Presents suggestions to help teachers who must work with difficult principals, offering 10 ideas for how to make meetings with such principals more effective. The paper also notes what to do if the principal is unreachable and describes how four teachers handled their own problems with difficult principals. (SM)

Guidelines to keep conflicts from wreaking havoc at staff meetings, parent conferences, team meetings, and PTA functions include confronting tensions early, attacking problems not people, examining oneself, choosing issues carefully, requesting feedback, building trust, working together, and being prepared. (SM)

Over 100,000 teachers and 200,000 students are physically assaulted each year. Teachers must be prepared to deal with school violence. Suggestions for defusing potentially violent situations include appear calm, observe closely, speak carefully, don't lie, ask appropriate questions, avoid confrontational language and actions, and separate the…