ESL School: Handling disciplinary procedures

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Handling disciplinary procedures

April 27, 2006

We all like to believe we are good judges of character and that when we make an appointment we’ve found the right person for the job. Unfortunately nobody is infallible and sometimes an appointment goes wrong.

Hello,
This time I'm dealing with a tricky topic. How should we deal with staff who don't meet the required professional standards? What should we do if we find that a teacher repeatedly breaks the basic rules we expect all our staff to abide by? Rules usually cover issues such as absence, timekeeping and holiday arrangements, health and safety, use of equipment and facilities, misconduct, sub-standard performance, discrimination, bullying and harassment. Your rules should be clear and in writing. They should be known and understood by all your staff so that nobody can say they didn’t know what was expected. You should also...

... describe your disciplinary procedures. Good disciplinary procedures should allow for an issue to be dealt with promptly, ensure confidentiality be in line with the employment law of your country.

Once a problem has become apparent, the first point to remember is that all employers have to deal with such situations from time to time. Don’t waste time blaming your recruitment policy or finding scapegoats, instead rely on clear procedures that are fair and designed to either resolve the problem amicably or to lead to dismissal procedures that are in line with the employment law of your country and the terms of the contract you issued.

Don’t delay action. Once a problem has been identified, meet the teacher and state clearly the behaviour you find unacceptable. Be polite and focus on the behaviour, not the person. For example, if lateness is the issue, say, “I’m afraid lateness is not acceptable. Over the past two weeks, you have been late on x occasions.” This is much more objective than saying, “You just don’t seem capable of being a punctual person”.

Always bear in mind that the teacher may have an underlying problem that is causing the behaviour, so give the person a chance to explain and to offer solutions. Then set specific goals for improvement. These should be part of an action plan that you work out together with agreed review points and a recognition of any obstacles that the employee feels lie in the way. Make it clear that the action plan is the only option and explain what the consequences of not cooperating will be. Ensure too that you explain the legal and contractual implications of the disciplinary procedure. If written evidence is a legal requirement, then explain how you will record the incident.

Dealing with disciplinary issues is never pleasant but it is a part of the process of management. If you have clear and fair procedures then you can avoid an escalation of the problems and satisfy legal requirements so that you do not end up facing charges of unfair dismissal.

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Comments

Nancy Says:
May 16, 2006 03:59 AM

I would like suggestions for a winning ESL interview. I enjoy working with high school students . I currently teach English English and I need a quick cram course for my interview is this Thrusday morning.
Thank you, Nancy

Best regards,

Nancy

Btownsend Says:
May 16, 2006 06:52 AM

Hello Nancy. Here are a few tips. Remember that first impressions are very important so dress appropriately and greet the interviewers with a confident smile and a warm handshake. Be ready to explain why you think you would be a good ESL teacher and how you would like your career to develop. Explain how any experience you already have is relevant to want you want to do now.

Address the issue of qualifications, perhaps outlining any new certificates you intend to work towards in this field.

If you are asked any technical questions about how you would teach a specific language item, then have a topic prepared and say that you have thought about this point and would like to describe what you would do. Also try to look at some of the materials used in ESL and be ready to say which ones appeal to you and why.

Finally, think about how you would address such areas as error correction, and helping students become more effective learners.

All of this is designed to show the interviewers that you have good potential as an ESL teacher even if, as yet, you haven't got a lot of experience. Good luck!