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Conflict management

Exploring conflict management strategies with relation to a single conflict in a mentoring context
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Text inspired by the work of
@Marija Cvetkovska
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and
@Aleksandra Atanasova
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Pre-service teachers’ story of a conflict with their mentor

At the start of a mentoring project in a primary school, as part of which a mentor is responsible for a group of 3 pre-service teachers (PSTs), they agreed that the PSTs would observe one session in a grade 1 so as to learn about the context, and start co-teaching in the same class from the following session on. Due to logistical reasons, in week 1 of the project the PSTs were not able to observe the grade 1 they initially agreed on, so the mentor invited them to observe a grade 6 instead so as not to miss out on being exposed to teaching. They were to go back to the grade 1 once the mentor returned from a 2-week trip.
Two weeks later, the PSTs met their mentor in the grade 1, hoping to first observe before teaching. The mentor’s expectation was, however, that they were going to start teaching start away, as they already observed previously (albeit in a different grade). She told the PSTs that she had not planned for herself to teach that day, had no materials on her and needed to leave the class to get flashcards.
The mentor appeared frustrated that the learners were missing the first part of the lesson and appeared to be in a rush teaching, presumably to make up for the lost time. The PSTs felt like they had disappointed the mentor; they came to their university class disheartened about inadvertently leaving a bad first impression.
Commentary: The mentor appeared to value their goal (teaching the lesson) over her budding relationship with her mentees. This places her in the ‘Shark’ quadrant. What other conflict resolution strategies were available to the mentor once she found out that the PSTs were not ready to teach that day?
Tortoise: The mentor improvises a lesson without necessarily appropriate materials, to fill time. She doesn’t comment on the misunderstanding.
Teddy bear: The mentor improvises a lesson without necessarily appropriate materials, to fill time. She reassures the PSTs that misunderstandings are bound to happen at the start of a relationship (in fact, a situation like that had happened to herself when she was starting to teach), that it’s nothing to worry about, and it’s no problem for her to improvise on the spot.
Owl: The mentor considers what she would need for the lesson and invites the PST to help her create some quick flashcards that she/they can use to work with the learners. She then schedules a meeting with the PSTs to discuss what happened, understand what caused the misunderstanding, how the situation made them feel and develop contingency plans to avoid similar misunderstandings in the future.

What conflict resolution strategies were available to the PSTs once the mentor invited them to take over and they had to decline?
Tortoise: The PSTs say nothing and do nothing.
Teddy bear: The PST apologise profusely, taking all the responsibility for the misunderstanding upon them. The PSTs don’t offer any ideas about how to remedy the situation.
Shark: The PSTs reiterate to the mentor that they are supposed to observe first and then teach. They can’t be responsible for the mentor misunderstanding how the mentoring project works. The PSTs don’t offer any ideas about how to remedy the situation.
Owl: The PSTs suggest to the mentor that they all focus on the lesson and discuss the misunderstanding later. The PSTs inquire about how they could help: e.g. monitor group work, do an off-the-cuff revision activity, play a listening track and handle its follow-up, engage in a free discussion with the learners about a relevant topic, assign and manage a drawing/writing activity…?

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