Sometimes, parents and/or a student could raise a complaint about you directly with the principal. It might be regarding how you treat their child or about the way you teach or what you are teaching. If the principal is unable to resolve the issue personally or the issue is seen as serious by the principal, then a meeting is called between all parties concerned. The student may be present at the meeting. That would depend on the issue.
The principal will inform you of this meeting and 'request' your presence. Here is how I suggest you would prepare for this meeting.
Ask the principal for a conference to discuss the proposed meeting so that you can become aware of the issues under discussion.
If he/she refuses this meeting, bring along your union representative to support you at the meeting with the parents.
Put together all the data you have on the student including all aspects of your relationship with the student fully documented with dates and your response and follow ups on all that you did. Have this in writing.
Seek further data from other staff members, where possible.
Have examples of the student's class work, assessment tasks and so on.
Have available your diary where you have recorded issues about the student plus mark books, student profiles, reports and so on.
It is important that you be able to show you have followed school and education department policy or legal requirements in all that you did.
If the interview develops unsatisfactorily, simply remove yourself politely with your union representative. Then, with the union representative, write a summary of the meeting for future reference and seek union assistance.
If the principal does allow you to know the cause or topic of the meeting and is supportive, then delete the unnecessary parts stated above and prepare for the meeting as you normally would. However, if the tenure of the meeting changes, don't remain and do as suggested above. If you think the meeting could become confrontational, it would be best to have your union representative with you.
Seek a follow up interview with your principal to clarify the situation, if necessary. Still have a support person with you in this difficult situation to protect you. Stay cool, calm and collected while seeking answers or advice from your principal on the future direction of the issue. Seek answers as to why your principal did not support you, if that was the case. Again, document the meeting with your supporter immediately after that meeting. Make notes during the meeting to give further creditability to your documentation.
If the meeting resolves the issues, come to a consensus with all concerned as to how to proceed in the future. This may include having a plan to guide the student's learning forward, change classes, offer extra help from specialist teachers and so on. Make it your special responsibility to see that all these plans are activated.
Document all the follow-up work done by the student and the progress being made. Keep all involved parties informed of what is happening.
Always keep in mind that you are doing all things in the best interests of the student if he/she is the centre of the issue.
If there is a personality clash between you and the student, especially in a high school, it is best to admit it showing how you have tried to resolve the situation and it has not been resolved. Suggest immediately that a change of class is essential and urgent and you will pass on the entire student's data ASAP to the new teacher.
It is important to remember that students tell 'stories' about their teachers. They will often leave out most of the 'story' so as to paint you as an ogre. Parents are very protective of their children and many tend to believe whatever they are told by their offspring. Teenagers, in particular, are very self-centred. Bearing this in mind, lay out the facts clearly with supporting documentation with a cool, calm, well-mannered and friendly disposition. You'll be amazed at how quickly the tenure of the meeting can change.
In conclusion, no matter how hard you work or show concern for your students, there will always be some parent or student who will object about the way you do things. It is the nature of our profession. We are working with human beings. Therefore, don't think you are different from other teachers in 'being picked on' by a parent. All you need to do is to ask other teachers in the staffroom to get confirmation that it happens to almost 100% of our profession.
The principal will inform you of this meeting and 'request' your presence. Here is how I suggest you would prepare for this meeting.
Ask the principal for a conference to discuss the proposed meeting so that you can become aware of the issues under discussion.
If he/she refuses this meeting, bring along your union representative to support you at the meeting with the parents.
Put together all the data you have on the student including all aspects of your relationship with the student fully documented with dates and your response and follow ups on all that you did. Have this in writing.
Seek further data from other staff members, where possible.
Have examples of the student's class work, assessment tasks and so on.
Have available your diary where you have recorded issues about the student plus mark books, student profiles, reports and so on.
It is important that you be able to show you have followed school and education department policy or legal requirements in all that you did.
If the interview develops unsatisfactorily, simply remove yourself politely with your union representative. Then, with the union representative, write a summary of the meeting for future reference and seek union assistance.
If the principal does allow you to know the cause or topic of the meeting and is supportive, then delete the unnecessary parts stated above and prepare for the meeting as you normally would. However, if the tenure of the meeting changes, don't remain and do as suggested above. If you think the meeting could become confrontational, it would be best to have your union representative with you.
Seek a follow up interview with your principal to clarify the situation, if necessary. Still have a support person with you in this difficult situation to protect you. Stay cool, calm and collected while seeking answers or advice from your principal on the future direction of the issue. Seek answers as to why your principal did not support you, if that was the case. Again, document the meeting with your supporter immediately after that meeting. Make notes during the meeting to give further creditability to your documentation.
If the meeting resolves the issues, come to a consensus with all concerned as to how to proceed in the future. This may include having a plan to guide the student's learning forward, change classes, offer extra help from specialist teachers and so on. Make it your special responsibility to see that all these plans are activated.
Document all the follow-up work done by the student and the progress being made. Keep all involved parties informed of what is happening.
Always keep in mind that you are doing all things in the best interests of the student if he/she is the centre of the issue.
If there is a personality clash between you and the student, especially in a high school, it is best to admit it showing how you have tried to resolve the situation and it has not been resolved. Suggest immediately that a change of class is essential and urgent and you will pass on the entire student's data ASAP to the new teacher.
It is important to remember that students tell 'stories' about their teachers. They will often leave out most of the 'story' so as to paint you as an ogre. Parents are very protective of their children and many tend to believe whatever they are told by their offspring. Teenagers, in particular, are very self-centred. Bearing this in mind, lay out the facts clearly with supporting documentation with a cool, calm, well-mannered and friendly disposition. You'll be amazed at how quickly the tenure of the meeting can change.
In conclusion, no matter how hard you work or show concern for your students, there will always be some parent or student who will object about the way you do things. It is the nature of our profession. We are working with human beings. Therefore, don't think you are different from other teachers in 'being picked on' by a parent. All you need to do is to ask other teachers in the staffroom to get confirmation that it happens to almost 100% of our profession.
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