Working With and Evaluating Difficult School Employees

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