I received this from a friend and master teacher today.
She just launched a website (http://www.jenniferabrams.com) with advice for teachers.
I read this and instantly felt like I had to share it. It's amazing advice for everyone facing a potentially difficult discussion.
Enjoy!
Jessica
http://www.roseslife.blogspot.com

A good starting point is to understand clearly your feelings about the problem. Ask yourself:

· If I am hesitating, why?

· How can I get to a place where I feel ready and comfortable sharing what needs to be said? What information do I need? What emotions do I need to deal with?

· What am I trying to accomplish, and if I speak up, will it move me toward or away from my goal?

· Am I willing to experience the discomfort that might come as a result of bringing up this topic?

Then think about what to communicate:

· What explicit professional teaching or work behaviors am I focusing on?

· Is there specific and reliable evidence that I can share?

· Once I share my thoughts, what are my suggestions for next steps in order to fix the problem?

· How will I continue to be of support as the problem is corrected?

And finally, think about how to communicate:

· How might I write up our first few talking points and/or sentences?

· What language will work for this conversation and what words might just trigger the individual and thus stop her/him from listening?

· Where should I have this conversation so it has the best chance of being effective?

These questions are just the beginning, but provide an initial framework for the internal discussion you need to be having before you speak up.