Reflecting on Communication in Early Childhood Field

To my EDU 6165 family:

As I write this blog entry, I am taken back to my first day of this degree and the fears that were built up inside about meeting others online. I can remember the queasy stomach and the doubts that were racing through my mind but I'm glad that I went forward with this challenge because it has yielded so many personal growth opportunities. I have never in my life had so many wonderful experiences meeting and networking with so many individuals near and far from different areas of the early childhood field. Many have served as role models, inspirational mentors and extended family through discussion board post and blog entries.....making this degree all the more meaningful to me. Time does not permit me to thank each of you individually but know that each person that has shown kindness and challenged me to think outside my comfort zone will never be forgotten. I pray that each of you has success with completing your degree and all that life has to offer you, hopefully one day soon our paths will meet again.

Sincerely,

TaShunda Pollard-Chapman

Team Building and Collaboration, Part 1

Adjourning

1. Are high performing groups hardest to leave?

    Yes, high performing groups are definitely hard to leave because of the strong relationships formed and the success or the accomplishments of the group members.

2. Groups with the clearest established norms?

      Groups with the clearest established norms are definitely hard to leave because the expectations and the goals of the group were established early with each member making a commitment to work towards the groups goals.

3. Which of the group that you participated in was the hardest to leave? Why?

      I work for a local Head Start center and each classroom is divided into teams with a teacher and assistant. Last year, my assistant was the best and we were totally in sync with every project that we wanted to do for our classroom. This "group" was hard to leave because she could finish my sentences or thoughts without me opening my mouth. It was wonderful to work with her because we shared the same visions for the classroom and wanted to see each child succeed beyond the classroom.

4. What sorts of closing rituals have you experienced or wish you had experienced?
     
     We found out in May that were both up for transfers to other centers which caused a few tears but we decided that we would meet up monthly for dinners or lunches to keep in touch which I guess you can say was our "closing ritual".
    
5. How do you imagine that you will adjourn from the group of colleagues you have formed while working on your master's degree in this program?

    I'm not sure how I will adjourn from my group of colleagues in this program. I would love to keep in touch via email and hope to run into a few members at different conferences in the early childhood field.
     

6. Why is adjourning an essential stage of teamwork?

     Adjourning is essential in teamwork because it allows the team to reflect on their accomplishments and to celebrate with each other. It provide the opportunity for the members to say good and close out their projects successfully.

Nonviolent Communication and Conflict Management

A few weeks back, my son had an issue with a History class at his high school and sought help from his teacher. The teacher informed him that she was not able to help him but suggested that he speak with his 10th grade counselor. My son immediately went to speak with his counselor in an effort to get the issue resolved quickly. The counselor was rude and instructed my son that she had other pressing matters that needed handling and slammed the door in his face. My son returned to his teacher frustrated and upset by what had just taken place with his 10th grade counselor.

The next day, the teacher made a special trip to speak with the counselor on behalf of my son. She wanted to see if she could resolve this issue without involving me or my husband. The counselor was extremely harsh with her and stated that the teacher needed to stay in her classroom not the counselor's office. After several attempts to speak with the counselor, my husband received a frantic phone call from the teacher stating that she need to see both of us immediately. We rushed from our jobs with fear of hearing something awful had happened to our child. We entered the room nervously and tried to prepare ourselves for the horrible news. The teacher was extremely upset so we had to calm her before we could learn more about the issue. The main issue was that he was struggling in his advance placed history course and sought help from tutoring but then decided to step down to accelerated history.

I decided to sit down with the counselor to see what needed to be done. I received the same treatment which caused me to become more verbal with her. I told the counselor exactly how I felt about her treatment of my child. The sitaution escalated to the point that I had to walk away without accomplishing anything. My husband later went back to meet with the assistant  principal and the head principal.

The agreement that they reached included:

• The principals needed one more student to complete an accelerated course
• My son wanted to transfer to an accelerated history course but nothing lower than this course
• We wanted to make sure that the transition is smooth and that the counselor would not give our son any trouble with making changes to style

The compromise that they reached benefited both parties because my son is excelling and comfortable in his new course. The principals were able to have the course by allowing my son to transfer into the classroom. The method that they used included the 3 R's where they were respectful, reciprocal and responsive to each other. I believe that if I would have used the 3 R's with the counselor that I might have been able to resolve the situation but I'm grateful to my supportive husband for stepping in at the right time.

I would like to ask my fellow classmates of EDU 165, how would you have handled the situation with the counselor? What approach do you believe would have been more effective and why?

Who Am I As A Communicator?

The tests were my favorite part of the overall assignment because it provided me with the opportunity to see how people would rate me as a communicator and listener that might not have otherwise been shared with me. In this blog, I will share my answers to the questions and what I learned about myself as a communicator with my family and friends.

1. What is the one thing that surprised you the most? Why?

 The results were interesting to me because I never considered myself and effective communicator but just a "people person" that likes to interact with others daily. The only surprising factor is that I learned the areas that I need to work on from the tests and how others felt I communicate with them. The feedback was helpful because I know how to communicate with my co-workers, family and friends.

2. What other insights about communication did you gain this week?

• The main insight that I should get to know a person prior to making a judgement on their character which is helpful personally and professionally. This is helpful because personally and professionally, I will work with people from various backgrounds that deserve fair treatment at all times and should not be treated differently because of any biases.
• Another insight that I gained this week is that communication requires practice just like everything else in life, in order to become better communicators: practice is a major requirement. I loved the activity because I was provided feedback from my friends and family which tells me my weak areas in an effort to strengthen me for my professional communication.