GROUNDING THE HELICOPTERS
Feedback from 2015–2016
“I’m thrilled to have attended. I thought the presentation was really well paced and well executed.”
“Such great information; the language is so helpful for framing difficult conversations.”
“Loved the emphasis on self-reflection and growing from our experiences. Thank you!”
“The tone and laid-back environment were refreshing.”
“A great, informative day!”
At times these days it seems the skies are dark with helicopters. From Time magazine’s 2005 story, “Why Teachers Hate Parents,” to Jessica Lahey’s 2015 book, The Gift of Failure, it appears that parents over-committed to their children’s short-term happiness are everywhere, second-guessing seasoned teachers and administrators, gathering steam from other parents, and killing the buzz in classrooms of even the most creative and dedicated teachers.
This one-day workshop is a partnership with Jen Cort. Together with Jen, we will discuss the factors behind current parental anxiety, helping teachers and administrators to unpack parental motivations, to share their own stories as case studies, and to develop, with guidance, their own practical strategies to move confrontation to healthy discussion — for the good of each child, entire classrooms, and schools as a whole.
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Quaker House in Dupont Circle, Washington, DC
Tentative “Helicopters” Agenda
12:00
Lunch
1:00
Playing offense: The management of constructive confrontation
Vulnerability
“I need to tell you something hard…”
1:30
Constructive confrontations
2:15
Break
2:30
When to insert yourself (administrators) and when to ask for help (teachers and administrators)
Self-care: How to survive confrontation (It gets easier!)
Additional resources
Reflection and evaluation
3:00
End
8:15
Coffee and fruit
8:45
Welcome
Why did you come? (Battle stories and rescues, catharses?!)
9:30
Strategic thinking: What are our goals?
What do we hope to get out of our conversations today?
10:15
Break
10:30
Discussion of Power: Who has it? Why?
Why are teachers tentative around parents?
Why are parents tentative around teachers?
How is power exercised in your arena?
What roles do culture and diversity play?
11:15
Playing defense: Ways to defuse conflict that comes our way