Conflict Resolution: Riding Through the Storm

For this lesson, you will need to participate in the activity found below this lesson. Read the list of conflict outcomes and move each outcome to the column in belongs to–constructive or destructive. When you are done, check your answers and move on to the next lesson.

For the next few moments, close your eyes and listen to the sound of a thunderstorm. As you listen, think about how a thunderstorm and a personal conflict are alike. The sounds and dynamics of a thunderstorm are very similar to conflict. Some of the similarities are that like thunderstorms, conflicts begin quickly and gather…

When conflict happens there may be some very obvious signs that can be easily recognized, or there may only be a few subtle clues. If emotions are running high or if the conflict seems extremely complex, chances are it has reached the crisis stage. When conflict is in the crisis stage, a person might scream,…

Ways we behave when faced with conflict: Deal with the problem Avoid the problem Enhance relationships Harm relationships Solve the conflict Increase the conflict I bet you can pick out the ones that lead to a constructive outcome. Why do you think we behave in certain ways that lead to unhealthy conflict? Out of habit…

We begin communicating from the earliest moments of life and we never stop, but communication certainly isn’t all talk. Communcation involves: language culture tone of voice facial expression gestures memory preferences and style hormones context personal motives and all sorts of other psychology. As an early childhood professional, you know how important it is to…

Each of us has a different and unique personality; however, there are commonalities that we share. The more knowledge we have of the different personality types, the more we are empowered as effective communicators. True Colors is an attempt to identify various personality styles and label them with colors. This model of categorizing personality styles…

Red task and result oriented likes recognition like to be on the move doesn’t like to be late enjoys individual sports (golf, tennis, track, piano, individual dance, etc. likes expensive showy things generally honest but their moral compass might deviate during a competitive showdown. Red personality types tend to make good leaders. They love leadership…

When there is a conflict between two people, the most common approach is that of a Tug of War Approach—thinking that one person will win and the other will lose. Problems arise when we transfer a concept of winning over to situations where winning with would be more beneficial. Winning over is about one person…

Empathy is feeling into or seeing how it is through another person’s eyes. Things that help people feel empathy: Trust Attentiveness Appropriate responses Shared experiences Respect Support Sometimes we have difficulty feeling empathy for certain people. Barriers to feeling empathy: Inattentiveness Talking about himself or herself Lack of interest Low respect We sometimes have difficulty…

Listening is another effective communication skill and one of the most important skills you can have. How well you listen has a major impact on your job effectiveness and on the quality of your relationships with other people. Why do we listen? We listen to obtain information. We listen to understand. We listen for enjoyment.…

Welcome to Conflict Resolution: Riding Through the Storm, hosted by the Center for Early Childhood Professional Development. This course was designed to help prepare the child care provider deal with conflict in the early childhood program. A child care program can be a hectic and stressful environment, both for child care professionals and for parents…

When someone is verbally attacking us, we often become defensive and aggressive or we retreat into ourselves and become upset or fearful. It is difficult to be objective when the emotional level is high. Active listening is an effective tool to reduce the emotion involved in a situation.   High Emotions? Actively listen to deal…

At the end of this training, participants will be able to: Recognize the difference in outcomes between destructive and constructive conflict Consider the type of behavior to use to resolve conflict and implement positive approaches to manage the conflict Communicate effectively with others in a calm, mature manner using an active listening approach Reduce gossip…

When we are under stress, the mind chatter increases. Because it affects the way we act and how we see the world, changing our mind chatter will change the view of the world and our reactions.   Why do we give ourselves negative messages? We have learned these responses from early childhood. We do not…

Negative messages set us up for failure and frustration; but, if we look for the positive side of the situation, we will find opportunities. Reframe negative comments such as “I can’t do this” to positive ones like “I need to work out a plan” or “I need to learn these skills” and to think of…

We are going to explore what a Win/Win Approach is about by listening to a story: There are two sisters in a kitchen and only one orange. Both of them want the orange. What could they do? The sisters decided to compromise and cut the orange in half. One sister went to the juicer and…

Problem-solving is an important skill to have when conflict arises. But oftentimes, we give ourselves negative mind chatter or self-talk when we try to solve problems in a conflict. Mind chatter affects our ability to solve problems in the same way our preoccupation with the right solution can inhibit our thinking. We may not realize…

The way we approach conflict can be categorized into three types of behaviors—fight, flight, or flow. Now, let’s go over each type of behavior and the message it conveys. Examples of fight behavior in a conflict might be screaming, physical violence, refusing to listen, manipulation, or sulking. These behaviors are often seen as being aggressive. The…