Conflict As a Challenge for Personal Growth in the Educational Team

In interpersonal relationships between teachers and students, catechist and catechised, as well as in teaching and catechetical teams, communicological blockages and defence mechanisms are part of everyday life. These subjects have different expectations of each other, which in turn triggers resistance in the person. In their concrete experience, there are different observations, reflections and formation of abstract concepts. Conflicts are not always a bad thing. For Gestalt pedagogy, conflict situations present an opportunity for personal development, deepening relationships and growth of the whole group. Gestalt pedagogy uses methods to resolve conflict situations in a way that helps the individual to become aware of and reflect on his or her own feelings, memory traces, reactions and perspective on the conflict situation. Knowledge of the mechanisms of resistance and Gestalt methods for resolving communication blocks is a useful tool for team members (especially for novice teachers and mentor teachers) to build better quality relationships. Good relationships within a team can increase success at work.