Principal Mock Interview
Master 27 Principal interview questions covering leadership, school culture, and strategic decision-making.
Question 23 of 27
How would you resolve a conflict between two upset teachers in your school?
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Audra Kresinske is an educator with over 7 years experience teaching English and employment readiness skills.
While this is something you hope you won't see much of as principal, conflicts are inevitable in the work place. As principal, you need to have good conflict resolution skills to fairly work out disagreements. At the end of the day, a school is still a professional environment, and everyone should be held accountable to acting like adults and treating others with respect. If asked this question, be sure to state how you would go about settling the issue and reinforcing an environment of teamwork, respect, and collaboration.
Audra Kresinske is an educator with over 7 years experience teaching English and employment readiness skills.
"If I was made aware of a conflict between two teachers, I would first meet with both teachers individually to hear their perspectives. So often, conflict arises out of a lack of communication. I would try to get to the bottom of the issue, knowing full well that there are two sides to every story. After I heard from each of them, I would have a combined meeting to speak openly and share my perspective. I would then reiterate our school values of teamwork, respect, and collaboration, encourage the teachers to put the conflict behind them, and state my expectations for working professionally moving forward."
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Anonymous Answer
If a conflict between two teachers came to my attention, I would immediately meet with both teachers separately to confirm a conflict exists and hear each person's point of view. If there were independent witnesses to the conflict, I would confidentially seek their input. Once I understand the conflict, I would facilitate a combined meeting with both teachers. To work toward a resolution, I would establish mediation ground rules for the meeting. Once the ground rules are established, I would begin the conversation by allowing each person to share their side of the story, after which I would share my perspective and encourage them to lay the conflict to rest. I would remind both teachers of the professional code of ethics and the district's and my expectations for professional behavior.
Marcie's Feedback
Excellent. This is a strong answer that shows you're fully capable of helping others resolve conflicts. Consider talking about a specific example of a time when you successfully resolved a conflict as this will make your answer even more memorable and meaningful to the interviewer. Great job!
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