Who Am I as a Communicator

I have always excelled at public communication so it was no surprise when the communication anxiety inventory showed a low score. This score stayed in the same range with everyone that I surveyed. I chose to survey my husband who I felt knew me very well, and a close colleague from work. I was surprised, however, to see the differences in the scores for the verbal aggressiveness scale.

When I took the verbal aggressiveness inventory, I achieved a low score. This indicated according to the results that I am “respectful of the viewpoints and intelligence of others” (Rubin, Palmgreen, & Sypher, 2009). Both of the other surveys indicated that my level of aggressiveness was moderate rather than low. This indicated that I maintain a balance between respect for others and arguing fairly with them. I was also surprised to realize how I am perceived by others and my lack of patience that is evident by the way I react to other adults that I may not agree with.

Taking this inventory as convinced me that I need to be more respectful of the viewpoints of others. I also need to be able to appreciate that just as people are all uniquely different, our communication styles will also be different. It was encouraging to note that even though you may disagree with an individual’s position on an issue, you may attack the position that they hold, while still being respectful and cordial to the individual who is holding that position. This knowledge will be a critical factor as I seek to develop positive relations not only with my parents in the early childhood field but also with the persons that I will work with.

Reference

Rubin, R. B., Palmgreen, P., & Sypher, H. E. (Eds.) (2009). Communication research measures: A sourcebook. New York: Routledge.

Communication

I have never given it any thought before, but I realize that I communicate differently with people from different groups and cultures. As I seek to be understood I utilize different methods of communication based on the group that I am speaking with. People from different cultures view the world differently. This can result in conflicts and misunderstandings as they interact across cultures (O’Hair & Weimann, 2015).

As an educator in the classroom, I am careful to speak correctly as I model proper grammar for my children. I also choose my words carefully, giving definitions and examples of usage when I think it may be necessary. When I speak to the parents of my students, I am careful to be positive and optimistic. Again, I make sure to speak properly as a professional. I recently attended a convention for teachers of mathematics. As I interacted with other professionals at the convention I was unsure about their varied cultures. As a result, I asked and answered questions but kept other unnecessary conversation to a minimum.  When I am at home, I feel free to speak the colloquial jargon of my country with no effort to correct my grammar. I know I will be accepted regardless at home so I basically let my hair down.

One strategy that is used for communication between diverse cultures is the use of uncertainty avoidance which involves adjusting your behavior to avoid or reduce conflict and risk (O’Hair & Weimann, 2015). Another overlooked strategy is listening.  Finally, behavioral flexibility, which describes the willingness to use different forms of communication in different situations is a strategy that the successful communicator will be sure to employ (O’Hair & Weimann, 2015). As the setting or participants change, then the type of communication will also change.  

Reference

O'Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J.  (2015). Real communication (3rd. ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

VERBAL VS NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

To compare verbal versus non-verbal communication I watched an episode of the Good Times comedy show. I first watched the episode on mute and noted what I believed was happening based on the non-verbal communication between the characters. The episode began with one character, a young woman who is cooking and reading a magazine at the same time. She is more absorbed in the magazine than the cooking. She is distracted by something and looks to her left with a concerned look on her face. At this moment a young boy around 8 to 10 years old walks into the apartment, shouts some seemingly angry words out the door, then proceeds to slam it shut. He then marches over to the woman and begins talking animatedly to her. They talk back and forth and she walks away from the stove and puts the magazine down on the counter behind her.

The boy begins to stir the pot, lifting up the spoon with an expression on his face that shows disgust for what is in the pot. He says something to the woman who takes the spoon from him. She goes over to the table and she begins setting it with a few bowls. As she sets the table she is speaking angrily to the boy. At this time a young man enters the apartment and addresses the woman. He begins to sniff around with a confused look on his face. He heads over to the stove and point to the pot that is still cooking, picks it up and says something about the pot to the woman. She stamps away from him, says what seem to be angry words, from her body language, and goes over to the refrigerator.

The young man calls the little boy over and gives him some mail reading them out one at a time. He takes another envelope and reads what is on it. The young woman rushes over and tries to get the envelope which he holds up high. They argue back and forth and the little boy runs over in the middle of them. The argument seems to turn to the little boy who spins left to right from one character to another.

At this time an older woman enters into the living area of the apartment from one of the other rooms. She says something to the three young people which they all ignore. She then shouts something out loud at them and they all stop what they were doing and spins around to face her.

As I watched the episode the second time with the volume one I realized in some instances the facial expressions and body language of the characters helped me to realize just what was happening. At other times I was totally off the mark. The little boy entered the apartment and was arguing with a friend with whom he was angry. This was clear from his actions. As the food in the pot is discussed, it is obvious that the young woman does not know how to cook, and so the smell of the food which begins to burn is not inviting.

I thought the two young adults were arguing with the little boy as he spun from one of them toward the other. As I listen, I realize that he was actually defending each of them from the other and they were really arguing with each other. It was obvious with both viewing, that the older woman was in charge and that the young people all respected her. 

Competent Communication

Competent Communication  

            I have a co-worker, Mrs. Nadia Rodriquez, who I think consistently demonstrates competent communication.  Mrs. Rodriquez is able to convert her thoughts into words in a very clear and concise manner. She is known to use everyday applications that clearly outline her ideas to her audience with clarity so even young persons are able to understand, while at the same time not seeming too childish for adults present. She is a very animated speaker, who understands the importance of the use of volume and tempo to keep her listeners hanging on to her words. She also uses her hands as she speaks, but not too much to distract her listening audience.

