By Anne M. Beninghof
After years of coteaching and consulting, I have decided that the root cause of most failed coteaching is something I call Conflict Avoidance Syndrome. Commonly found among K–12 educators, Conflict Avoidance Syndrome includes the following symptoms:
- Sharing concerns about your coteaching partner with everyone but your partner
- Wishing the coteaching was going differently but not expressing those wishes
- Disagreeing with how your partner handled something but staying silent
- Repeating mantras in your head such as, “Just keep your mouth shut; there are only a few months left.”
- Creating excuses to cut short or cancel coplanning meetings
- Spending time thinking about whom you would rather coteach with next year
If one or more of these symptoms apply to you, or the coteachers you supervise, then it’s time for intervention. Conflict Avoidance Syndrome has repercussions that reach far into the lives and learning success of the students in the cotaught class. When professionals avoid talking about important differences or disagreements because of the associated discomfort, students pay the price.
It is four weeks into the new semester. Jane, a veteran middle school teacher, is complaining to the instructional coach that Tyler, the special education teacher, isn’t reliable. Jane explains that she gave Tyler responsibility for the whole group warm-up activity, but he arrived late to class several times. On another occasion Tyler forgot to bring the materials needed for a lesson activity and had to go back to his office to get them. When the coach asks Jane if she has talked with Tyler about her concerns, Jane responds, “I don’t think it’s my job to tell him what to do. I’m just going to teach the way I always have, and he can help his students when they need it. That way I don’t have to rely on him.”
This scenario is ripe for professional conversation! Perhaps Tyler has been late to arrive because an administrator is stopping him in the hallway to discuss a student’s disruptive behavior. An open discussion might lead to a variety of solutions to this problem.
Carrying materials from class to class is a major headache for specialists. Maybe Tyler would appreciate a space in the cotaught classroom to call his own, where he could leave essential teaching materials. An open discussion might help Jane to see some of the challenges Tyler faces and to engage in collaborative problem solving. Unfortunately, this conversation is unlikely to occur. Most coteachers I meet and counsel feel so uncomfortable with potential conflict that they will avoid discussing their differences.
Leadership experts Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, in their book The Orange Revolution, caution, “No matter how talented the individuals on a team may be … if they are not communicating with each other openly and honestly, they can get off course” (2010, p. 122).
The most effective interventions for helping teachers get back on course focus on developing the skills and tools necessary for conflict resolution:
- Ethical Responsibility
Teachers need to recognize, on an emotional and logical level, that they must advocate for student needs. I often find that I just need to state it out loud to the hesitant individuals: “You have an ethical responsibility to speak up on behalf of your students, no matter how uncomfortable it might be.”
- Collaborative Solutions Worksheet
Using a structured problem-solving process is more likely to lead to success than just winging it. The Collaborative Solutions Worksheet (available at www.ideasforeducators.com) provides a step-by-step process for effective problem solving. As partners complete the worksheet, the focus continually returns to the process and the students, rather than being quite so emotionally charged.
- Role Playing
While the phrase “role playing” often throws teachers into a small panic, we know that practicing a skill is important for true learning. It is even more important to practice a skill that will be needed under stressful conditions. I have found it extremely beneficial to have teachers practice awkward conversations through role playing. A teacher will practice with a friendly colleague, while a third person observes and then provides feedback.
- Social Script
In extreme cases, a reticent teacher may need to develop a social script to use in practice and during actual conversations. Conversations that include the following questions and statements often reduce resistance and lead to solutions:
- “I am feeling underutilized. How can we tap into my expertise?”
- “What could we do to make this work?”
- “What ideas do you have?”
- “What have you done in the past that has worked?”
- “What if we try this idea for one week and then discuss how it went?”
- “This idea will benefit many students, not just those with IEPs.”
- “I think this can increase test scores for many of our students.”
By using these four interventions with teachers, we can eliminate Conflict Avoidance Syndrome and improve education for all of our students.
Anne M. Beninghof, M.S., an internationally recognized consultant and trainer, has more than 30 years of experience working with students and teachers in a variety of public and private settings. She has been a special education teacher and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Hartford, CT, and the University of Colorado. She has published several books and videos, and has provided staff development in 49 states. Beninghof recently returned to the classroom, where she works part time with teachers and students who are struggling with the learning process. Follow her blog at www.ideasforeducators.com, or visit her on Facebook or Twitter.
