Managing Difficult Conversations with Parents
Delivered by Dragonfly Training, this course will equip teachers with the skills they need to tackle difficult conversations with parents. It will run over 3 hours, on 11 June 2024, 09.00-12:00 BST (UTC+1).
Description
Many of those who work in schools, support and secretarial as well as teaching, will have encountered a difficult situation with a parent or colleague at least once. Such encounters can escalate to a situation where awkward conversations are avoided, or there is a complete breakdown in communication. This course will show you positive ways to deal with the difficult conversations we all have and deal with breakdowns in communication.
Course Outcomes:
- An insight into parents' perspectives: what frustrates parents and makes them "difficult"
- Improved skills when dealing with potentially ugly situations
- Effective preparation for meeting with parents
- The ability to handle unexpected encounters
- Increased awareness of the legal issues involved in schools
Course Outline:
Parents' Perspectives:
- Why do parents become frustrated?
- Understanding parents' perspectives.
- Communication issues and breakdown.
- Effective language and listening skills.
Conflict and Anger:
- Why anger builds up.
- How to spot potential problems to avoid 'conflict' or 'anger'.
- How to manage when life becomes ugly.
- Case studies - some real-life situations.
Difficult Meetings:
- Preparing for difficult meetings to ty and get what you want.
- Keeping calm and being in control.
- Know how to cope with unexpected encounters
- Some legal issues that you really need to know.
Additional information:
This interactive online course is delivered by Dragonfly Training. Participant numbers are limited. Early registration is encouraged.
Slides will be made available to registered delegates; certificates will be issued to attendees.
Booking process:
Delegate fees:
£145 per COBIS Member delegate
£155 per Non-Member delegate
If you are based in the UK, the delegate fee will be liable for VAT. Please email events@cobis.org.uk to process your registration.
If you are based outside the UK, but you are booking and paying for your place as an individual (rather than having the booking paid for by the school), you may also be liable for VAT. Please email events@cobis.org.uk to process your booking.
In all other situations, please tick the ‘organisation’ box when asked if the payee is an organisation or an individual.
Presenter
Thomas Packer
Thomas Packer taught for over 35 years in a variety of settings: Maintained and Independent Schools, Secondary (11 – 19) and all-through (3 – 19) Schools, Day and Boarding, Boys’, Girls’ and Co-educational. His specialist subjects are Physics, Mathematics and Further Mathematics. Tom was a School Leader for 17 years and his last post was as Founding Headmaster of the West London Free School, the first Free School, to sign a funding agreement with the Secretary of State. He had just 92 days to open the school in the spotlight of intense Media debate and with considerable hostility. Tom also has experience of School Governance, having served on five Boards over a period of 25 years; for seven of those he was Clerk to the Governors and Company Secretary. Thomas was for a time one of Her Late Majesty’s Inspectors of Education, specialising in Science, Maths, Music and Leadership & Governance. He was a member for many years of the Mathematics in Education and Industry Development Group for Further Mathematics ‘A’ level. He has advised the UK Department for Education and the All Party Parliamentary Select Committee for Education on curriculum matters and school finance. Recently he worked with the National College for School Leadership, devising modules for the NPQH Programme. Tom is an Honorary Member of the Society of Heads of Independent Schools.
It was in 1986 that Thomas first started to lead educational CPD, preparing teachers for the then novel Coursework requirements for GCSE, prior to its general introduction two years later. He has continued to provide quality training ever since. After leaving full time teaching Tom has specialised in providing relevant courses of value to the Education Sector, together with useful up-to-date resources, tailored to the needs of the group. Thomas is also much in demand as a speaker at National Education conferences.
Target audience:
Teachers, TAs, SLT, Support Staff