Student-Teacher Conflicts

• The relationship of a student to his teacher is important to the success of the child's learning. Teachers influence the environment of a classroom. Teachers may exhibit favoritism, ridicule, exclusion and purposeful mean behavior toward a student, which creates the conflict. However, a student also could have resentment toward a teacher as the teacher assigns homework, new projects or asks questions that a student is unable to answer. Resolving the conflict between students and teachers involves a parent-teacher conference in the presence of a school administration figure who helps mediate and communicate the ideas of both parties. The child also needs to be present to express his feelings and hear feedback from the teacher as well. In some cases, moving the child to a different teacher also is a solution.
  
  

The School Bully

• Student to student violence, whether it be as simple as verbal teasing to physical hitting, is a problem in schools. Bullying creates conflicts for students, affecting their work, personality, growth and communication. Often the victim of bullying receives threats and does not report the incidents in fear. According to various reports as published in "ERIC Digest," 15 percent of students are bullied regularly or begin bullying others. Observing your child for odd behavior or opening communication with your child about a bullying experience helps in finding a resolution to the conflict. The next step is to report the bullying to the school so that the children are separated or to move your child to a different school where she is no longer in harm's way. However, if your child is the bully, treatment is available for disruptive behaviors through child psychologists or counselors at school.
  
  

Teaching Styles

• A third conflict affects how your child interprets information and interacts with a teacher's style. An inverted child may respond adversely to a very outgoing teaching style. A mismatch between student's learning styles and teaching styles of the instructor leads to conflicts when a student feels that he is not capable of learning the subject and stops trying to participate. They might perform poorly on tests, appear bored or inattentive and grow discouraged about the class. According to "TESL Journal," teachers also grow discouraged if their teaching styles do not lead to growth in the child. A parent-teacher conference may lead to a new teaching style or changing the student to a new teacher.
  
  

Learning Disability

• If a child is not doing the work at school or appears not to pay attention, then perhaps the child has a learning disability preventing her from completing the tasks. Discovering a learning disability may require an evaluation by a child therapist or doctor who addresses learning disabilities. Learning about the symptoms of disabilities and disorders further informs the parent about what causes conflicts in school. For example, motor difficulties noticed in personal fitness class might show hand-eye coordination or holding a pencil. Reading difficulties are most common and involve the inability to match letters and words, understand words and ideas, read quickly and fluently or general vocabulary problems. Special classes or after-school tutoring may be available for your child.