Communication is essential and has been described as “the process through which the social fabric of relationships, groups, organizations, societies, and world order — and disorder — is created and maintained” -( O'Hair, Wiemann, Mullinm & Teven, 2018)
In order to have effective communication, it takes dedication, adjustment, and thorough attention to the setting to be a good communicator (O'Hair, Wiemann, Mullinm & Teven, 2018).
This week, we had to think of someone who demonstrates competent communication within a particular context. The person who came to mine is my aunt. My aunt use to be an educator and worked her way up to be a principal. She is a principal in the same county I work in and is a phenomenal person!
The behaviors she exhibits that make her effective:
- caring
- supportive
- respectful
- helps problem solves
- a listener
- understanding
- knowledgable
- personable
- passionate about working with and supporting children and their families
- practical
- uses eye contact, gestures, and expressions
- speakers clearly and is relaxed
- sensitive to others
I would want to model some of my own communication behaviors after her because in my eyes she demonstrates effective communication skills. I have had the opportunity to see her during her workday and communicate with parents, staff members, and children. She is dedicated to supporting her staff and makes herself available to communicate with them all hours of the day to assist them when they need help. I have witnessed her put together presentations and successful transition to being a leader through distance learning during COVID-19. She is truly a role model who speaks highly of this profession and is very passionate and knowledgeable about the field of education.
Reference
O'Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullinm D.I,, & Teven, J. (2018). Real communication: An introduction (4th. ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martins.
I really like that you bullet-point your list of communication skills. I didn't think of that and it really brings your blog post together.
ReplyDeleteJamie,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your tribute to your aunt and her effective communication skills. It had me refer back to the video in class we reviewed this week. How would your Aunt address the ineffective communication during the meeting? If it was me leading the meeting, I would have asked everyone to put their phones away or on silent so that distractions won’t occur. To be mindful of others who are speaking, let’s give them the opportunity to complete their thought without cutting them off. Everyone will have the opportunity to express their concerns. I would have done my research asking if parents had any questions before the meeting so I could have a plan of action. I would present a curriculum explaining what will be taught during the additional hrs. added to the children’s school day and when they will occur. I’d follow, “I-4.2-To promote cooperation among professionals and agencies and interdisciplinary collaboration among professions concerned with addressing issues in the health, education, and well-being of young children, their families, and their early childhood educators” (NAEYC, 2005).
Reference
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2005, April). NAEYC code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved from
http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf
Jamie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. Your aunt sounds like she has a lot of good communication skills under her belt. I like that she is a good listener, I think that this shows the person with whom she is communicating that she cares about what they have to say.
Thank you for sharing your information on your aunt. All the examples that you listed about her qualities are exactly what makes a person an effective and competent communicator. In our text, it states that "competent communication is effective and appropriate for a given situation, in which the communication evaluate and reassess their own communication process"(O'Hair, Wiemann & Mullin, 2018). With our current crisis and pandemic that we all are facing, your aunt had to readjust and evaluate a new process to deal with the new norm of distance learning.
ReplyDeleteJamie, I enjoyed reading your post. I think it is a great that your are able to see how your aunt is able to communicate with staff and families. As I wrote about my coworker, it allowed me to see what a great role model she is and be understanding is a key behavior for communicating.
ReplyDelete