflict unfolded, how did you feel? How did the leader or person in charge handle the conflict? (If you were involved, how did you handle the conflict)? Was the outcome positive or negative? What did you learn that will be helpful to you in the future? You might want to add how you would have handled the conflict differently if you believe the leader did not manage it well. 

Your initial responses are due by 11:55 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday and should be between 200-250 words. The initial posting should be a statement of your point of view on the question, supported by the required readings. 

NO READINGS FOR THIS ONE

Sample discussion questions are provided

Handling Conflict

Monday, February 3, 2020, 7:52 PM

If there is one thing I learned throughout this internship, its how to handle crisis and conflict. I always pride myself on how to handle uprising situations but I learned that handling this manner is different because politics and different parties are involved. As an administrator, it’s imperative to evaluate every situation as well as thorough investigate. I had to deal with an uproar last week when a drastic fight broke out between two middle school students. This incident escalated quickly because after I reviewed the cameras with the behavior specialist, we had to call the police which then we were informed to call DSS because of an open case.

I honestly believe that the situation was handle properly but it broke my heart and I felt extremely uncomfortable when I was informed to call DSS. This is because DSS was called on the scholar who was actually the victim in the situation. So one minute hes being attacked by an aggressor then the next thing you know, he is being removed from his home and family until further notice. Based on the information I learned, it was best for his well-being to be remove but it sadden me that it was on the day that he was attacked at school. I learned quickly that, you may feel uncomfortable initially when handling a crisis but its necessary in the long run. 

Handling Conflict

M
onday, February 3, 2020, 7:52 PM

If there is one thing I learned throughout this internship, its how to handle crisis and
conflict. I always pride myself on how to handle uprising situations but I learned that
handling this manner is different because politics and different parties are in
volved. As
an administrator, it’s imperative to evaluate every situation as well as thorough
investigate. I had to deal with an uproar last week when a drastic fight broke out
between two middle school students. This incident escalated quickly because afte
r I
reviewed the cameras with the behavior specialist, we had to call the police which then
we were informed to call DSS because of an open case.

I honestly believe that the situation was handle properly but it broke my heart and I felt
extremely uncomfort
able when I was informed to call DSS. This is because DSS was
called on the scholar who was actually the victim in the situation. So one minute hes
being attacked by an aggressor then the next thing you know, he is being removed from
his home and family un
til further notice. Based on the information I learned, it was best
for his well
–
being to be remove but it sadden me that it was on the day that he was
attacked at school. I learned quickly that, you may feel uncomfortable initially when
handling a crisis
but its necessary in the long run.

Handling Conflict
Monday, February 3, 2020, 7:52 PM

If there is one thing I learned throughout this internship, its how to handle crisis and
conflict. I always pride myself on how to handle uprising situations but I learned that
handling this manner is different because politics and different parties are involved. As
an administrator, it’s imperative to evaluate every situation as well as thorough
investigate. I had to deal with an uproar last week when a drastic fight broke out
between two middle school students. This incident escalated quickly because after I
reviewed the cameras with the behavior specialist, we had to call the police which then
we were informed to call DSS because of an open case.
I honestly believe that the situation was handle properly but it broke my heart and I felt
extremely uncomfortable when I was informed to call DSS. This is because DSS was
called on the scholar who was actually the victim in the situation. So one minute hes
being attacked by an aggressor then the next thing you know, he is being removed from
his home and family until further notice. Based on the information I learned, it was best
for his well-being to be remove but it sadden me that it was on the day that he was
attacked at school. I learned quickly that, you may feel uncomfortable initially when
handling a crisis but its necessary in the long run.

Handling Conflict

Monday, February 3, 2020, 7:26 PM

 At leadership team meetings, team leaders always have an opportunity to share celebrations and concerns from their team. Sometimes this is done on a poster as team leaders arrive, other times it has been as a group discussion or an online form. One concern that was brought up on a celebrations and concerns poster at a recent leadership team meeting was a concern about guidance support for students. One team leader wrote that the school guidance counselors were not meeting with students in accordance to plans that had previously been set such as student x meeting with guidance once every week. The teachers had raised these concerns with the counselors, but they expressed that the problem continued.

