Background: Many people with intellectual disabilities are affected by death, yet conversations about death are often avoided by staff working with them. This study aimed to assess staff training needs and to develop, trial and evaluate a training course on communicating about death and dying. Method:(i) Semi-structured interviews with 20 staff in…

This paper discusses how school counselors can support students suffering from anxiety. The causes and prevalence of anxiety are presented as well as the differences between normal and problematic anxiety. The role of school personnel in early identification is discussed with particular emphasis on the responsibilities of the school counselor.…

When school front offices are mentioned in research on schools and their relations with the community, it is often to describe how parents/carers and the public are treated officiously and/or inappropriately. In professional development materials, schools are urged to improve communication, and occasionally directed to consider the practices of…

Nonverbal communication--how we use our voices, breathing, bodies, and eyes--is as powerful as our words. As much as 82% of our message is conveyed through nonverbal strategies. Learning to use these cues can be key to improving our ability to facilitate or lead meetings.

Metaphoric learning in corporate training should be "isomorphic" (paralleled experiences bearing strong resemblances to one another) for change to occur. In addition, the outcomes of the newly created metaphor must be different from the preexisting condition if change is to occur. (KS)

Arguing that good interpersonal interactions between library staff and their patrons is a major determinant of overall patron satisfaction, this paper describes Temple University's customer service training program for its public services staff. Dubbed the "A+ Service" program, the program focuses on six aspects of library service: (1)…

Discusses the importance of teaching communication skills to individuals with severe disabilities and reviews the development and evaluation of Developing Communicative Interactions, a data-based staff training program that supports the development of a prescribed set of interaction skills by interacting communication partners. (Author/CR)

Describes use of the STAR (System Training for Accurate Reference) program at the Baltimore County Public Library to improve the interview skills of reference staff. The effectiveness of the program, staff training, performance evaluation, and effects of budget cuts are discussed. A sidebar summarizes STAR behaviors: open questions, verifying, and…

Stresses the need for human interaction amidst the advanced technology available on today's community college campuses. Suggests bringing the human interaction/technological dichotomy together through a retreat based on the Great Teachers Seminar (GTS) model. Offers a brief history and overview of, and recent improvements on, GTS. (AUTH/NB)

A staff development program for the business-office staff is a model for small-to-medium-size districts. A group meets weekly for 60 to 90 minutes to discuss each department's successes, goals, and new business items. Meeting minutes also let other school personnel understand the complexities of running a district. (MLF)

Because the characteristics of children change at different ages, child caregiver knowledge, techniques, and stresses also should vary. The author suggests ways to improve or eliminate three specific stresses of infant/toddler caregiving: low pay and status, physical stress, and emotional stress. Infant caregivers should inform parents about the…

The Instructional Systems Design (ISD) process was applied to a communication skills training project for the New York City Police Department. The purpose of the application was to reduce the number of unnecessary civilian complaints accumulated by police officers. The project passed through the five phases of ISD: analysis, design, development,…

A Pima County (Arizona) adult workplace education program in English as a Second Language (ESL) is outlined. Salient elements in program design, student recruitment and program marketing, student assessment, instructional methods, and program evaluation are noted, and the topical content of the ESL curriculum is charted. Tasks/competencies and…