COMMUNICATION IN SOLVING PEER ISSUES AT WORK
Sharlene M. Quiambao
Dialogue is the most effective way of resolving conflict.
While it is true that in the school that we must protect the child from abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination, bullying and other forms of abuse as stipulated in Department Order 40, series 2012 entitled, “DepEd CHILD PROTECTION POLICY” then we might as well protect our Teachers as well as School Heads from discrimination, isolation or exclusion through dialogue, heart-to-heart talk, one-onone inside the office and not for public consumption.
If Children, Students, Youth, Adolescents need protection, then ADULTS need protection too. For Children, a pedagogy which involves systematic process on how to learn or how to give inputs to them that is not applicable for adults should be employed. On the other hand, an andragogy which is adult learning through the process of series of questions and answers until he or she will realize his/her mistakes, the root cause (Why?) and thereof suggest his or her own solutions (How?) because if you know the why, you will surely know the how should be used too!
Never, never correct his or her mistakes in public because it is insulting, discriminating or worse, humiliating, which in effect creates rebellion or to the worst degree, revolution and put you in a hot water of Conflict Management. Needless to say, do such a thing, if you want to pay respect from your subordinates as well as from the people, spectators around you!
Meanwhile, why do an immediate superior and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) cannot protect an erring School Head or the Principal of the school? Instead of pacifying the PTA, he or she is the one igniting the issue putting the poor School Head in isolation, discrimination, exclusion and worst, filed case in the OMBUDSMAN or DSWD! Where is FELLOWSHIP then if you value fellowship?
Lastly, a heart-to-heart communication through dialogue clears any misunderstanding in any conflict.
--oOo-
The author is Teacher III at Duquit High School