From here, we spoke with our guidance counselors to share these concerns. At first this conversation was very tense and was met with a great deal of defensiveness. To refocus the conversion, it was stated that this concern was raised in advocating for students and ensuring their needs were being met. Our goal was to problem solve together to make improvements. Upon further conversation, the guidance counselors expressed that they felt they did not have enough time to meet with all the students they needed to meet with in a week. This led to a conversation that included looking at their schedules to see the time they spend teaching guidance classes and the time that is set aside for serving students and other responsibilities. The additional roles and responsibilities that they fill were reviewed, and we reflected on how other staff could support them with some of these roles to help protect time for counseling students, while others are specific to their job as guidance counselors. The conversation ended on a positive note with a fresh reminder of the integral role that the guidance counselors play in our school.

 I believe that this conflict was handled well, but I would add on by asking the guidance counselors to check in with each grade level about student concerns. I think communication is critical to resolving this conflict. This would allow the guidance counselors to verify plans for on-going counseling for specific students, and make sure they are aware of any additional students that teachers feel are in need of counseling support. I would also encourage the counselors to document when they are meeting with students, to help hold themselves accountable and also to utilize if questions arise from teachers or parents about how regularly they are working with a particular student or small group. Lastly, I would follow up after a few weeks with both guidance counselors and the team that raised the concern to ensure that we are back on track.

 This conflict resolution reminded me of the importance of establishing ways that teachers or teams can express concerns and advocate for the needs of their students. It also showed the power of having an open conversation, ensuring that all voices are heard, and problem solving together to find solutions.

Handling Conflict

M
onday, February 3, 2020, 7:26 PM

At leadership team meetings, team leaders always have an opportunity to

share
celebrations and concerns from their team. Sometimes this is done on a poster as team
leaders arrive, other times it has been as a group discussion or an online form. One
concern that was brought up on a celebrations and concerns poster at a recent
leadership team meeting was a concern about guidance support for students. One team
leader wrote that the school guidance counselors were not meeting with students in
accordance to plans that had previously been set such as student x meeting with
guidance
once every week. The teachers had raised these concerns with the
counselors, but they expressed that the problem continued.

From here, we spoke with our guidance counselors to share these concerns. At first this
conversation was very tense and was met with

a great deal of defensiveness. To
refocus the conversion, it was stated that this concern was raised in advocating for
students and ensuring their needs were being met. Our goal was to problem solve
together to make improvements. Upon further conversation
, the guidance counselors
expressed that they felt they did not have enough time to meet with all the students they
needed to meet with in a week. This led to a conversation that included looking at their
schedules to see the time they spend teaching guida
nce classes and the time that is set
aside for serving students and other responsibilities. The additional roles and
responsibilities that they fill were reviewed, and we reflected on how other staff could
support them with some of these roles to help prot
ect time for counseling students,
while others are specific to their job as guidance counselors. The conversation ended
on a positive note with a fresh reminder of the integral role that the guidance counselors
play in our school.

I believe that this conf
lict was handled well, but I would add on by asking the guidance
counselors to check in with each grade level about student concerns. I think
communication is critical to resolving this conflict. This would allow the guidance
counselors to verify plans for

on
–
going counseling for specific students, and make sure
they are aware of any additional students that teachers feel are in need of counseling
support. I would also encourage the counselors to document when they are meeting
with students, to help hold th
emselves accountable and also to utilize if questions arise
from teachers or parents about how regularly they are working with a particular student
or small group. Lastly, I would follow up after a few weeks with both guidance
counselors and the team that
raised the concern to ensure that we are back on track.

This conflict resolution reminded me of the importance of establishing ways that
teachers or teams can express concerns and advocate for the needs of their students. It
also showed the power of havin
g an open conversation, ensuring that all voices are
heard, and problem solving together to find solutions.

