Firing a Teacher (Week 9)

I interviewed Pastor Cloud about this topic, and he informed me that he has never had to experience firing a teacher of Sunday school or otherwise. So, I decided to look up some various articles on the internet that covered this topic. Also, I happened to do a Wikipedia article on the same topic:

1. Prayer: Before rushing out and fring a volunteer, the careful minister of Christian education will spend time asking God if, when, and how the person should be terminated. Prayer should be focused on both the best interests of the ministry and the person.
2. Documentation: Write down the problems that have been observed as they occur. Though the Christian educator should avoid bringing this information into the conversation when dismissing a person, at least as proof of the fairness of the decision, the documentation does help a pastor avoid emotionally based decisions. It helps maintain objectivity.
3. No surprises: Firings should not catch the person being terminated off guard. Some type of ministry performance review should be provided for all volunteers, and in this process areas of concern or failure should be brought to the attention of the offending party. Then if the person does not respond to such suggestions he
or she should not be shocked by the firing procedures. A similar procedure is outlined in Matthew 18:15-17.
4. Don't rush: Rapid termination of a volunteer rarely is done well. Emotions may blur good judgment. Facts get confused. Task orientation sometimes hinders sensitivity to people.
5. Don't renew: If possible, rather than fire a volunteer, it is better not to invite the person to teach or sponsor for another year. This means that each volunteer should have an automatic "sunset" on his or her commitment. A ministry cut-off date usually occurs at the end of a school year or at the beginning of the next one. Absence of renewal, however, does not mean an absence of communication. The volunteer deserves the right of an honest appraisal even if not asked to continue in the current capacity.
6. Don't delay: In situations where moral or theological problems are involved, the Christian educator must act with all deliberate speed. As soon as the facts are verifed, action should be taken. Remember, however, this type of action is not designed to destroy the volunteer. On the contrary, every effort should be made to be redemptive - both for the person and for the ministry.
7. Private appointment: Firings should not be done publicly. A specifc time should be established when the CE minister (or other supervisor) and the volunteer can evaluate the ministry effectiveness of that person.
8. Self-evaluation: Rather than dumping a load of complaints on the volunteer, the wise supervisor will first ask the person for an appraisal of the year's ministry in the light of the job description and ministry objectives. A majority of the time the volunteer will be harder on himself than the supervisor would have been.
9. Confront if necessary: If the volunteer appears blind to the weaknesses which seem obvious to others, then the person will need to be told of specifc shortcomings. This must be done in a spirit of love and respect.
10. Affirm positive qualities: Sometimes the self-evaluation or loving confrontation will obscure the positive contributions that a person has made. Such activities should be complimented specifcally and genuinely to avoid this problem.
11. Allow resignation: After the problems have been examined, ask the volunteer what should be done. If he or she resigns, accept the resignation with humility of spirit. If the person still does not get the picture, the Christian education leader will have to ask for the resignation.