How to Handle Difficult Parents: A Teacher's Survival Guide (Paperback)

by Suzanne Capek Tingley (Author)
Key Phrases: helicopter mom, Stealth Zapper, Caped Crusader, Miss Truman (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Dispenses practical advice on resolving parent-teacher conflicts with a light-hearted but informed tone...A good selection for new teachers especially."  —Education Week

"A handy guide with a sense of humor that'll keep the parent woes at bay."  —Edutopia

"An eminently readable, funny, practical book on how to deal with parents."  —John Rosemond, syndicated newspaper columnist and author, John Rosemond's NEW Parent Power

"If you're a teacher who develops a nervous tic ahead of parent-teacher conferences, this could be the book for you."  —Hoover Institution, Stanford University

Product Description

Be it "Pinocchio's Mom," who thinks her child never lies, the "Caped Crusader," who will stop at nothing to have a book eliminated from the curriculum, or the "Helicopter Mom," who hovers and swoops in to protect her child from disappointment, this humorous handbook helps educators deal with impossible parents. Each chapter features a hilarious caricature that illuminates common parent anxieties followed by specific, practical methods for addressing the problem. Easily implemented advice on face-to-face confrontations helps teachers approach each conflict with the confidence to get their point across and the composure to keep their professional principles intact.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Cottonwood Press, Inc. (September 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1877673722
• ISBN-13: 978-1877673726
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,334 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #18 in	Books > Nonfiction > Education > Parent Participation
  #36 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Parenting > School-Age Children
  #46 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Education

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to Handle Pinocchio's Mother!, May 20, 2007

By	James Hiller (Beaverton, OR) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Let's face it. As a teacher with any amount of experience, we've all had them. Not the kids. The parents. Those parents who subtlety work to subterfuge any attempt to move forward with your class. The parent who insists that their child never lies. The parent who believes you and you alone are singling out their child, which is the true cause of their misbehavior. Sound familiar? Good.

As as teacher, we've all been there before. The question always remains, what to do in those situations? Obviously, being completely honest with the parent is never really an option, and subtlety is most often missed by a parent with an agenda. That's where this new book comes in, "How to Handle Difficult Parents: A Teacher's Survival Guide" by Suzanne Capek Tingley.

Both knee slapping funny and filled cover to cover with insightful tips, "How to Handle Difficult Parents" should be a must-read for any teacher, both new and experienced. Tingley, an experienced teacher, principal and administrator herself, approaches these situations similarly. First, she introduces each difficult parent "type" by setting up scenarios that teachers may very easily find themselves in. Through ingenious use of a dialogue, you are suddenly placed in the situation, some of which I have had happen to me in my sixteen years in education. Then, Tingley offers specific suggestions and tips for teachers to follow. Infused with all of this, Tingley practical approach and great sense of humor make reading this book not only informative, but a delight.

For example, Tingley takes on the "Caped Crusader" parent: the one that works to make sure their thoughts and ideas are followed by everyone else. This parent often has issues with curriculum and the choices teachers make. While the parent has every right to complain for their child, they definitely do not have a right to complain for all the children. Tingley offers some great tips about how to fend off this parent, in a polite and congenial manner. All of the tips are practical and professional.

I can envision a teacher, preparing for a conference with a parent, quickly reading a chapter that applies to the parent to "arm themselves" for the conversation ahead. Most often, these difficult parents all work within a certain parameter, that they are advocating on behalf of the best interest in their child. Tingley reminds us, as professionals, our job is to look out for the interests of all the children in the classroom. By using her ideas, teachers will be more empowered for that goal.

I highly recommend "How to Deal with Difficult Parents" to be at least in every school's professional library, if not in every classroom, as a user- friendly guide for teachers to deal with our constituency, and at least to have a good laugh while doing so!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superintendent, April 17, 2007

By	L. Parsons - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book provides invaluable insight and advice for new and veteran teachers, administrators and parents. Through the light-hearted examples of some stereotypical parents, opportunities are presented to facilitate the lines of communication between home and school. Each year we lose many potentially outstanding teachers from the stress and demands of today's more transparent educational system. Reading, discussing, and implementing the practical advice from this book will help retain many of these promising professionals. I would highly recommend this book as a must read for any school's new teacher mentoring program. As a parent, I would also recommend reading the book to gain a better understanding of the educator's perspective and how one can work in harmony for the sake of the child.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Parent-Teacher Association as it really is, July 10, 2007

By	Susan Larson (Lilburn, GA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Tingley gives an excellent overview of how educational objectives have evolved from instilling self-esteem to achieving high scores on standardized tests and what a problem that has created in dealing with today's parents. She acknowledges the frustrations teachers feel and frequently complain about, then skillfully uses humor along with sound advice to get beyond the griping and deal with the problems unreasonable parents can present. The book would be very helpful as a basis for role playing sessions for teachers-in-training in order to master the skills of being in control, getting parents on their side and most importantly, handling themselves as professionals. Even veteran teachers could benefit from reflecting on the amusing, yet accurate parent stereotypes Tingley has captured through her years of experience.