Handling Conflict
Monday, February 3, 2020, 7:26 PM

At leadership team meetings, team leaders always have an opportunity to share
celebrations and concerns from their team. Sometimes this is done on a poster as team
leaders arrive, other times it has been as a group discussion or an online form. One
concern that was brought up on a celebrations and concerns poster at a recent
leadership team meeting was a concern about guidance support for students. One team
leader wrote that the school guidance counselors were not meeting with students in
accordance to plans that had previously been set such as student x meeting with
guidance once every week. The teachers had raised these concerns with the
counselors, but they expressed that the problem continued.
From here, we spoke with our guidance counselors to share these concerns. At first this
conversation was very tense and was met with a great deal of defensiveness. To
refocus the conversion, it was stated that this concern was raised in advocating for
students and ensuring their needs were being met. Our goal was to problem solve
together to make improvements. Upon further conversation, the guidance counselors
expressed that they felt they did not have enough time to meet with all the students they
needed to meet with in a week. This led to a conversation that included looking at their
schedules to see the time they spend teaching guidance classes and the time that is set
aside for serving students and other responsibilities. The additional roles and
responsibilities that they fill were reviewed, and we reflected on how other staff could
support them with some of these roles to help protect time for counseling students,
while others are specific to their job as guidance counselors. The conversation ended
on a positive note with a fresh reminder of the integral role that the guidance counselors
play in our school.
I believe that this conflict was handled well, but I would add on by asking the guidance
counselors to check in with each grade level about student concerns. I think
communication is critical to resolving this conflict. This would allow the guidance
counselors to verify plans for on-going counseling for specific students, and make sure
they are aware of any additional students that teachers feel are in need of counseling
support. I would also encourage the counselors to document when they are meeting
with students, to help hold themselves accountable and also to utilize if questions arise
from teachers or parents about how regularly they are working with a particular student
or small group. Lastly, I would follow up after a few weeks with both guidance
counselors and the team that raised the concern to ensure that we are back on track.
This conflict resolution reminded me of the importance of establishing ways that
teachers or teams can express concerns and advocate for the needs of their students. It
also showed the power of having an open conversation, ensuring that all voices are
heard, and problem solving together to find solutions.

Handling

Conflict

Monday, February 3, 2020, 6:55 PM

When I think back on situations with conflicts, one event stands out in my mind. During

my secon

d

year at my current school, the teacher across the hall from wrote up one of

her students for profanity directed at a school official. The result of the write

up was a

suspension because of the way our system of discipline is tiered. As students commit

more of the same type of offense, the consequences worsen. The parents of the

student hit the roof furious because their daughter was suspended for what they

deem

ed the first offense. A meeting was called between the parents and the teachers

and because I also taught the student, I was asked to be there. The conflict came when

the mother of the student started acting disrespectfully toward the teacher involved and

the

principal

. She began using profanity and refused to listen to what the principal was

saying. As the conflict unfolded I, along with all of the other teachers, became

increasingly more uncomfortable. The situation escalated rapidly and my then

–

principal

was involved in a shouting match with the mother. Finally, he called the meeting to an

end and asked the parents and student to leave the room. To say it was not a positive

outcome would be an understatement. I was incredibly surprised that the parents di

d

not withdrawal the student from our school because of the way the principal addressed

them.

As a future administrator, I took a step back to evaluate the situation. What I saw was a

situation that should have been handled between the parents, administra

tion, and the

teacher who wrote the student up. Instead, an entire team of teachers was roped into

this situation and judged based on the actions of our leader. What I took away was how

important it is to keep your cool and maintain professionalism even wh

en it is difficult.

The principal showed all of his cards that day. While I do applaud his willingness to

stand up for his teachers, that was lost in the shouting match. I would have approached

this situation in a completely different manner by first addre

ssing what the parents

hoped to gain from meeting with the teacher and maintaining my position on the

consequence the student faced for her actions. I would maintain that once the

consequence was given to the student, the meeting would take place with me r

ather

than me and the teacher as I am the one who made the decision on what her

consequence would be. I would also stress to my teachers the importance of

communicating disciplinary violations home so that parents are not surprised when their

student is su

spended for a continued behavior they had no idea was happening.

Permalink

Reply

Handling Conflict

Monday, February 3, 2020, 6:55 PM

When I think back on situations with conflicts, one event stands out in my mind. During

my second year at my current school, the teacher across the hall from wrote up one of

her students for profanity directed at a school official. The result of the write
up was a
suspension because of the way our system of discipline is tiered. As students commit
more of the same type of offense, the consequences worsen. The parents of the
student hit the roof furious because their daughter was suspended for what they
deem
ed the first offense. A meeting was called between the parents and the teachers
and because I also taught the student, I was asked to be there. The conflict came when
the mother of the student started acting disrespectfully toward the teacher involved and

the principal. She began using profanity and refused to listen to what the principal was

saying. As the conflict unfolded I, along with all of the other teachers, became
increasingly more uncomfortable. The situation escalated rapidly and my then
–
principal

was involved in a shouting match with the mother. Finally, he called the meeting to an
end and asked the parents and student to leave the room. To say it was not a positive
outcome would be an understatement. I was incredibly surprised that the parents di
d
not withdrawal the student from our school because of the way the principal addressed
them.

