Creating Healthy Boundaries at Work…. And Beyond!

Creating Healthy Boundaries at Work…. And Beyond! Presented by the MCPS EAP 240-314-1040

Learning Objectives • To increase your understanding of boundaries and limit setting • To identify challenges to maintaining boundaries and setting limits in working with parents • To learn best practices for effectively setting and maintaining boundaries in working with parents

MCPS Employee Assistance Program • Short term counseling , assessment and referral • Cost • Eligibility • Problem types • Referrals (self, supervisor and other) • Confidentiality/records • Other services: workshops, crisis response, newsletter, access point to mediation • Times/location

Exercise • Dyad: 2 minutes to talk about the WORST behavior from a parent they ever experienced

What are Personal Boundaries? • Personal boundaries are guidelines, rules or limits that a person creates to identify for themselves what are reasonable, safe and permissible ways for other people to behave around them and how they will respond when someone steps outside those limits.

Boundaries • Physical– choosing how close you allow people to come to you • Emotional– maintaining emotional distance; setting limits on how you want to be treated by others; • Ethical– determined by your professional and/or personal code of ethics

Boundaries can be… • Flexible • too flexible and it is easy to feel overwhelmed; • makes it difficult to set priorities and follow them • Rigid • too rigid and cultural differences are ignored • decisions are not based on the context of the relationship

Code of Ethics for Teachers from the Association of American Educators • PRINCIPLE IV: Ethical Conduct toward Parents and Community • The professional educator pledges to protect public sovereignty over public education and private control of private education.The professional educator recognizes that quality education is the common goal of the public, boards of education, and educators, and that a cooperative effort is essential among these groups to attain that goal.1. The professional educator makes concerted efforts to communicate to parents all information that should be revealed in the interest of the student.2. The professional educator endeavors to understand and respect the values and traditions of the diverse cultures represented in the community and in his or her classroom.3. The professional educator manifests a positive and active role in school/community relations.

What Makes it Challenging to Maintain Boundaries and Set Limits?

Control versus No Control

Group Exercise • Brainstorm boundaries and setting limits: • For each example, discuss what limits you would set F

Examples • A parent shows up unannounced and demands a meeting • A parent becomes aggressive, takes charge of a meeting and is unwilling to end a conference • A parent refuses a recommendation for instruction or a consequence of behavior (that is data driven) i.e. math placement, reading group, loss of recess, etc. • A meeting gets off track and the parent starts badmouthing another staff member • Bonus: How do you respond to a rude or bullying e-mail?

How do you set and maintain boundaries? • Know your limits/boundaries – lines you will not cross and won’t let others cross • Know what is you and what is me • Recognize/understand your role • Use positive communication skills • Build resiliency • Focus on what you have control over

Thanks for coming!For more information about the EAP, contact us at 240-314-1040or visit our website at: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/eap/

Creating Healthy Boundaries at Work…. And Beyond!