Description
Book SynopsisWhether you're an educator, CST member, administrator, or other educational professional, you share one thing in common: dealing with difficult parents and families. Every educator has experienced problematic, unproductive, and/or uncomfortable interactions with parents or families. Whether it be issues of defensiveness, noncompliance, the belief that his or her child does no wrong, or just plain hostility, it can place an incredible stress on your job duties. Utilize this book to equip yourself with effective, practical tools geared to help productively tailor your interventions around the most common types of challenging parents and families.
Trade ReviewBrett Novick's vast experiences and professional interactions as an educator, counselor and social worker have been synthesized in Parents and Teachers Working Together. This book will not offer you canned or instant solutions; rather, it provides thoughtful and reflective recommendations that are practical and research-based. It is a book that every teacher, specialist, and administrator, whether beginning, mid-career or experienced, should have as a ready reference. It is clearly a "best practices" work from a distinguished educator and author. -- Jeffrey Graber, associate director, Educational Leadership Programs, New Jersey Principal and Supervisor Association/Foundation for Educational Administration
Brett Novick deals with a situation that is facing educators throughout America. Dealing with challenging parents and bringing them to work with the school in a positive way is essential for districts in this day and age to be successful. Novick discusses this topic in a thoughtful, organized way for all educators to understand. I recommend this book for both novice and experienced teachers and administrators. -- Thomas Gialanella, interim superintendent of Schools for Brick Township Public Schools and former superintendent of Jackson Township Public Schools
This is a great book that school counselors should add to their professional library. Parents and Teachers Working Together is loaded with many scenarios that we all have experienced at one time or another in our professional careers, and Novick offers viable solutions and alternatives for how we, as school counselors, can approach them. This book covers areas such as the current school climate, examining one’s anger management style, identifying the top ten most challenging parent/family types, understanding and reacting to challenging parents, and the importance of involving our colleagues in the schoolhouse. This is a must have for not only school counselors but also anyone else in education. -- Jim Lukach, executive director, New Jersey School Counselor Association, Inc.
Brett Novick provides school administrators with a comprehensive manual of the dos and don’ts of working with challenging parents and school staff. He describes several different ways parents and school staff can hinder the educational process for their children/students. A number of concrete and easy-to-implement methods are given to minimize these hindrances to promote a healthy and positive school atmosphere for all. -- Merrill Berkowitz, PhD, BCBA-D, board certified behavior analyst, New Jersey certified school psychologist, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital; adjunct professor, William Paterson University and Caldwell University
Table of ContentsForeword Preface Chapter 1: Introduction: The Climate Change of the School Environment and the Vital Nature of Conflict Resolution Skills for Educators Chapter 2: Know Thy Self: The Importance of Knowing Your Own Conflict Management Style and That of Others Chapter 3: Maybe It Is YOU! Chapter 4: Building the Foundation: Making Sure You Are On Firm Footing Before You Climb the Mountain of a Challenging Conversation. Chapter 5: A Deeper Dive: Looking Under the Surface Chapter 6: Top Ten List: The Top Ten Most Challenging Parent/Family Types Chapter 7: Prevailing with Parents: Understanding, Involving and Interacting with Challenging Parents Chapter 8: The Elephant in the School: Expanding Your Conflict Skills to Other Members of the School Community Appendices Appendix A: Assertiveness Self-Assessment Appendix B: Conflict Styles Survey Appendix C: Verbal Aggressiveness Self-Assessment Appendix D: Conflict Resilience Quotient (CQ) Appendix E: Parenting Quiz Bibliography About the Author Index