As a future administrator, I took a step back to evaluate the situation. What I saw was a
situation that should have been handled between the parents, administra
tion, and the
teacher who wrote the student up. Instead, an entire team of teachers was roped into
this situation and judged based on the actions of our leader. What I took away was how
important it is to keep your cool and maintain professionalism even wh
en it is difficult.
The principal showed all of his cards that day. While I do applaud his willingness to
stand up for his teachers, that was lost in the shouting match. I would have approached
this situation in a completely different manner by first addre
ssing what the parents
hoped to gain from meeting with the teacher and maintaining my position on the
consequence the student faced for her actions. I would maintain that once the
consequence was given to the student, the meeting would take place with me r
ather
than me and the teacher as I am the one who made the decision on what her
consequence would be. I would also stress to my teachers the importance of
communicating disciplinary violations home so that parents are not surprised when their
student is su
spended for a continued behavior they had no idea was happening.

Permalink
Reply

Handling Conflict

Monday, February 3, 2020, 6:55 PM

When I think back on situations with conflicts, one event stands out in my mind. During
my second year at my current school, the teacher across the hall from wrote up one of

her students for profanity directed at a school official. The result of the write up was a

suspension because of the way our system of discipline is tiered. As students commit
more of the same type of offense, the consequences worsen. The parents of the
student hit the roof furious because their daughter was suspended for what they

deemed the first offense. A meeting was called between the parents and the teachers

and because I also taught the student, I was asked to be there. The conflict came when
the mother of the student started acting disrespectfully toward the teacher involved and
the principal. She began using profanity and refused to listen to what the principal was
saying. As the conflict unfolded I, along with all of the other teachers, became

increasingly more uncomfortable. The situation escalated rapidly and my then-principal

was involved in a shouting match with the mother. Finally, he called the meeting to an
end and asked the parents and student to leave the room. To say it was not a positive

outcome would be an understatement. I was incredibly surprised that the parents did

not withdrawal the student from our school because of the way the principal addressed

them.

As a future administrator, I took a step back to evaluate the situation. What I saw was a

situation that should have been handled between the parents, administration, and the

teacher who wrote the student up. Instead, an entire team of teachers was roped into
this situation and judged based on the actions of our leader. What I took away was how

important it is to keep your cool and maintain professionalism even when it is difficult.

The principal showed all of his cards that day. While I do applaud his willingness to
stand up for his teachers, that was lost in the shouting match. I would have approached

this situation in a completely different manner by first addressing what the parents

hoped to gain from meeting with the teacher and maintaining my position on the
consequence the student faced for her actions. I would maintain that once the

consequence was given to the student, the meeting would take place with me rather

than me and the teacher as I am the one who made the decision on what her
consequence would be. I would also stress to my teachers the importance of
communicating disciplinary violations home so that parents are not surprised when their

student is suspended for a continued behavior they had no idea was happening.

PermalinkReply

Handling Conflict

Monday, February 3, 2020, 10:50 AM

I am lucky that I have only a few experiences of conflict that I have been involved in. One of the first moments that stood out to me when thinking about a situation of conflict was an interaction I had with a teacher earlier this year. Let me preface the situation by providing some context to how my school is set up. My school is in the shape of an E with each point of the E as a hallway. With 3 points, we have 3 hallways. A hall, B hall, and C hall. A and C hall are 4 people teams while B hall (my hall) is a 6 person team. This 6 person team is new to the school, the largest team I’ve been a part of has been a 5 person team. On each hall there are only 4-5 classrooms per hall so one teacher on the B hall team has her classroom on C hall. I hope all this makes sense, but it is the best I can explain without drawing a picture.

Earlier this year we were having problems with students from C hall wandering in the halls between class periods. I was discussing this with the teacher who has a classroom on C hall, but is on B hall team. As we were speaking I misspoke and said students from her hall were causing some transition problems. This greatly upset her because she felt as if she was not part of the B hall team. My misinterpretation of mixing up what hall she was on was taken very personnel by her. Not only did she verbally demonstrate that she was upset verbally, months later, there is still a grudge held against me.

