Having Hard Conversations

By (author) Abrams Jennifer B.
Short description/annotation:
Having Hard Conversations is designed to teach adults to talk to one another about difficult issues.
Description:
A thousand things are unspoken in schools every day, and the lack of truth telling can bring about an ineffective status quoáandáresult in our students not getting the education they deserve. For most educators, confronting colleagues with truths about ineffective practices or potentially harmful behavior can be extremely challenging. Having Hard Conversations is designed to teach adults to talk to one another about difficult issues. The author guides readers through a series of preparatory steps leading to the actual conversationáand helpsáeducators to: Define the challenge Identify and map desired outcomes Prepare an advance script Consider external factors such as where and when the conversation should take placeEducators will gain a better understanding of the common reasons for not speaking out as well as the potential consequences of silence.
Table of contents:
Foreword by Arthur L. Costa Preface Acknowledgments About the Author 1. What Are Hard Conversations and Why Should We Have Them? 2. Why We Hesitate Having Hard Conversations 3. Questions to Ask Yourself Before Having the Hard Conversation 4. What’s the Real Problem?: Finding the Professional Language to Name It 5. Making a Plan 6. Scripting Your Initial Comments 7. The Whats, Wheres, and Whens of Having the Hard Conversation 8. What Ifs? Other Types of Hard Conversations 9. Conclusion Appendix A. Extended List of Professional Behaviors Appendix B. School Savvy Etiquette Appendix C. Sample Scripts for Hard Conversations References Index
Review quote:
"Our teaching culture is adverse to conflict. Having tools like this will move education forward as a profession."
Review quote:
"A thoughtful and practical map for authentically engaging in and learning from having hard conversations. Abrams gently teaches us why having these conversations matter and how they can help us grow. Her work shines light on the landscape of personal and professional learning from engagement in hard conversations."
Review quote:
"A wonderful combination of coaching, consulting, and crafting a way of teaching us all to speak honestly in our relationships. From casual conversations to value conflicts, we learn to use and become sensitive to differences in gender, style, and position in this very appealing and important book. A must-read for teachers, principals, and district office personnel who care about developing a healthy school community."
Review quote:
"This book has already changed my life. Just by reading it, my courage to have hard conversations has soared."
Review quote:
"A straightforward, practical and useful guide for engaging in difficult conversations."
Biographical note:
Consulting DescriptionJennifer Abrams is an international educational and communications consultant for public and private schools, hospitals, universities and non-profits. She trains and coaches teachers, administrators, nurses, hospital personnel and others on successful instructional practices, new employee support, supervision and evaluation, generational savvy, having hard conversations and effective collaboration skills. In Palo Alto USD (Palo Alto, CA), Abrams led professional development sessions and provided new teacher and supervisor trainings at both the elementary and secondary level. From 2000-2011, she was lead coach for the Palo Alto-Mountain View-Los Altos-Saratoga-Los Gatos Consortium’s Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Program. In her educational consulting work, she has presented at annual conferences such as Learning Forward, ASCD, NASSP, and the New Teacher Center Annual Symposium, as well as at the Teachers’ and P