Horrible incident with trainee teacher!

[Earlgreyrose]

We have a young tt attached to the department (I am HOD.)

There have been a few problems since she began. I met with her today to discuss them. I was honestly lovely and gentle and positive but it all went wrong.

She just lost it, crying and interrupting me like a teenager would! Lots of 'yeah but ' and 'I need to give you my side's and claiming I had done the things she had

I honestly have real concerns about her now where I didn't previously. I have never known an adult have a tantrum like if!

Perhaps she's having a tough time, doesn't excuse her attitude towards you trying to help her though.

I had one year like that and it was a case of handle with care. I don't want to share details for obvious reasons but there were multiple significant issues including outright lying about staff.

If it helps this is what we did:

• kept the school coordinator in the loop
• minuted every meeting (from formal mentor meetings to following up staff room chats with an email due to the trainer's willingness to lie)
• asked staff to pass feedback to the mentor directly so they could pick the common threads to set as targets
• have an agreed line with any colleague who had involvement with the trainee
• keep the training provider in the loop via school coordinator

In your situation I would seek a 3 way meeting with you, trainee and the school coordinator at first where the school coordinator is a 3rd neutral party (and make sure that is communicated to the trainee). You prepare the main messages, seek input from thr trainee about what they feel they need and the school coordinator is there to prevent the trainee claiming you're having a go at them.
It might be possible to do the 3 way meeting with someone from the training provider too if need be.

Ultimately, some trainees need a maturity spurt and to realise that you can't act like moody teenagers in the workplace.

Ah well she's still very young. She'll get there if she is meant to, if not she'll do something else after graduation.

Is she a scitt trainee?
If so, pass it on to her school based tutor or whoever is in charge of the scitt.
Sounds like she is feeling the pressure but dealing with it badly.

We've had some amazingly talented trainees in the past but the past few years many have been very trying to say the least. Very overconfident and unwilling to take on board feedback.
It's a real roulette as a good trainee really invigorates the department but the more difficult can be a massive drain on energy and time.

Are we the same person wine!
That sums up my experience too.