As grade level leader I wanted to mend my wrong doing because I want all teachers to feel welcome and expressive in their work environment. While the outcome of this experience is not entirely positive, the teacher and I are able to communicate more effectively. I apologized shortly after the incident and asked what can I do better to make her feel as part of the B hall team even though her room is on a separate hallway. During this experience of conflict, I learned the value of communication. If I as a leader make a mistake, I learned to just own up to it. I am a human and make mistakes, it is important for others in the school to see these mistakes so they can own up to their own when they make one. I do not feel as if there is much more I could have done as a leader after I made the mistake of mixing up what hall the teacher was on. I would approach my apology and my resolution in the same manner if I was able to go back in time.

Handling Conflict

Monday, February 3, 2020, 10:50 AM

I am lucky that I have only a few experiences of conflict that I have been involved

in.
One of the first moments that stood out to me when thinking about a situation of conflict
was an interaction I had with a teacher earlier this year. Let me preface the situation by
providing some context to how my school is set up. My school is in the

shape of an E
with each point of the E as a hallway. With 3 points, we have 3 hallways. A hall, B hall,
and C hall. A and C hall are 4 people teams while B hall (my hall) is a 6 person team.
This 6 person team is new to the school, the largest team I’ve b
een a part of has been a
5 person team. On each hall there are only 4
–
5 classrooms per hall so one teacher on
the B hall team has her classroom on C hall. I hope all this makes sense, but it is the
best I can explain without drawing a picture.

Earlier this

year we were having problems with students from C hall wandering in the
halls between class periods. I was discussing this with the teacher who has a classroom
on C hall, but is on B hall team. As we were speaking I misspoke and said students
from her hal
l were causing some transition problems. This greatly upset her because
she felt as if she was not part of the B hall team. My misinterpretation of mixing up what
hall she was on was taken very personnel by her. Not only did she verbally demonstrate
that s
he was upset verbally, months later, there is still a grudge held against me.

As grade level leader I wanted to mend my wrong doing because I want all teachers to
feel welcome and expressive in their work environment. While the outcome of this
experience i
s not entirely positive, the teacher and I are able to communicate more
effectively. I apologized shortly after the incident and asked what can I do better to
make her feel as part of the B hall team even though her room is on a separate hallway.
During th
is experience of conflict, I learned the value of communication. If I as a leader
make a mistake, I learned to just own up to it. I am a human and make mistakes, it is
important for others in the school to see these mistakes so they can own up to their own

when they make one. I do not feel as if there is much more I could have done as a
leader after I made the mistake of mixing up what hall the teacher was on. I would
approach my apology and my resolution in the same manner if I was able to go back in
time.

Handling Conflict
Monday, February 3, 2020, 10:50 AM

I am lucky that I have only a few experiences of conflict that I have been involved in.
One of the first moments that stood out to me when thinking about a situation of conflict
was an interaction I had with a teacher earlier this year. Let me preface the situation by
providing some context to how my school is set up. My school is in the shape of an E
with each point of the E as a hallway. With 3 points, we have 3 hallways. A hall, B hall,
and C hall. A and C hall are 4 people teams while B hall (my hall) is a 6 person team.
This 6 person team is new to the school, the largest team I’ve been a part of has been a
5 person team. On each hall there are only 4-5 classrooms per hall so one teacher on
the B hall team has her classroom on C hall. I hope all this makes sense, but it is the
best I can explain without drawing a picture.
Earlier this year we were having problems with students from C hall wandering in the
halls between class periods. I was discussing this with the teacher who has a classroom
on C hall, but is on B hall team. As we were speaking I misspoke and said students
from her hall were causing some transition problems. This greatly upset her because
she felt as if she was not part of the B hall team. My misinterpretation of mixing up what
hall she was on was taken very personnel by her. Not only did she verbally demonstrate
that she was upset verbally, months later, there is still a grudge held against me.
As grade level leader I wanted to mend my wrong doing because I want all teachers to
feel welcome and expressive in their work environment. While the outcome of this
experience is not entirely positive, the teacher and I are able to communicate more
effectively. I apologized shortly after the incident and asked what can I do better to
make her feel as part of the B hall team even though her room is on a separate hallway.
During this experience of conflict, I learned the value of communication. If I as a leader
make a mistake, I learned to just own up to it. I am a human and make mistakes, it is
important for others in the school to see these mistakes so they can own up to their own
when they make one. I do not feel as if there is much more I could have done as a
leader after I made the mistake of mixing up what hall the teacher was on. I would
approach my apology and my resolution in the same manner if I was able to go back in
time.

