Saturday, June 2, 2012

How to Hold a Difficult Conversation


Continuing from my last blog I began wondering once again how to hold a difficult conversation with others.  I believe that this is important because there are going to be multiple times throughout a given year that a teacher will have hold a difficult conversation with a family member or vise verse.  After researching I found this website:


This article contains steps to provide feedback in a difficult conversation.  The steps were actually written for employees and bosses but they hold true for teachers as well.  For example, the first step says to seek permission to provide feedback, state that you have feedback you’d like to share, and ask if it’s a good time to hold a conversation.  I believe when talked to a family its important start the conversation by telling the family something positive about their child and then expressing the need to provide feedback.  Another step that is listed is using a soft entry and not jumping right into the feedback.  This goes along with stating something positive about their child to show the parents that they can trust you and you are trying to work as a team to provide the best education for their child. 

At the bottom of the article there is a quote that really stuck out at me.  “Care enough to hold the difficult conversation.”  This stuck out at me because the article talks about how most people are uncomfortable providing feedback about an individual’s personal dress or habits, as the person receiving the feedback.  At times when a teacher is talking to a family member they may not want to hear the teacher’s feedback and it’s important for the teacher to care enough to address the issue with the parent or caregiver.

I am now wondering how family members will receive conversations about their children with ODD.  I will have to see what I can find in my research.

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