MS. DIXON: So how is everything, George?
MR. WALKER: Keepin' tight. Can't complain... Blew my damn knee out a while back and it's still givin' me hell, 'specially on the stairs out there.
MS. DIXON: (sympathetic) Ouch.
MR. WALKER: Ouch is right... But hey, good excuse to make the kids carry attendance forms to the front office. What about you, how's things?
MS. DIXON: You didn't tell me about Abigail Jacobs being bullied.
MR. WALKER: Uuh... Who?
MS. DIXON: Abigail Jacobs, she's a student here, fifth grade.She came to me the other day and reported that she's been the repeated target of some... not nice things being done and said to her, particularly when she uses the bathroom near the cafeteria.
WALKER: (no recollection) Okay, but - slow down. Why would I have told you about any of this?
FEEDBACK: Your tone caught Mr. Walker off guard and made him uneasy. Try getting Mr. Walker’s side of the story by asking open-ended questions and explaining what Abigail told you, keeping a neutral tone.
MS. DIXON: You were there after an incident last month but you didn't do anything about it. As far as I know.
MR. WALKER: As far as you know.
MS. DIXON: Right.
MR. WALKER: But that's not stopping you from comin' at me, like (sigh) Look, I'm tryin' to figure out what you might be talking about, but... did she say she spoke to me?
FEEDBACK: Instead of making assumptions about Mr. Walker's role in Abigail's situation--which only makes him defensive--try getting his perspective by asking questions and keeping a neutral tone.
MS. DIXON: Yeah, last month, during lunch? I don't recall you saying anything to me, and... I was hoping to get some more information about it.
MR. WALKER: (trying to recall) I'm not... (realizing) Ooooh, you're talking about- Right, right. Yeah, that's right, that- Yeah, it was during lunch.
MS. DIXON: So this did happen? You know what I'm talking about?
MR. WALKER: Yeah, yeah... I remember now.
MS. DIXON: And?
MR. WALKER: (a little annoyed, yada yada yada) I was supervising lunch, he comes up and, he's... She comes up, saying some girls in the bathroom had called her a few names, said some mean things...
MS. DIXON: What did you say?
MR. WALKER: I'm trying to... You know what it was, it was a Friday, and, I uh, told him not to worry about it, just walk away from the situation, use a different bathroom for now, and I'd follow up. And it was a Friday, and then the weekend, and... Whoosh. Slipped.
MS. DIXON: Do you have an issue with Abigail?
MR. WALKER: What's that supposed to mean?
MS. DIXON: I don't know, I'm asking.
MR. WALKER: Y'know, it's feeling like you came in here with an agenda.
MS. DIXON: No, I'm just trying to understand what--
MR. WALKER: (overlapping) In fact, I'm feeling a little bullied here, like if you have something-
MS. DIXON: "Bullied?"
MR. WALKER: Yeah, I'm... Y'know. Uncomfortable with this conversation. Feels like you're ambushing me.
MR. WALKER: In fact... You got a problem, take it up with the front office. I gotta get to the MCU.