Critical Conversation Lab

Critical Conversation Lab:
Exploring the skills needed to have authentic and successful conversations with parents around difficult topics. 


Who Should Attend?
Faculty and administration looking to build skills in the area of communication with parents. Specifically focusing on difficult topics like bad news or discipline.

Workshop Description
Whether you are a teacher, administrator or staff member who deals directly with parents, you have probably been involved in critical conversations that left you feeling great, empowered and supported and you have also had conversations that left you feeling anxious, angry and unsupported.  Despite the obvious importance of these critical conversations, educational professionals are given very little instruction or training on how to have them successfully.  Even when that training does occur, it is often out of context, and does not accurately address the complex nature of conversation and does not effectively prepare educators for how to:

• Give bad news clearly and succinctly
• Hear critical feedback that is emotionally based without getting defensive
• Give both positive and challenging feedback to parents about your experience working with them
• Understand and recognize one's own personal triggers and how to effectively keep personal issues out of work conversations
• Own one's mistakes as an act of leadership with parents and students
• Move the conversation forward
• Deal with repair when conversations do not go as planned
  

This one-day workshop will be an opportunity to explore the skills that are foundational to critical conversations, with time to practice them and get feedback from your peers.  We will also work to understand the most common behaviors that lead to dissatisfaction for both parents and educators.  Further, we will share critical conversation tools that help guide these conversations and help provide educators with a conceptual framework for what components are always present in a successful critical conversation.  Whether you are interested in developing your own skills further or you are looking for more tools to help coach those that report to you, the skills taught will be applicable.   

Participants in this workshop can expect a hands-on, experiential learning environment in which we utilize practice exercises, role-play and conversation to tackle these topics.

Facilitators
Brenda and Ryan are passionate about supporting authentic conversations with parents.  During the 2011 Fall Educators Conference, their breakout session on the same topic filled the room beyond capacity and was the highest rated session of the day.  They have expanded upon the topic, developing a full day of experiential learning that will leave attendees more aware and confident as they broach difficult topics with parents.

Ryan Burke, Dean of Students at The Overlake School, has been an educator for twelve years and has experience teaching both special education and regular education.  He has a master's degree in Applied Behavioral Science and has experience as a family therapist.  For the last five years he has served as an administrator in independent schools.   Currently he is Dean of Students at The Overlake School and Co-Founder of Leading is Learning, an organization that is committed to creating experiences for students, teachers and organizations that want to be leaders in the 21st Century. 

Brenda Leaks, Middle School Head at The Overlake School, has also been an educator for twelve years, and she has experience as a teacher and division head in independent schools.   She holds a master's degree from the Klingenstein Institute at Columbia in Independent School Administration.   

                           
Registration


PNAIS Attendees

• Early Bird (By October 1, 2012): $95
• Regular (After October 1, 2012): $145
  

Non-PNAIS Attendees: $195

TO RECEIVE THE REGISTRATION DISCOUNT: Your registration must be complete and payment must be postmarked or received by the appropriate deadline.

• For registrations completed by mail or online registrations with payment by check, payment must be postmarked by deadline date.
• Online registrations paid by credit card must be completed by 11:59pm on the deadline date.
  

Registration

Watch our short Online Registration how-to video.  For best results, click the play icon (triangle) and then allow the video to load before starting playback.

• Download a mail-in Registration Form



Cancellation Policy

Substitutions may be made any time prior to the conference. Written cancellations received by October 15, 2012 are eligible for a refund after a $50 cancellation fee. Cancellations received after October 15, 2012 are ineligible for any refund.