Thank You

Thank You

 These eight weeks have been very informative and eye opening while learning the importance of effective communication and how to successful collaboration can lead to positive outcomes in the field of early childhood education.

I have always considered myself a good communicate but I have learned this happens when I am in the people in the same cultural group or background as I am. Through the pass weeks I have gain much knowledge a strategies to use that will help me effective communicate with people that are not in my circle.

Your blogs about the different ways of communicating and collaborating has also given me better insights on how we share some of the same imperfections and the strategies you plan to enhance them. We are representatives of an important line of work and we must work to build relationships with families from different cultural backgrounds and that may not share the same values, visions and goal as we do, but must provide them with respect, mutual trust and commitment to give them our best.  

I wish all of you the best in your future endeavors and much success when establishing effective communication and collaboration experiences with your families and friends.

Adjourning

Adjourning

Working with a group whose primary focus is to achieve an outcome is the type of group I appreciated being a part of. The team objective was to create a lesson plan for teachers to use when preparing goals and activities for children.  There were five members of the group: parent, teacher, education, disability, and nutrition manager. It was important for us to have a diverse group to be able to get different perspectives of what children need to be successful.

It took a few meetings before we got to the norming and performing stages of this project but once we started communication, listening and made adjustments we reach the ultimate goal creating a workable document. We first had to learn to trust the input of each member and the importance of having the tool encompass the wholistic approach teaching children.

Once we completed the creating the lesson plan we all realized we were in the adjourning stage of the process. Adjourning is the encounter is over and we are going back to our lives before the group began. We were very happy with the finished document and we were excited about sharing the tool with the teaching team for them to beginning using it when preparing lesson for the children.  Through the group accomplished the mission with success we agreed to meet after the lesson plan had be implemented to see if we needed to add or make changes. I truly enjoyed working in this group because we had important assignment that would help teachers’ better plan for each individual child.

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

Resolving Conflict

Resolving Conflict

I can remember a disagreement I had in a management meeting about the who is qualified to care for young children when their parent (s) were attending a training or workshop.  One of my colleagues’s stated that we could have high school students that volunteer in our program to care for the children, but as I shared according to Division of Child Development the persons’ have pass a TB skin test and approved through the division of child development. I think we were passionate about our opinions and the discussion became loud and out of order.  I think this approach of communication resulted in not addressing the initial concern and we both let the meeting feeling anger towards one another.

This situation was an example of inappropriately addressed conflict. Both of us had a concern and felt our resolutions were the right one. As early childhood educators we know the rules to follow when we are taking care of the children enrolled in our program. But my colleague felt the issue of caring for children not enrolled did not have to follow the same rules.

I took the time to reflect on what happen in this situation and how I could have handled the way I shared the rules of monitoring children. I noticed my colleague was frustrated about the issue and speaking before she had the opportunity to express her emotions was not the best choice. So to keep situation like this from occurring again I plan to implement some of the principles of nonviolent communication I have learned this week.

I know the communication between us about this situation should have been addressed using the NVC approach. In this week’s lesson we have learned different strategies to express our opinion in an effective nonviolent manner. I think the “Thirdside” strategy approach of learning to listen at the total concern before giving my opinion and advice. I wanted us to be able to collaborate to establish a solution that will ensure our program is following the required rules.  

The other strategy I think would help with better communication would be the 3 R’s theory of respecting and acknowledge my colleague’s opinion and responding in a less closed minded manner will lead to a mutual respect and empower our professional working relationship.

My Communication Style

 

My Communication Style

I was amazed how similar two of the scale scores were on the evaluations after completed by me and two other people. I felt my results were accurate of how I see myself as a communicator verbally, listening and do I have communication anxiety when communicating with others.

I was surprised with the scale scores of the communication anxiety inventory evaluation because my score showed I had mild anxiety when communicating with others but both of the other people scored me to be low anxiety when communicating. There was a fifteen point difference in my results and the other two people. What I found surprising was I have worked with one of the people for about six years and the other person I have only known for five months? When speaking in a large group I sometime feel uneasy if speaking to people I do not know and feel more comfortable in a group of people I have communicated with before.

I want to work on becoming less anxious when communicating with new people. As an educator I meet new children and families every year and sometimes every day. I feel comfortable talking to them face-to-face but when talking to a group such as a parent meeting or in training I experience anxiety. This is a communication skill I will continue to try to improve.

The results of the listening styles profile evaluation were all the same and I agree with the results because  I am a people –oriented person. I agree with the description of a people-oriented person and how I see myself. I am empathic to others feelings, concerns which builds relationships with them but I it tends to interfere with my judgment because I trust people so easily. I like being a people-oriented person in most situations but I think being an action-oriented listener will result in better outcomes when communicating with others.

