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Working With and Evaluating Difficult School Employees
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Working With and Evaluating Difficult School Employees



December 2009 | 136 pages | Corwin

"The Ellers have done an excellent job identifying supervision problems that plague administrators on a daily basis. They provide clear and detailed strategies to address personnel problems covering virtually every employment group. I strongly recommend this book as a quick reference for all school administrators as they deal with difficult employees."
—Dan Hoverman, Superintendent
Mounds View Public Schools, Shoreview, MN

Help marginal employees take positive steps to improve their performance and behavior!

Managing difficult employees is one of the most challenging aspects of a school leader's job. Written by experienced administrators, this resource provides specific techniques and strategies to identify, work with, and evaluate marginal school employees.

John F. Eller and Sheila Eller provide essential information for understanding and dealing with employees who may have negative attitudes, lack awareness of their behavior, blame others for problems, or are marginal performers. Drawing on the authors' extensive experience, this book includes:

  • Skills and sample dialogues for conducting difficult conversations
  • Templates for putting concerns into writing and developing improvement plans
  • Information about legal issues and ways to protect yourself
  • Specific strategies for working with teachers, secretaries and assistants, paraprofessionals, and custodial staff
  • Steps to take when termination becomes necessary

This ready reference helps administrators develop the leadership skills and competencies necessary to confront marginal and deficient behaviors and achieve successful results.


 
Preface
 
About the Authors
 
1. The Nature of Difficult/Marginal Employees: Why Don't These People Listen to Reason and Improve?
Frames of Reference

 
Characteristics of Difficult Employees

 
The Response to Change

 
Understanding the Source of the Difficulty

 
Summary

 
 
2. What Skills and Tools Do I Need in Order to Take On This Situation?
Background of Employee Discipline

 
A Competencies-Based Approach to Thinking About Employee Problems

 
The Definition of Success When Working With Difficult or Deficient Employees

 
Your Readiness in Dealing With a Difficult Situation or Person

 
The Use of Job Descriptions in Your Work With Difficult School Employees

 
Summary

 
 
3. Strategies for Confronting Marginal and Deficient Behaviors
Framing

 
Authority Voice

 
Summary

 
 
4. Protecting Yourself While Dealing With Difficult Employees
Presuppositions

 
Reflecting

 
Displacing Negative Energy

 
Additional Self-Protection Strategies

 
Summary

 
 
5. Strategies for Working With Difficult/Marginal Teachers
The Law and Teacher Employment

 
Your Master Contract or Master Agreement

 
Understanding Your Evaluation Criteria

 
The Ability to Describe Deficient or Substandard Work

 
Base and Surface Competancies

 
Deciding Whether to Move Forward to Terminate Employment or Develop a Growth Plan

 
Growth Plans

 
Delivering a Deficiency Notice or Termination Message to a Teacher

 
The Entire Cycle

 
Summary

 
 
6. Strategies for Working with Difficult/Marginal Secretaries and Office
Handling Your Administrative Assistants

 
A Basic Set of Administrative Assistant/Office Employee Tasks

 
Base and Surface Competancies

 
Prioritizing Work Tasks

 
Planning Sessions to Establish Priorities for the Work Completion

 
Growth Plans

 
Delivering a Deficiency Notice or Termination Message to an Administrative Assistant

 
Summary

 
 
7. Strategies for Working with Difficult/Marginal Paraprofessionals and Teaching Assistants
The Nature of Teaching Assistants and Paraprofessionals

 
Base and Surface Competancies

 
Growth Plans

 
Delivering a Performance Concern or Termination Message to a Paraprofessional or Teaching Assistant

 
An Example of a Meeting and Letter of Reprimand for a Paraprofessional

 
Summary

 
 
8. Strategies for Working with Difficult/Marginal Custodians
Possible Difficult Custodial Behaviors

 
Effective Delegation of Tasks and Assignments

 
Base and Surface Competancies

 
Growth Plans

 
Delivering a Performance or Skill Deficit Concern to a Custodial Employee

 
Summary

 
 
References
 
Index

“The Ellers have done an excellent job identifying supervision problems that plague administrators on a daily basis. They provide clear and detailed strategies to address personnel problems covering virtually every employment group. I strongly recommend this book as a quick reference for all school administrators as they deal with difficult employees.”

Dan Hoverman, Superintendent
Mounds View Public Schools, Shoreview, MN
Key features
  • Strategies and planning tools for evaluation, coaching, and termination
  • Covers steps for protecting yourself through each step
  • Written by experts in the field

Select a Purchasing Option


Rent or Buy eBook
ISBN: 9781452272504

Paperback
ISBN: 9781412958684
$33.95

Hardcover
ISBN: 9781412958677
$74.95

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