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
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
Principals’ Centers for International School Leadership. Her
communications consulting in the health care sector includes
training and coaching work at the Community Hospital of the
Monterey Peninsula and Stanford Hospitals.
Her publications include Having Hard Conversations, published by
Corwin Press in 2009, the chapter “Habits of Mind for the School
Savvy Leader” in Art Costa’s and Bena Kallick’s book Learning
and Leading with Habits of Mind: 16 Essential Characteristics for
Success, and contributions to the book Mentors in the Making:
Developing New Leaders for New Teachers published by Teachers
College Press. Her most recent book with co-author Valerie Von
Frank, Generational Savvy: How to be Effective with Educators of
All Generations, was published by Corwin Press in 2013.
She considers herself a “voice coach,” helping others learn how to
best use their voices, be it in a group, in front of a classroom,
coaching a colleague, in a supervisory role and most recently in
writing for the stage, as she does as a Board Member of the
National New Play Network. Abrams holds a Master’s degree in
Education from Stanford University and a Bachelor’s degree in
English from Tufts University.
Watch clips of Abrams′ interview with NPR′s Claudio Sanchez, from
the ASCD Master Class Leadership Series
"Our teaching culture is adverse to conflict. Having tools like
this will move education forward as a profession."
*Michael Grinder, National Director and Educational Consultant*
"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."
*Eleanor Drago-Severson, Associate Professor of Educational
Leadership*
"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."
*Ann Lieberman, Senior Scholar*
"This book has already changed my life. Just by reading it, my
courage to have hard conversations has soared."
*Beth Madison, Principal*
"A straightforward, practical and useful guide for engaging in
difficult conversations."
*Lauren Levin*
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