Conflict Reports at Elmtree Early Childhood Care Center

Conflict Reports at Elmtree Early Childhood Care Center

Conflict 1:

Diane and Kevin have been having a disagreement about the lesson plans for the 3- to 5-year-old group for the past several weeks. Kevin feels that Diane’s curriculum for the group is over structured and that she spends too much time trying to develop early math skills, which she believes are necessary before the children enter kindergarten. Kevin has been trying to let the group express their interests in a more open-ended way, focusing on self-directed and curiosity-led learning. If play, with a number of similar objects (like blocks), happens naturally, he tries to lead the group to discussing counting, adding, and subtracting. As Diane is the lead teacher, her lesson plans should set the tone for the group—but Kevin feels strongly about his methods as well. The disagreement has created tension in their co-teaching relationship, and they have come to you to discuss the conflict.

Conflict 2:

Hannah and Michael have come into conflict in recent weeks over the correct way to handle an 18-month-old child who has shown slow growth in language learning. Hannah has been in charge of the infant to 2-year-old room for more than a decade and has strong opinions about how to deal with the children and families in her group. Michael, however, has recently completed his master’s degree and, while younger, he has some new ideas about how to address early indicators of learning disabilities. Hannah's feeling, though, is that they should wait until the child gets older before raising concerns with the parents. She has told Michael not to discuss the topic with the child’s family until she deems it necessary but he remains concerned. He has come to you with his dilemma.

Conflict 3:

Kelly and Rebecca have been teachers for the toddlers (2- to 3-year-old) group for the past year. They work well together, for the most part, but Rebecca has expressed concern to you that Kelly seems to play favorites with different children. Specifically, Rebecca lets you know that she thinks Kelly is harsher with children who are of Hispanic or African American descent than with other white children in the center. She frequently corrects minority students, telling them how to play with certain toys and that they should be quieter while drawing or reading. Rebecca noticed that Kelly does not do this with the other children. Rebecca comes to you before speaking to Kelly, unsure how to approach the very sensitive topic.