I do not think that I communicate differently based on race, religion or sexual orientation. However I do communicate differently with people from other occupations. Many times people outside of the early childhood field are not interested in talking about early childhood education because they do not see any value in it. I usually find another common topic to talk about.
I also communicate differently with people with varying abilities. In my work, there are some child care providers that demand more explanation than others. Some have the ability to grasp the information I am giving them while others require that I give many details and examples. A good rule that I like to follow is, "know your audience".
In regards to political affiliation, I do not talk about politics because I work for a state department and they discourage us from talking about politics. However, there are some programs and issues around early childhood that I will support and defend even though they are politically grounded.
Strategies for effective communication
1. Perceptions - We need to rid ourselves of any biases, judgments, or prejudices so that we can communicate with a clear mind.
2. Listening - We need to not only hear the words but listen to the meaning of the words. We need to listen to the message by separating the message from the speaker. When we actively listen to someone speak, the message is clearer and the communication is effective
3. Empathy - In order to receive a message clearly, we must feel and understand the feelings of the speaker. If we are going to understand the feelings of others, we must put our own feelings aside.
Mary,
ReplyDeleteYou listed great strategies for effective communication. I agree with you because there are many times I tried to communicate with family members; they heard me but was not listening to me. We have to take the time to set things aside and listen if someone needs to talk. Good Job!!
MaryJo,
ReplyDeleteWhat you said about listening was very powerful. You are so right about the need to separate the message from the speaker. Active listening is a skill that I continue to work on. Gonzalez-Mena (2010) reminds us that “instead of just taking the behaviors at face value, out job s to look beneath them to see if we can discover patterns of meaning” (p. 36). This cannot happen without active listening. Thanks for the advice about separating the message from the speaker. This is advice that I hope to follow.
Geralyn
Reference
Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2010). 50 strategies for communicating and working with diverse families. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
"Understanding and Appreciating Cultural Differences" (pp. 36–38)
Hi Mary Jo,
ReplyDeleteIn making conversation with a family member or a friend may be different for personal reasons. Conversations are based on whomever you are talking to and culture can be considered, because it could be a person that may speak a different language as you do, but that when smiles and a kind jester comes into the mix to show them you are sincere. I enjoyed reading your post.
Kathleen
I enjoy reading your post and I totally agree with you. I think that it depend upon who you are communicating to. Because at this Head Start there are many diverse cultural and not all are the same so you have to communicate with them by adapting to hem. Good Post.
ReplyDeleteYou made an excellent point. You need to know your audience when communicating. This is true whether talking to an individual or a large group.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. While I may not be completely cognizant to the fact, I find that I do communicate with people differently depending upon how I perceive a particular person's level of tolerance to new types of information, policy, or other considerations, so much so that I personally find that to be one of the professional skills that I would like to continuously build upon for the purpose of more effective collaboration with my teaching colleagues. Also, I am of the same mind when comes to discussing political affairs. Due to hot blooded nature of today's political debates, it is always best to keep those types of considerations out of the business of working with children and their families. However, with this political policy notwithstanding, respecting indiviudiual choice in political affiliation does not, in my opinion, preclude any political activity that any early childhood practitioner may want to participate in, especially if this activity involves advocating for increased political consideration for legislative issues related to children.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post.