Stuck in a rut.
Common state of being for school personnel these days.
 Budget cuts
 Lack of material





resources
Lack of human resource
Asked to do more with
less
ESEA waiver
Common Core
Standards
Evaluation tied to
student progress
 Run and hide?????
Run and Hide?
Roll over and play dead????
Roll over and Play Dead?
So Let’s Begin, How
do you deal with
difficult people?
Generally, difficult
people will fall into one
or more of these
categories:
Hostile/Aggressive
types
Know it all
Snipers
Complainers
Quiet type
Yes, people
Negaholic
Hostile and
Aggressive Types
Characteristics
Bullies and
loudmouths
Intimidation
Territorial
Dealing:
Stand up to them
Assert yourself
Redirect
Smile
Know it All
Characteristics:
I am better than you.
I know more, just ask
me.
I am an expert.
Dealing:
Patience
Redirect/include
others
Self confidence
Snipers
Characteristics:
Sarcasm
Innuendo
Back stabbing
Covert
Dealing:
Overt-get it out in the open
Confront-don’t let them get
away with it. FACE to FACE
Be open and honest.
Complainers
Characteristics:
Whine
Avoid responsibility
Martyr syndrome
Blame others
Tends to cycle
Dealing:
Break the cycle
Don’t agree it only makes
them worse
Interrupt if necessary and
take control.
Listen, what are they really
trying to tell you.
Silent type
Characteristics:
Avoid risk at all costs
Non-committal
Seek safety by refusing to
respond
May respond with “I don’t
know” or “I don’t care”
Dealing:
Ask open ended questions
Allow pointed silence
State what you are willing to
do.
Tell them if they are not
going to respond then you
take that as an affirmative
for what you want to do.
Agreeable—Yes,
yes, yes
Characteristics:
Always agreeable even when
they don’t have all the facts
May be seen as “brownnosing”
People pleaser
Over-promises and never
delivers
Avoids conflicts
Dealing:
Ask for opinions
Make honesty nonthreatening
Don’t allow them to over
commit
Check progress
Negaholic
Characteristics:
Often they have been deeply
disappointed in life
May not trust
Pessimist
Lost locus of control
Dealing:
Don’t let them get to you.
Be careful it doesn’t become
contagious
Give them success
Build trust
How to Cope
Don't take difficult people's
behavior personally. Their
behavior is habitual and
affects most people with
whom they come in contact.
Don't fight back or try to
beat them at their own
games. They have been
practicing their skills for a
lifetime, and you're an
amateur.
Don't try to appease them.
Difficult people have an
insatiable appetite for more.
Don't try to change them.
You can only change your
responses to their behavior.
If you don't observe
them, do irritating
people disappear?
matter is actually
99.9999....% empty space
observation affects reality.
if you let someone irritate
you, or you let one thought
dominate your mind. You
continue to carry something
that should have been set
down a long time ago. And
of course the frustration you
carry around, the difficult
person probably isn't
thinking twice about. Why
should you be the person
suffering?
So what does this
have to do with
Special Ed!
You are the
Peacemaker.
We are all in this
together.
IEP at a glance
LRE
In-class vs. direct
service
Difference between
accommodations and
modifications.
People react in different ways
when they find out a student
in their class needs
accommodations ...
 Differentiated Instruction
 Terminology from general education.
 Accommodations
 Terminology from special education.
Productivity
How do I get things
done when I have to
deal with difficult
people and
situations?
 Be Friendly
 Have a little or lot of patience
 Listen
 Don’t gossip
 Be respectful
 Model
 Personalize
Have plan A, but always have plan B, C, or D if needed.
Personable, innovative, creative.
Have a sense of humor
negotiate, compromise, win-win.
Use your expertise.
 Things do not always go the way you want them to.
Ethical decisions; honesty
Get a Grip!
Try one or more of these stress
relievers
1.
Exercise
2.
Quiet thoughts
3.
Laugh
4.
Reach out to others
5.
Learn to say no-don’t
overburden yourself.
6.
Breathe
7.
Get a good nights sleep
8.
Journal
9.
Get musical
10.
Seek counsel
Its all in your
attitude!
What does it take to
make it in the
educational
workplace?
Be positive
Optimistic
Find the Good things
in life
Be Patient
Don’t get harried or
hurried.
Be an Individual
You are not just “one
of the crowd”
Stand out and be
proud of it.
Be Adaptable
Just know that as
soon as you get your
schedule made some
one is going to want
to change it. And
guess who will have
to be flexible????
May not have
planned it this way
but work with what
you have.
Be Courageous
Courage is not about
having no fears, but
the ability to
overcome fears and
do what you need to
do.
Be confident
Collaborate
Work together
Talk, talk, talk
Even when you don’t
want to.
Do it FACE to FACE
Explore
Explore new ideas
Try new things
Don’t be afraid of
trial and error.
M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled
M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled