RA Class Week 5

Conflict confrontation is thankfully a situation that I have not had to deal with thus far. So far in my adventures of being a learning community resident assistant, I have not had to directly confront a conflict or interfere with an escalating situation. I am thankful for this fact and feel lucky, believing it to be a good thing that I have not come across serious situations like that yet. Hopefully, I will never have to confront a conflict because hopefully there won’t be any within my floor or within my residence hall. If I ever do need to confront a conflict, I must be prepared and knowledgeable, a fact that makes me nervous and worrisome about confronting such problems.

Confronting conflicts is something that worries me for a variety of different reasons. Because this is my first year as a resident assistant, I am new and unexperienced. I feel as though I am always asking returning resident assistants for help and advice, which is a good thing because I am seeking to know more and ensure that I am following procedures correctly, but also a bad thing because I should already know the correct ways to handle situations and do not wish to bother or annoy any of the resident assistants on staff. For this reason, confronting conflicts worries me as I am afraid of doing the wrong thing, forgetting to do something, or messing up in some fashion. I do not want to burden a returner if I ever do need to confront a problem, but I most likely will feel the need to ask for help and reinforcement anyways.

Another reason I am nervous about confronting conflicts is because I am a passive and small person, generally shy and quiet around others. While I can speak up and take charge, it can be difficult for me at times, especially around those of similar ages as me. I often feel too soft-spoken and polite, which can allow others to take advantage of me at times. As a resident assistant, I cannot let that happen and must ensure that I am in the leadership position at all times. I must make sure that I am never taken advantage of and am always the dominant person. This is a challenge for me, but it’s a challenge that I am aware of and ready to face. While I hope that I never have to directly confront a conflict, I am certain that when I do, I will learn and grow from the experience, causing me to change as a person and become more confident, skilled, and knowledgeable for future situations.

Because I want to be an educator in the future and am currently working on an art education Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, confronting conflicts is something I need to have experience with and knowledge about. I will need to know how to correctly address situations and remain cool and collected while retaining my dominant leadership position. As a resident assistant, I need to know how to keep and maintain peace amongst my residents and as a teacher, I will need to know how to guide and control my students.

Confronting conflicts is a frightening situation, but it is one that I will most likely be faced with some day. Prepared for the situation if it ever does arise, I hope that I will correctly follow through the steps and procedures I must take and will address the situation in an appropriate manner. For now, I am gathering all the information I can and receiving any help that anyone is willing to give. For now I am trying to be the most effective learning community resident assistant that I can be.

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