Learning about Communication

The one thing that surprised me about the similarities and differences between how I evaluated myself as a communicator and how others evaluated me was: the similarities in our results in all three measures. The two people I selected to evaluate me as a communicator scores were in the same range as my score. I was pleased to know that my positive intentions are received by others and I also identified some areas of my communication in need of improvement.

One insight I gained about communication is our self-concept and self-esteem impacts how we interact with others and how we behave in different situations. Being aware of the importance of a healthy self- concept and self-esteem allow me to be reflective and cultivate my strengths and improve my weaknesses. I believe this will help me be comfortable/confident communicating with diverse people and in different situations.

Another insight I gained is “don’t judge a book by its cover.”  Sometimes it is natural to judge people based on our personal views and experiences. However, it is not the most effective way to interact with others. Getting to know people by observing their behavior, listening, talking and sharing information will help establish and maintain healthy relationships.

Communicating with Different Groups

Considering the diversity I see in my school colleagues, my neighborhood, workplace, friends and family I certainly communicate/interact with the people from each group differently. The first example I can think of is the name people associate me by. My family, and close friends call me Tara, my nickname. Friends, acquaintances, and school colleagues call me Katara, my name. In the workplace, I am called by my last name Mrs. Walker. My relationships with the people in these different groups are connected to the name they call me. Another example is my language in different contexts. In the workplace, I may use formal language, polite and professional. In my personal relationships I may use slang, nicknames or language familiar with the group. For example, when I greet one of my friends we playfully call each other “big head,” I would not go to work and greet one of my colleagues as “big head.” Understanding context is essential in communicating with people.

Strategies to communicate effectively with others       

·          Be open and willing to share and learn about diverse cultures.

·         When communicating listen to others and actively respond to the messages they are relaying.

·         Avoid prejudging people based on their appearances, perspectives and cultures

Communication and Television

I recently watched a show called Joey & Melissa on Netflix. This was my first time ever watching the show although I have heard about it via the media. The first time I watched the episode was with the volume muted. The show started with a couple in the kitchen talking to a teenage boy.  I automatically assumed they were a family; mother, father and son. Through nonverbal behaviors such as body language, hand movements, placing hands on hips, pointing at each other and pointing at objects, and serious facial expressions I assumed the teenager was trying to persuade his parents but they did not agree. I observed the teenage boy throwing up his hands in frustration and the mother putting her hand up suggesting he stop. It was obvious the family was conflicting throughout the show. In other scenes, a new character entered and I assumed she was the sister or neighbor. As the show continued on, I learned she lived in the house and was siblings with the teenage boy.  There interactions with each other led me to these beliefs, making faces at each other and playfully throwing paper at each other.

The second time I watched the show was with the volume on. I learned that my assumption was correct that the people in the kitchen were family. However, the woman was the aunt, the man the nanny, the teenage boy was the nephew and the girl was the niece. I was also correct in assuming the boy was attempting to persuade his family, to invest in a risky stock with his inheritance. The aunt and nanny did not support his decision but eventually agreed.

Initially, watching the show with no sound was difficult because I was attempting to read their lips to understand what was happening. I had to rewind to make sure I was observing the nonverbal cues. I also notice how much people use their hands when they talk. In the show, it seemed excessive but I understand because there was no sound their nonverbal cues were magnified. I also realized that our nonverbal behavior is as equally important as verbal communication.

A Competent Communicator- Barack Obama

President Barack Obama

President Barack Obama, in my opinion demonstrated competent communication in the Presidential Debates. President Obama has an ability to connect and relate to people which makes him an effective speaker. This is a characteristic I admire about him and would like to model.  He is able to articulate himself clearly and help people understand his positions. I would like to model this behavior because it is important to be concise and clear to stay on topic and make your point. It is also important to engage your audience and ensure they understand your positions. Another behavior that demonstrate effective communication, is his temperament, he did not appear nervous or defensive during the debate. He seemed as though he was in control of his behavior, thoughts, emotions and frustrations. This is another behavior I would like to model because when you are passionate about something it is difficult not to be emotional.  Lastly, I think the President inspires people when he communicates and influence a call to action for support and change. When communicating with others I hope to impact their lives and rally their support for change.

Resource:

Image Source: http://thepulpit.freedomblogging.com/tag/barack-obama/ 

Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope, I have when I think about working with children and families from diverse cultures is: I hope children and families will experience cultural continuity when they attend my program or classroom. I hope to welcome all Children and families from diverse cultures in my program.

 One goal, I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity and social justice is: the early children field will increase anti-bias education and professional development for staff and children to decrease discrimination and increase diversity and equity.

Note to colleagues:              

Thank you for sharing you experiences and thoughts on the many topics we discussed on equity, diversity and social justice in this course, Perspectives on Diversity and Equity. I have gained many insights from your perspectives, Thank you! Good luck on your future endeavors!

Welcoming Families From Around the World

Imagine the following scenario:

You are working in an early childhood setting of your choice—a hospital, a child care center, a social service agency. You receive word that the child of a family who has recently emigrated from a country you know nothing about will join your group soon. You want to prepare yourself to welcome the child and her family. Luckily, you are enrolled in a course about diversity and have learned that in order to support families who have immigrated you need to know more than surface facts about their country of origin.

The setting I chose for the scenario is a child care center and I imagine a family emigrating from Romania.

5 Ways I Will Prepare Myself to be Culturally Responsive towards this Family:

1.      Reflect to identify any personal biases I may have about the county or  culture

2.      Learn background knowledge about the family culture, family structure, behaviors, morals, values and traditions

3.      Share background information with staff and students to understand the culture of the arriving family and raise cultural awareness/diversity

4.      Prepare the environment: Display welcome signs in the family’s language and other artifacts that reflect their country or culture

5.      Recruit an interpreter to translate and support communication with the family to  establish effective communication

My hopes for these preparations are supporting the family in their transition, creating a welcoming environment and establishing positive relationships. Reflecting on my biases will increase my cultural awareness and increase my culturally responsiveness. Learning about the family’s culture and country will give background information into the family’s structure and way of life. This peek into their background will increase my understanding and respect for their culture. It will also allow me to share the information with staff and students to raise their awareness and encourage diversity.  Incorporating items from their culture is very important for children and families to see their culture reflected in the environment. I believe it sends a message of acceptance and membership in the community. Having a staff member that will be able to communicate with the family and child in their language creates positive communication. These preparations will support the family’s transition into a new country and education setting.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

Recently, I was watching a talk show about two friends discriminating against another friend because he came out the closet about being gay. He decided to live his life as a female and wanted his friends to accept his new lifestyle. They disagreed with his lifestyle and were bias against homosexuals because of their religious beliefs. In fact, when they saw him in the neighborhood they threw objects at him, shouted insults and threatened him on social media. Their biases diminished his equity by discriminating against his sexual orientation. Their behaviors oppressed his freedom to express his social identities. He felt betrayed and hurt that his “so called” friends were threatening his life and embarrassing him in social settings. I felt compassion for the young man because his closest friends became his enemies overnight. I was also disturbed by his friends emphasizing their Christian beliefs as the influence of their prejudice behaviors.  As a Christians, I did not agree with their methods, it is not right to harm people because you disagree with their lifestyle or beliefs. In this situation, I think the friends would have to change their hateful ways to create an opportunity for equity. A possible solution maybe, “to agree, to disagree,” but most importantly eliminate the vicious behaviors and insults. They have a choice to be his friend or not, but they do not have a right to harm him because of his personal choices.