Conflict Resolution!!!
“When will I ever use that in the real world???” said, NO ONE.
This week’s letter from Saint Mark’s Catholic School teacher, Patrick Bowlin, introduces the vital topic of conflict resolution. Read and make note of the reality that we are all different, but there is so still so much to learn from each other. Wouldn’t that thing called conflict be less stressful if we knew how to handle it? Read and find out how!
Top 20: Conflict Resolution
Our Top 20 unit for the month of April covers the challenging topic of Conflict Resolution. The scope of this concept is extremely large, and I am hopeful we can build on Top 20 principles from throughout the year as we navigate effective strategies for resolving conflict. The skills we will learn in this unit will serve us well for many years to come as conflict is something that is inevitable and exists in any true relationship.
Each and every human being is unique and different. We were not created to be same but rather to be a unique person, different than anyone else in our thinking and feelings. We have different hobbies and interests, different life experiences, and different feelings even when experiencing the same event. The understanding that we are imperfect is essential to resolving conflict. When we resolve conflict, we are able to make our relationships stronger as trust is built. Conflict resolution becomes a much healthier process when we recognize that we all make mistakes and have room for improvement in the way we treat and interact with others.
The Star Qualities of empathy and humility come into play when working to resolve conflict. Empathy is important because we need to make an effort to share in the feelings another person is experiencing. To define humility, we looked at the famous quote by C.S. Lewis: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.” Being humble in resolving conflict allows us to admit that we may have been wrong. One of the greatest keys to resolving conflict is having the ability to take out the desire to “win” or be right.
We will continue working with the concept of conflict resolution throughout the month of April. Many of our conversations will discuss the idea of small conflicts and big conflicts and steps to resolving conflicts. Consider having a conversation with your son/daughter about the difference between a big conflict that needs to be resolved and a small conflict that can simply be dismissed.
Mr. Bowlin
Saint Mark’s Catholic School