Cross-Cultural Communication

Cross-Cultural Communication

Communicating with culturally diverse people from different races, religions, political affiliations, or sexual orientations can be challenging if you are not comfortable. I can truly say the one challenge I have encounter was when talking with a group of diverse co-workers and the conversation was about political affiliation and President Obama. One of the co-workers was talking how he can be president of the United States when he is not at true American citizen. Then the conversation went to his job performance and what is not during. My immediate responds was anger, hostility, and defensive remarks. But then I had to stop and think everyone has their own opinion about political issues, concerns, and people in leadership roles.

We must remember we are a product of our cultural backgrounds and the traditions and beliefs that have been instilled in us. Sometime we need to reflect on the various aspects of our own cultural identity and examine the positive and negative impact we can have on others opinion and beliefs. To help me improve how I respond to other people’s opinion, remarks or beliefs I will not predict the person behavior to an issue because I have known the person for a period of time.

I will talk to the person about our different views on the topic in a subtle sensitive manner without causing further discomfort between my co-workers. I know I show my feelings through facial expressions and hand gestures so I will difficulty work on changing these actions so when communicating with people from other cultural backgrounds my message will be received in way I intended it to be.

Reference

"Looking at Nonverbal Communication Across Cultures" (pp. 80–81)

Copyright 2010 by Prentice Hall. Reprinted by permission of Prentice Hall via the Copyright Clearance Center

 

Vuckovic, A. (2008). Inter-cultural communication: A foundation of communicative action. Multicultural Education and Technology Journal, 2(1), 47–59.

Copyright 2008 by EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LIMITED. Reprinted by permission of EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LIMITED via the Copyright Clearance Center.

Lesson in nonverbal and verbal Communication

The use of nonverbal communication such as facial expressions, eye contact, body language and gestures can be used to get a message to another person. The message that is trying to be shared with another person can be misleading when communicating using nonverbal communication. For example affect displays which are nonverbal behaviors that convey a person’s feelings, moods and reactions (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2009. p.199). I observed this type of behavior watching an episode of “Rosanne”.

I watched the show with the volume off and only watching the actors’ body movements, facial expressions and the eye contact shared between them. The neighbor knocks on the door and Rosanne let her come in. The neighbor was using hand gestures and had a concern look on her face; Rosanne had her arms folded and seem to be telling the girl to say what she needed. After a few more body gestures and Rosanne pointed to the kitchen. They go in and Rosanne beginning to mix hamburger in a bowl, after a few stirs the girl begins to mix the food.

Rosanne daughter Darlene come in to go the refrigerator and other girl comes in the back door with an envelope smiling like she was excited and she showed the girl mixing the hamburger. The girl and Darlene both smiling as they looked at the envelope. Darlene beginning using hand gesture while talking to her mother and beginning to smile and the girl with the tickets was doing the same. After this the girl mixing the food had a sad look on her face and when Rosanne asked her a question she dropped her head.

As the show went on the Darlene and the other girl was in a parking lot talking to two men. Darlene had an upset look on her face while the other girl was hugging and smiling with one of the young men. While at her home her mother, father, aunt and the girl sister was looking out the door and window looking for them. From the facial expression everyone was upset or worried.

Darlene finally shows up at home when Rosanne’s expressions showed she was disciplining Darlene about coming home so late.  

The nonverbal communication in this episode was very understanding for the story line which was subtitled “Good Girl, Bad Girl”. I was able to tell what the show was about by watching without the verbal communication between the characters.

After rewinding the show to watch with the sound on it was great to know this show was easy to follow the plot and the outcome was what I was able to determine by watching without sound. This does not mean that the use of nonverbal communication is as easy to understand as it was watching this show but in most cases to get a good understand the use of both forms of communication will be more effective.

 

Reference

O’Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St.

 Roseanne (24 Nov. 1992) Season 5, Episode 10. Good Girls, Bad Girls.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0688790/

“Awesome Communicator”

Communicating is information shared between two or more people that will result in an outcome. Effective communication will lead to better understand and results between parties. Everyone is not effective communicators but my father has that special quality.

He is an awesome communicator when addressing others people’s concerns, issues and success. I have observed him diffusing power conflicts in ways that leave all parties feel their opinions or concerns were valued.

He uses different techniques when communicating such as he makes eye contact, he nods to acknowledge the persons strong point during the conversation and he never folds his arms which can be a sign of disrespect. These are all great qualities but the most effective quality he has is being an active listener and will not interrupt the person’s expressing their thoughts. Once he has the opportunity to speak, he will start the conversation by acknowledging what the person is saying and does not criticize them. He practices open and honest communication when giving his opinion but again not in a way that makes the other person feel respected and important.

 I can say I think my father is an “awesome communicator” and in my work and everyday life environments I am practicing some of the techniques and qualities he possesses.