Handling Conflict

Sunday, February 2, 2020, 6:07 PM

School Leaders are faced with conflict daily and must evaluate each situation on an individual basis. Last week, we had a situation between two teachers at a staff meeting that escalated quickly. During the staff meeting, groups were asked to work together to discuss and provide feedback on a given scenario. One teacher was disengaged and when a member of the admin team went to privately address her, a member of her group Inserted herself in the discussion which did not sit well with the disengaged teacher so she had words with the teacher. At this point the inserted teacher left the meeting to collect herself.  After about fifteen minutes, the principal texted her to come back to the meeting which she responded she needed more time to collect herself. The principal responded that she should not return nor should she attend the night’s basketball game (which she leads the cheerleading team).  At this point, the teacher had a choice response via text to the principal, with which the principal did not respond. 

The following day, the principal met with the inserted teacher to discuss how the events unfolded. Needless to say, the inserted teacher did not feel supported with the actions of the principal and felt the use of text in lieu of a face to face contact was unprofessional. 

Throughout this situation, I had a range of feelings. First, the inserted teacher was wrong to insert herself however the disengaged teacher’s behavior is a constant and rarely addressed by the Admin Team.  I do believe, in hindsight,  the principal should have communicated with the inserted teacher face to face. In addition, I do not believe the consequence fit the action. Not allowing the teacher to attend the basketball game affected the students of the cheerleading squad which is unfortunate that students were impacted by a teacher situation.  I think in the future, remembering that communicating through text can be impersonal and can be misinterpreted so face to face conversations, with cool off time, may be the best way to solve conflict. 

Handling Conflict

Sunday, February 2, 2020, 6:07 PM

School Leaders are faced with conflict daily and must evaluate each situation on an
individual basis. Last week, we had a situation between two teachers at a staff meeting
that escalated quickly. During the staff meeting, groups were asked to work together

to
discuss and provide feedback on a given scenario. One teacher was disengaged and
when a member of the admin team went to privately address her, a member of her
group Inserted herself in the discussion which did not sit well with the disengaged
teacher
so she had words with the teacher. At this point the inserted teacher left the
meeting to collect herself.

After about fifteen minutes, the principal texted her to come
back to the meeting which she responded she needed more time to collect herself. The
p
rincipal responded that she should not return nor should she attend the night’s
basketball game (which she leads the cheerleading team).

At this point, the teacher
had a choice response via text to the principal, with which the principal did not respond.

The following day, the principal met with the inserted teacher to discuss how the events
unfolded. Needless to say, the inserted teacher did not feel supported with the actions
of the principal and felt the use of text in lieu of a face to face contact
was
unprofessional.

Throughout this situation, I had a range of feelings. First, the inserted teacher was
wrong to insert herself however the disengaged teacher’s behavior is a constant and
rarely addressed by the Admin Team.

I do believe, in hindsight
,

the principal should
have communicated with the inserted teacher face to face. In addition, I do not believe
the consequence fit the action. Not allowing the teacher to attend the basketball game
affected the students of the cheerleading squad which is
unfortunate that students were
impacted by a teacher situation.

I think in the future, remembering that communicating
through text can be impersonal and can be misinterpreted so face to face
conversations, with cool off time, may be the best way to solve
conflict.

Handling Conflict
Sunday, February 2, 2020, 6:07 PM

School Leaders are faced with conflict daily and must evaluate each situation on an
individual basis. Last week, we had a situation between two teachers at a staff meeting
that escalated quickly. During the staff meeting, groups were asked to work together to
discuss and provide feedback on a given scenario. One teacher was disengaged and
when a member of the admin team went to privately address her, a member of her
group Inserted herself in the discussion which did not sit well with the disengaged
teacher so she had words with the teacher. At this point the inserted teacher left the
meeting to collect herself. After about fifteen minutes, the principal texted her to come
back to the meeting which she responded she needed more time to collect herself. The
principal responded that she should not return nor should she attend the night’s
basketball game (which she leads the cheerleading team). At this point, the teacher
had a choice response via text to the principal, with which the principal did not respond.

