Communication Similarities and Differences

As I read many of the post for this week it was interesting to hear about our various communications styles and how they effect our ability to communicate with others who are different than us.  As I spoke with others about my communication style it was interesting to hear others describe their perceptions and interpretations of my communication ability.  One thing that I think was surprising was how someone described how I first evaluate someone before beginning to speak to them.  They said they have seen me change how I speak to someone if I feel that they have a disability or need extra time for processing information.  I believe that I do this as an effort not to offend others who may be having difficulty communicating.  I work with students with communication and processing disabilities so I have learned to take the time to listen to someone and not rush what they are saying.  Being aware that others notice this in my is something that will help me to continue to grow professionally.

Another thing about my communication styles was how others notice how frequently I use my hands to express emotion.  This is something that I have done all of my life but have never really paid attention to.  However, I do see how this could be offensive to some cultures and I need to be more aware of my body language when communicating with others from different cultures.  By being aware of my hand movement and body language this will enhance my professional communication abilities.

One very important piece of information that I learned from one of my colleagues here in this course was the importance of being aware of your prejudices prior to speaking to someone.  By monitoring ourselves we can ensure that prejudices and schemas do not interfere with our ability to effectively communicate with others.  I was really impressed by this and feel that this is something that can benefit me professionally as I continue to expand my communication skills.

Communicating Among Different Cultures

Often, I do find myself communicating differently when speaking with others from various cultures.  The first one that comes to mind is how I communicate and interact with my family.  I am one of six children who grew up in a small farm town in Florida.  My mother has a 9th grade education and many of my aunts and uncles are local fisherman without formal educations.  I find that when I am around them I begin to use words such as "ain't", my grammar begins to slip and I start to sound just like I fit in.  This is what I was often around as a child so it is within my comfort level to speak in such an informal fashion.  It often amazes me as to how quickly I can sink back into this level of communication without even thinking about it.

When speaking with my professional colleagues I always make sure that I make eye contact, am honest and well spoken.  I choose my words very carefully and make sure that I communicate clearly and effectively for all of those involved.  I also make an effort to truly listen to others when they speak and wait my turn to speak.  This is a deeper form of listening than when I am communicating with my family members.  Often, I will find myself talking with my hands.  

As a teacher I speak completely different when talking with young children.  I use kid friendly language and speak to them in a manner in which they can understand.  I also give wait time for those who may have processing difficulties allowing them additional time to process information before replying.  My nonverbal communication is also different as I will typically place my hands behind my back and lean forward when speaking to a child.  This gives me an appearance of being nonthreatening to the child.  However, when speaking with adults I typically use my hands to emphasize what I am talking about.

Also, when speaking to members of other cultures I find myself being careful as to not be disrespectful or do something that is offensive to them.  As I converse with them I watch their facial expressions and body language and allow these to guide the conversation.  If a person seems to be upset or taken back I quickly change what I am talking about and do my best to reassure them.

 I don't truly think that this happens with any type of conscious decision it just seems to occur depending on who we are communicating with and what their level of expectation is.  Being aware of our ability to communicate will better assist us as educators to make adjustments in communication as needed while respecting all cultures and individuals.  Becoming more effective communicators will assist us in growing professionally in the years to come!

Communication Skills and Styles

The show that I chose to watch was that of The Big Bang Theory.  This is not a show that I typically watch so the body language throughout the episode was quite interesting.  The show is based on 6 college kids that are friends and live in the same apartment complex.  They spend a lot of time together and each have various relationships with the other.  During this episode there were multiple opportunities to observe the use of body language.  One of that characters knocks on the door of one of the female characters in the show.  When he does she opens the door and appears to be angry and not willing to help him to solve his problem.  When I watched this episode once again I realized that this was just the relationship that they had and in fact they were not angry with one another.  She agree to help him with his problem however their friendship did not appear to be friendly.

As I continued to watch the show I began to notice that one of the characters always seems to be distant and unattached when communicating with other cast members.  He makes very little eye contact and  does not appear to like any type of physical contact.  He would pull away anytime that he was touched.

Since I never had watched this show before I think that I greatly misinterpreted the body language used throughout this show.  The first time through I assumed that these characters did not truly like one another however it turns our that they are the best of friends and this simply is the way that they interact.

Professional Communication

Working as a teacher I have had the opportunity to work with several people who have and excellent communication skills.  One person in particular that sticks out to me is my colleague who is a Speech Pathologist at our elementary school.  This individual is very well spoken and can resolve many issues that may arise simply through effective communication.  She works with the special needs students at our school and has very high expectations for communication amongst all the individuals that are around her.

At meetings she is always a leader and takes the time to listen to to others.  This person speaks with a very well developed vocabulary even when speaking with parents that may be challenged themselves.  Although, she may begin the conversation with words that the families don't understand she always takes the time to clearly explain what she is trying to say.  If the parent still has difficulty she will resort to making examples out of paper or pulling something up on her computer to show the listener so that they fully understand the intended message.

Her grammar is always as it should be and she sounds very intelligent when she speaks. Working with this individual I have learned effective ways of communication.  She is a great model for both students and staff members and is always willing to help those who may be having difficulty.  As I continue to grow professionally this is someone that I would like to continue to learn from to increase my ability to effectively speak with families, students and other educational professionals.