Resolving Classroom Conflicts

A principal or interviewer wants to hear, not just about the successes you’ve had, but also how you have dealt with some of the inevitable challenges of day-to-day teaching.  As a result, here's a question you're likely to get:

Describe a time in student teaching when you failed to resolve a classroom conflict.

A:   We had this student in second grade – Matthew – who was very hyperactive.  He was on meds, but his parents always forgot to give him his medication before he came to school.  As a result, one of us had to maintain very close proximity to Matthew throughout the day in order to keep him in check.  In hindsight, I would have worked harder to establish open lines of communication with his parents.  I would have created a more intensive classroom behavior modification program that would have rewarded Matthew for good behavior.  I would have focused more on those times when Matthew exhibited good behavior and would have established a concrete plan of action to record those successes.

In responding, always focus on the positive – never blame a student or his parents.  Show what you learned as a result of this experience and how you might use that experience to address a similar challenge in the future.  Keep the spotlight on the fact that you are vitally interested in improving your teaching skills and that you are always willing to grow and learn.