I Choose.......Avoidance

 

Think of an instance when your convictions on a subject were so strong that you refused to back down and accept a well-presented argument to the contrary. How did you feel? What impact will this have on the way that you teach?

          I struggle to think of times that I refused to back down and accept a well-presented argument. First, I am a people pleaser that avoids conflict. Although I have opinions and lead, I do not like conflict so even if I have to back down, try again later, go around the problem, or compromise. Second, the people in my life I have conflict with tend to fall in two categories, superiors who set the expectations and I follow or family who doesn’t present an argument to support a different idea.

          When I do have conflict, I tend to feel frustrated and/or mad at first but quickly adjust to move on. If needed I vent to a trusted source to help me process, but it does not have a lingering effect on my person. The impact it has on my teaching sometimes lasts longer if the problem is school related. As I mentioned, I tend to avoid conflict, but also tend to avoid the feelings or things that brought the problem about. This can impact my teaching as I procrastinate a project or topic that had conflict.