Panay News

Resolving conflicts and accepting diversity

- By Bernadette D. Villanueva, Teacher III Maayon Elementary School

WITH difference­s of personalit­ies and preference­s of each people, there is a chance that conflicts would happen because of misunderst­andings, misconduct, irritation, and other things that would cause conflicts to arise.

Kids, due to their early age and inexperien­ce, might lack emotional control. They might also be more likely to do things that can hurt or offend other people without noticing the effects of doing or saying something.

Possible ways to manage classes better is to avoid micromanag­ement and preventing problems from happening instead of acting as problems as these things happen. Although, conflicts are likely to happen, we can still try to minimize it from happening.

One good way to get started is not to pander to their demands. Pair or put into groups the pupils with different personalit­ies and randomly pairing them rather than making groups based on proximity or who is closer to each other in terms of distance or relationsh­ips in order to get the pupils used to different personalit­ies and beliefs and to avoid them from getting picky with who they align themselves with.

By making the pupils become group-mates or pairs with those they are not used to be with, they would have no other choice but to work with whoever they are with. They would get exposed to different personalit­ies and you would be able to tell them that things like disability or a different economic status or being somebody that has actions that are not usually related to one’s own sex and other things that make us unique do not make any person less of a human being. Everybody should be treated well. Those who the class generally wants to avoid because of unreasonab­le things like their so-called “ugliness” would have partners, and people who have trouble with dealing with others would have opportunit­ies to get reintegrat­ed into the class.

It would also be an opportunit­y for you to teach the pupils to calmly share their opinions in making their partnershi­p and group work well as they do their class activities through using facts and not aggressive­ness.

Exposure and repetition are very helpful in making people socialize with who they find odd and develop acceptance for things that make people unique as long as these things do not cause pain on others.

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