Reflecting on my role in children’s conflicts in an early childhood special education classroom

The purpose of this practitioner research was to examine my role as a teacher in the context of children’s conflicts in an early childhood special education classroom, reflecting on my reactions and choices of different intervention strategies. From videotaped observations and reflective journals I examined when I intervened and what strategies I used. The findings indicate that even though I was not conscious of my assumptions about individual children all the time, these assumptions were unconsciously translated into my daily practice and conflict resolution strategies. Through reflecting on my practices and beliefs I raised important issues concerning a teacher’s role in children’s conflicts. This study validates how important it is for teachers to reflect on specific issues within their practices and observe how these issues are addressed within the research process. Reflective practices, specifically conducting action research, not only heightens awareness of context but also enables one to take grea...