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Future Prof Workshop: Practical Strategies for Preventing and Managing Conflict in The Classroom
Misunderstandings about expectations, communication styles, group work, feedback, participation, authority, and cultural norms can all create tension in educational environments. While conflict cannot always be avoided, many common challenges can be anticipated and addressed before they escalate into larger issues.
This interactive workshop focuses on practical, proactive strategies for identifying and mitigating common sources of conflict in higher education settings. Participants will explore techniques for establishing clear expectations, communicating across differences, responding to misunderstandings, setting boundaries, facilitating difficult conversations, and addressing tensions constructively when they arise. Through scenario-based activities, reflection, and discussion, participants will develop tools to foster respectful and inclusive learning environments while building confidence in navigating challenging interactions. Rather than focusing solely on conflict resolution after a problem occurs, this session emphasizes conflict prevention, early intervention, and relationship-building strategies that support effective teaching, collaboration, and professional communication.
- Identifycommon sources of conflict in classrooms, labs, tutorials, and professional roles (GTA).
- Apply proactive communication strategies to reduce the likelihood of conflict escalation.
- Develop approaches for responding constructively to disagreements whilemaintainingrespectful and inclusive learning environments.
Current graduate students and postdoctoral scholars are welcome register on Western Connect. This workshop will be offered in-person. Learn more about the Future Prof Series here.