            While speaking to her students, I have seen her engaging them in the conversation, and actively listen to them when they are speaking. When giving presentations to her co-worker, she demonstrates good eye contact with the audience and involves them as well to keep their interest. She is a keen listener, who responds to questions respectfully without putting others down. Mrs. Rodriquez demonstrates an excellent command of the ‘Queen’s English’ the official tongue of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, while also be quite capable of the local dialect when interacting informally with friends.

            I would gladly model some of my own communication behaviors after Mrs. Rodriquez’s. When she speaks, she is able to command the attention of her listeners. She has the ability to put her words together in a manner to make her point in a way that is witty and interesting. As I seek to advocate for my children and their families, there will be times when I will have to speak concerning issues to a group of persons. At these times I would want to be able to grab my audience’s attention, and to keep them focused on the issues at hand, and to influence them to make specific changes. This is one example where competent communication is vital. 

Profession Hopes and Dreams

As I think about working with children and families that come from diverse

backgrounds I hope to have a level of awareness and skills to successfully relate

to the different cultures that are represented. With this awareness, I will also be able to

help the children to grow and thrive as we synchronize the home and school cultures.

                                               

My goal as it relates to the issues related to diversity, equity, and social justice in the

early childhood field is to be the change I want to see. Children are great imitators of

what they see and hear, especially from the significant adults in their lives. As I learned

about microaggressions, I realized that I was guilty of using them against others. So, as I

seek to help my students develop, I intend to model thoughtful respect for the cultures and differences in others. This must be evident in words and actions. As I demonstrate positive acceptance, my students will be more likely to do so as well, and together we will produce

the first ripple that results in a bias-free school and community.

At this time I would like to say thank you to all of my colleagues. Thank you for your words of encouragement, and your thoughtful post on my blog entries. You have also given me much food for thought during our weekly discussions, and for that I must also say thank you. I would like to single out Laura, Taylor, and Jessica for their posts that really challenged me to think before speaking.

Dr. Davenna, I must say that I have enjoyed this course and have learned a lot in it. Your posts during our discussion have added to my understanding of the concepts being reviewed, especially when I had to go back to reread or listen to the weekly resources for a better grasp. Thank you for your hands-on approach during this course.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

I am the teacher of 4-year-olds in a preschool. I have just been informed that I will be adding a little girl to my classroom. Her family has recently emigrated from Curacao. As I prepare to be culturally responsive towards this family here are some of the things that I would need to do:

 I do not know anything about this country so right away I have to do some research as I prepare for the little girl.  Curacao is a small country in South America.  Knowing where the family is coming from is important in understanding the culture they would belong to.

As I seek to make the child feel welcome in my classroom, I would find out the colors of her country, and pictures of significant places that she may be familiar with. I would make a display of the national symbols of her country.

I would have to find out the language spoken in the country.  If I cannot speak this language then I would have to find someone on my staff, or a resource person if possible who speaks the language. If possible, I would have this person available for when the child and her family comes to school, to welcome them in their own language. I would also endeavor to learn some basic words in the language in order to communicate with the little girl.

I would also try to find out how they greet each other in this culture. For example, do they shake hands or kiss cheeks, do they make eye contact or bow their heads, or do they speak firmly or with a whisper? This is important as I would not want to offend, or to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

I would also try to learn about religious customs and practices that they may ascribe to. I would want to know if there are any holy days that they adhere to or customs that are celebrated in my country that they would not be comfortable taking part in.

Finally, I would need to learn which of the parents or family members I should communicate with if possible, in relation to the little girl.  In some cultures, the mother would be responsible for everything concerning the children, while in others the fathers speak to persons outside the family. It would be important to know which parent I should be addressing. 

As I seek to prepare myself and my classroom, it is in an effort to be welcoming to the new family. I hope to help them realize that they would be accepted just as they are. I would not want to do anything that the family would find offensive as they join our school family. I hope the displays from their country of origin would help them to feel a little bit at home although they may be far away. They should be able to see that their country will be one of many different countries and cultures represented and respected in my class. Also, I believe that my attempts to use their language will help them to see that they are welcomed.  

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

It is more than 150 years since the abolition of slavery yet racism and prejudice are still rampant and sometimes it seems to be increasing. The most overt demonstration of racism that I have witnessed was targeted towards some of my family members. My sister and I were vacationing in South Florida some years ago when our children were still very young. We were at a lovely resort and my sister was taking the children to play in one of the kiddie pools while I relaxed on a lounge chair nearby. As they approached the pool, we all noticed a white woman with two children already in the pool. My sister took the baby with her into the water and our other two children followed close behind her. As they entered one side of the pool, the lady called her children over and motioned for them to quickly come out of the pool. I was shocked to hear her tell those children to come out of the pool before it gets dirty. They left the pool area completely and went inside. I have never been so humiliated in my life. My sister and I still laugh about the incident to this day. The only bright side to that story was that our children were too young to understand what was happening.

In the scenario mentioned the women wanted obviously felt as though she and her children were better than we were. We know differently, but it does leave a stain if repeated over and over in an individual’s life. I may be able to laugh now at the ignorance demonstrated by the lady, but at the time I was very angry. This was more so because the children were with my sister and me, and I did not want them tainted with the stains and stench that racism brings. For the incident to be converted into an opportunity for greater equity the mindset of the woman would have to change. She was demonstrating a belief that she was superior to us and I know that all are created equal in the sight of God. The scenario could have been quite different if she had allowed the children, in their innocence to interact with each other as children do. It is only when we as adult interfere, influencing the children with our biases and hidden agendas that we perpetuate racism to the next generation.