The following day, the principal met with the inserted teacher to discuss how the events
unfolded. Needless to say, the inserted teacher did not feel supported with the actions
of the principal and felt the use of text in lieu of a face to face contact was
unprofessional.

Throughout this situation, I had a range of feelings. First, the inserted teacher was
wrong to insert herself however the disengaged teacher’s behavior is a constant and
rarely addressed by the Admin Team. I do believe, in hindsight, the principal should
have communicated with the inserted teacher face to face. In addition, I do not believe
the consequence fit the action. Not allowing the teacher to attend the basketball game
affected the students of the cheerleading squad which is unfortunate that students were
impacted by a teacher situation. I think in the future, remembering that communicating
through text can be impersonal and can be misinterpreted so face to face
conversations, with cool off time, may be the best way to solve conflict.

Handling Conflict

Tuesday, February 4, 2020, 10:53 AM

Back in the beginning of wrestling season we had a situation dealing with a prospective wrestler and their parents feeling that he was neglected by the coaching staff, which ultimately led to him getting injured.  The parents were highly upset and wanted to seek legal action, but the student athlete in questions was not completely honest in telling the entire situation.  

My principal and myself being athletic director decided we needed to first check on the student and his health considering he ended up in the hospital with a neck injury and concussion, to then do an investigation of the situation, and finally meet with the parents to discuss the situation and figure where we were all going next.  

After meeting with the parents and getting all the pieces to the puzzle, we came to a conclusion that the coaches were not negligent, but there were some practices they had that we could change or make better.  The parents wanted to be heard, they wanted to voice their opinion and they wanted to make sure their child was being treated fairly and that it wouldn’t happen again in the future.  

From this meeting I learned that if we are at fault for anything we should be honest with the people involved and tell them about it and push to make changes for the future.

The only thing that I would have done differently would be the timeline.  This situation took almost three weeks to handle and I believe it should have been dealt with sooner.  I did like that the time helped in settling the situation down a bit before it was discussed in detail.  

Handling Conflict

Tuesday, February 4, 2020, 10:53 AM

Back in the beginning of wrestling season we had a situation dealing with a prospective wrestler
and their parents feeling that he was neglected by the coaching staff, which ultimately led to him
getting injured.

The parents were highly upset and wanted t
o seek legal action, but the student
athlete in questions was not completely honest in telling the entire situation.

My principal and myself being athletic director decided we needed to first check on the student
and his health considering he ended up in

the hospital with a neck injury and concussion, to then
do an investigation of the situation, and finally meet with the parents to discuss the situation and
figure where we were all going next.

After meeting with the parents and getting all the pieces t
o the puzzle, we came to a conclusion
that the coaches were not negligent, but there were some practices they had that we could change
or make better.

The parents wanted to be heard, they wanted to voice their opinion and they
wanted to make sure their ch
ild was being treated fairly and that it wouldn’t happen again in the
future.

From this meeting I learned that if we are at fault for anything we should be honest with the
people involved and tell them about it and push to make changes for the future.

Th
e only thing that I would have done differently would be the timeline.

This situation took
almost three weeks to handle and I believe it should have been dealt with sooner.

I did like that
the time helped in settling the situation down a bit before it wa
s discussed in detail.

Handling Conflict
Tuesday, February 4, 2020, 10:53 AM

Back in the beginning of wrestling season we had a situation dealing with a prospective wrestler
and their parents feeling that he was neglected by the coaching staff, which ultimately led to him
getting injured. The parents were highly upset and wanted to seek legal action, but the student
athlete in questions was not completely honest in telling the entire situation.
My principal and myself being athletic director decided we needed to first check on the student
and his health considering he ended up in the hospital with a neck injury and concussion, to then
do an investigation of the situation, and finally meet with the parents to discuss the situation and
figure where we were all going next.
After meeting with the parents and getting all the pieces to the puzzle, we came to a conclusion
that the coaches were not negligent, but there were some practices they had that we could change
or make better. The parents wanted to be heard, they wanted to voice their opinion and they
wanted to make sure their child was being treated fairly and that it wouldn’t happen again in the
future.
From this meeting I learned that if we are at fault for anything we should be honest with the
people involved and tell them about it and push to make changes for the future.
The only thing that I would have done differently would be the timeline. This situation took
almost three weeks to handle and I believe it should have been dealt with sooner. I did like that
the time helped in settling the situation down a bit before it was discussed in detail.

