Strategies for Effective Communication

1: Active listening: I feel that through the last few weeks I have slowly started practicing this skill but know that I have not mastered it. It will definitely take some time to learn how to tune out your own thoughts and focus 100% on the other person involved in the conversation.

2. Body Language/Facial Expressions: I tend to cross my arms or play with my hands while talking with others, which is considered by most as disrespectful or that I am not listening. My facial expressions have also been mentioned, by others, as being "hard to read." There are times that I squint or scrunch my face when I am trying to understand what is being said - this does not come across to others though.

3. Slowing down: I have been working on slowing down while communicating with others and focusing on what I am trying to say. Sometimes I talk too fast and don't explain myself, so the communication between others breaks down.

Communication

While watching this show without volume I found it very difficult to keep my attention. All of the characters seemed to have a close relationship with each other and were able to use their facial expressions to communicate with each other. There was a particular scene that stood out to me...one character (woman) seemed to have a stern look on her face while talking and looking towards another character (male). This scene was the only one where the characters did not seem to have a positive interaction.

My assumption of that specific scene was off - the woman was not upset at the man at all, in fact she was interested in him. Being able to listen to the interactions helped with my understanding of the characters. The dark haired girl is very sarcastic and seems to take everything as a joke, whereas, the blonde girl was more practical. Her sarcastic jokes might hinder some of the relationships in the long run.

Competent Communicator

There is a particular supervisor in my school that, to me, has mastered effective communication skills/style - mostly while working with families. She is one that I look up to and tend to send my upset family members too. Her voice is calm and has a low-tone to it which tends to relax the energy in the room. This individual can tell you the worst news in the sweetest and most respectful way - which is something I have yet learned how to do. The body language she shows is one of respect and authority (in a good way), she has positive control and facilitation over meetings/conversations.

When those awkward/hard conversations need to happen I try to lighten the mood by making a joke, which I learned this week goes against an ethical communication principle - striving to understand and respect other communicators (O'Hair, Wiemann, Mullin, & Teven, 2015). By joking it might upset or confuse whoever is on the receiving end of my message. Of course, this is not a typical communication style I use and is a professional goal of mine. I am hoping this course will help give me other tools to use when the conversations become difficult.

Reference

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

Professional Hopes and Goals

As I look back on my time in this course and throughout the program I am grateful for my personal and professional growth. I feel that I have become more aware of what I am saying to others and how a simple statement can turn someone's world upside down. 

The one hope I have for working with children and families that come from a different background than myself is to always communicate with them. It is easy for a family who is "different" or who speaks another language to become overlooked in the classroom. With open communication comes a stronger relationship.

The one hope I have for the early childhood field regarding diversity, equity, and social justice is that our undergraduate programs begin to educate and give strategies for working with families of different backgrounds. I feel that my undergraduate program discussed diversity and its importance but it was not as in-depth. 

I would like to thank my colleagues for their kind words and motivation! This course has helped me to open up about my past with more than just friends/family, which made me realize, again, that I am not alone. We all have our own "backpacks" that are full of our daily/life struggles and we need to be cognizant of that when interact with others. 

Welcoming Families From Around the World

Family's country of origin

Yemen

Five ways in which I will prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards the family

1. I will research the country of origin to gain a basic understanding of the culture and language.

2. Through my research I will learn some basic phrases in the families native language. This will show the family that I am invested in them and their success.

3. Once the family has come into my program I will encourage them to join the classroom routine so they feel welcomed and comfortable. Through this engagement I will ask the family to teach the other children about their culture so can incorporate that into our classroom.

4. I would also try and find a translator to help with the important information that needs to be communicated - through the school and family.

5. Finally, I would keep a constant and open line of communication with the family to ensure they have what they need to be successful in the school and in the community.

Brief statement describing in what ways I hope that these preparations will benefit both myself and the family

These preparations will benefit myself and the family in the fact that they will feel respected and understood. These preparations will help the family transition into their new life. 

Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

What memory do you have of an incident when you experienced bias, prejudice, and/or oppression or witnessed someone else as the target of bias, prejudice, and/or oppression? What feelings did this incident bring up for you?

Over the summer I was on our interview panel, including staff and current parents, for hiring a new lead teacher for the upcoming school year, we had five interviews that day. One candidate's only experience in working with children was with upper-class children/families and she had recently graduated with her BA. Once the interview was over the parent immediately said; 

"I don't think she is the best fit for the program. She has only worked with upper-class families and would have no clue how to help our type of family." 

This type of response upset me and caused me to react. It should not have mattered the type of family she had previous experience with when discussing her abilities as a teacher. I mentioned that if that was the reaction to my interview five years ago I would not have the job I do today - my previous experience was with middle to upper-class families but that does not mean I do not have empathy and compassion for those living in poverty. 

In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity?

This diminished equity because this specific candidate was unfairly judged based off her previous job experiences. When considering a candidate to hire we, as the panel, discuss how they could benefit our program. The comment this parent made about the candidate could have altered others opinions of her and caused her to not get the job. 

What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity?

I don't know if any of the individuals in this scenario would have to change necessarily because you cannot change someone's opinion (that's how they feel). However, I do think that the parent should have thought a little more about how that comment would affect others before mentioning it. 

Awareness of Microaggressions

While eating dinner with my family tonight there was a couple next to us having a conversation about our waiter and the way he talks/walks. They had assumed he was part of the gay community because his voice and body posture, which was microaggression even if they had not made a comment to them. This conversation annoyed me because even if their assumption was correct what does it matter? Was it worth having that conversation? Did he hear them? If so, what affect would it have on him?

This week had helped my awareness of microaggressions, within myself and others. It seems that people are constantly stereotyping and most of the time it is not to harm the other person. I have made a conscious effort to think before I talk, as well. What I think is not harmful might in fact harm someone else in ways you would not expect.