E308
Why Your Tough Conversations With Teachers Aren't Working with Erika Bare & Tiffany Burns
From Better Leaders Better Schools · Hosted by Daniel Bauer
Episode summary
In this episode of Better Leaders Better Schools: Tough conversations fail when principals soften the message so much it can't be heard. Here's what clear, kind feedback sounds like. Tough conversations with teachers, staff, and caregivers are the part of school leadership nobody trains you for, so most principals avoid them or soften them until nothing changes.
Listen elsewhere
Original publisher description
Tough conversations fail when principals soften the message so much it can't be heard. Here's what clear, kind feedback sounds like. Tough conversations with teachers, staff, and caregivers are the part of school leadership nobody trains you for, so most principals avoid them or soften them until nothing changes. Superintendent Erika Bare and leadership coach Tiffany Burns, co-authors of A School Leader's Playbook for Tough Conversations, break down how to prepare, why the feedback sandwich fails, and what to do when a teacher on an improvement plan still isn't improving. You'll get their caregiver framework (care, facts, the why, next steps, care again), the 10-second purpose check that keeps you on track when the other person goes off script, and how to answer excuses with data instead of debate. Plus why rescuing a struggling teacher from their own realization is the least kind thing you can do. Clear is kind. Avoidance isn't. THINK THROUGH YOUR NEXT LEADERSHIP MOVE https://myprincipalcoach.com — your AI-powered principal coach, available 24/7. ⌚️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Danny's prepared conversation that still backfired 10:21 - Why principals avoid tough conversations 14:04 - Coaching up vs coaching out with dignity 17:32 - Why the feedback sandwich fails 21:13 - Learning hard conversations through practice 25:04 - Reflecting after a hard conversation 34:29 - Common mistakes leaders make in tough talks 37:13 - Framing hard news for caregivers 41:18 - Coaching a veteran teacher mailing it in 43:44 - Next steps when improvement plans stall 45:11 - The you seem miserable conversation 48:20 - Lack of will vs lack of skill 52:31 - Answering defensive teachers with data 54:31 - Yes, struggling teachers can turn it around 🔗 CONNECT WITH ERIKA BARE & TIFFANY BURNS: Website: https://www.connectingthroughconversation.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-burns-90a50a274/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erika-bare-6a72a6215/ 📆 WHENEVER YOU ARE READY, HERE'S 3 WAYS TO HELP YOU DO SCHOOL DIFFERENT: 📬 Weekly newsletter: https://ruckusmakers.news/subscribe 📚 Monthly mini-books: https://ruckusmakers.media 🧭 Map your next 90-days: https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/principals-entry-plan/ 🤝 TODAY'S RUCKUSCAST IN PARTNERSHIP WITH: IXL: IXL's adaptive platform finds every student's knowledge gaps, adjusts difficulty as they learn, and gives you a dashboard showing exactly where growth is happening. 🔎 Over 1 million teachers use it — get started at https://ixl.com/leaders ODP BUSINESS SOLUTIONS: ODP Business Solutions has supplied schools for 30 years — converting dead computer labs into STEAM centers, stocking multiple campuses, upgrading whiteboards to interactive displays — all from a single supplier through cooperative contracts. 🔎 Learn more at https://odpbusiness.com/education ORCHARD: Orchard gives every student a personalized career action plan and scores readiness across 8 dimensions — a number you can take to your board. 🔎 See how it works at https://betterleaders.orchard.careers/ KIDS FIRST EDUCATION: Kids First Education builds professional learning around your district's priorities, your data, and your classrooms — not pulled off a shelf — and 98% of educators walk out ready to use what they learned. 🔎 Partner with them at https://kidsfirst.llc/leaders