Handling Conflict

Tuesday, February 4, 2020, 12:51 PM

There have been many times in my career thus far in which I have witnessed conflict in the workplace. I have witnessed conflict between teachers, between students, between teachers and students and between teachers and parents. Much of my experience in terms of conflict I have seen, or been part of, would be conflict between parents and teachers. Most recently I received an email, which my principal was CC’d on, from a parent explaining that I was wrong for not informing her sooner that her child was failing prior to progress reports going out. I informed her according to our policy which was one week prior but she was not happy with that. In the email she requested that the student be removed from my class due to my incompetence. Obviously, it was extremely hard not to respond at the time, but the email made me feel very angry and a little sad because I generally think that I follow the rules and notify parents when I am supposed to. 

Luckily, my principal was extremely supportive and responded on my behalf. She explained that I followed school policy and even spoke up on behalf of my leadership skills and said I was one of the best teachers in the building. The parent then requested a meeting with all of the teachers and the principal. Ultimately the outcome was positive but only because my principal advocated for me, which she did because I followed protocol. I think the biggest take away I had from this experience is the weight and value parents put on the principal’s words. The parent didn’t want to believe me, the teacher, but when the principal backed me up then she had a different tone. I think this only works if the teacher’s are following protocol. I think if everyone is doing their jobs correctly, there is little to no space for negative outcomes to conflict because rules are being followed.

Handling Conflict

Tuesday, February 4, 2020, 12:51 PM

There have been many times in my career thus far i
n which I have witnessed conflict in
the workplace. I have witnessed conflict between teachers, between students, between
teachers and students and between teachers and parents. Much of my experience in
terms of conflict I have seen, or been part of, would

be conflict between parents and
teachers. Most recently I received an email, which my principal was CC’d on, from a
parent explaining that I was wrong for not informing her sooner that her child was failing
prior to progress reports going out. I informed
her according to our policy which was one
week prior but she was not happy with that. In the email she requested that the student
be removed from my class due to my incompetence. Obviously, it was extremely hard
not to respond at the time, but the email ma
de me feel very angry and a little sad
because I generally think that I follow the rules and notify parents when I am supposed
to.

Luckily, my principal was extremely supportive and responded on my behalf. She
explained that I followed school policy and

even spoke up on behalf of my leadership
skills and said I was one of the best teachers in the building. The parent then requested
a meeting with all of the teachers and the principal. Ultimately the outcome was positive
but only because my principal advo
cated for me, which she did because I followed
protocol. I think the biggest take away I had from this experience is the weight and value
parents put on the principal’s words. The parent didn’t want to believe me, the teacher,
but when the principal backed

me up then she had a different tone. I think this only
works if the teacher’s are following protocol. I think if everyone is doing their jobs
correctly, there is little to no space for negative outcomes to conflict because rules are
being followed.

Handling Conflict
Tuesday, February 4, 2020, 12:51 PM

There have been many times in my career thus far in which I have witnessed conflict in
the workplace. I have witnessed conflict between teachers, between students, between
teachers and students and between teachers and parents. Much of my experience in
terms of conflict I have seen, or been part of, would be conflict between parents and
teachers. Most recently I received an email, which my principal was CC’d on, from a
parent explaining that I was wrong for not informing her sooner that her child was failing
prior to progress reports going out. I informed her according to our policy which was one
week prior but she was not happy with that. In the email she requested that the student
be removed from my class due to my incompetence. Obviously, it was extremely hard
not to respond at the time, but the email made me feel very angry and a little sad
because I generally think that I follow the rules and notify parents when I am supposed
to.

Luckily, my principal was extremely supportive and responded on my behalf. She
explained that I followed school policy and even spoke up on behalf of my leadership
skills and said I was one of the best teachers in the building. The parent then requested
a meeting with all of the teachers and the principal. Ultimately the outcome was positive
but only because my principal advocated for me, which she did because I followed
protocol. I think the biggest take away I had from this experience is the weight and value
parents put on the principal’s words. The parent didn’t want to believe me, the teacher,
but when the principal backed me up then she had a different tone. I think this only
works if the teacher’s are following protocol. I think if everyone is doing their jobs
correctly, there is little to no space for negative outcomes to conflict because rules are
being followed.