Evaluation Blog

As I evaluated myself and my daughter and colleague evaluated me I was surprised at one of the evaluations. The one that surprise me was how my daughter evaluated me on the communication anxiety inventory. Her evaluation suggested I was on a mild level and I felt a bit uneasy in some communication situations. I thought I did well when communicating with anyone. It also stated that communication was something I seemed to not worry about. I do not agree with that. I do worry about how I am conveying information to others, especially children. My evaluation level was moderate which indicated I feel somewhat concerned about numerous communication contexts. I learned I handle verbal aggressiveness wee. This was good to know because I do not want to appear too aggressive when conversing with others, especially children. My listening styles profile stated I was people-oriented which is true. I am empathetic and can sometimes be too trusting. My daughter and colleague scored the same as I on the listening styles profile. Personally and professionally I know there are areas for improvement. I will continue to work on the way others perceive me and how I perceive myself to be. I do not want to be too trusting and it clouds my judgment of others.

Communicating With Diverse Cultures

Growing up I was around people of different cultures. I never paid any attention to how we communicated with one another. As I’ve worked for different child care centers and schools, I’ve come across many different cultures. I communicated with them in a way I think they might understand. We have a lady working at our school who is from Trinidad. I sometimes cannot understand what she is saying, so I always ask her to repeat it until I understand. When I talk to her I talk to her a little slower so she will understand what I am saying. There was one time she was trying to tell me something and I didn’t understand her. I was going to ask her to write it down, but she said that’s okay. I really wanted to know what she was trying to convey to me but I didn’t want to frustrate her.

Three strategies I can use to assist me in communicating with people of other cultures are as follows:

As I interact with them I will also learn from them. I want to ensure each time I communicate with them I understand their culture more.

Listen to them and ask them to clarify, before I respond, if I don’t understand what they are conveying.

Learn patience. It is difficult for them as it is for us. They have to adapt to learning about a new culture just as we have to.

 

Communication Blog (Television) Wk. 2

The show I chose to observe was called Rules of Engagement. In the beginning there were five characters (two women and three men) in a restaurant eating. I thought they were two couples and one guy who were a friend or relative to one of them. As I observed their nonverbal communication, it looked as though they were eating and having fun, because they were smiling. One of the women stood up, kissed one of the men, and then she left. Later in the show the same couples and one friend were at a Christmas Party. All of them appeared to be having fun, except the single friend. What I got from this is he did not have a date, so he was not happy or having fun.

Once I turned the sound on I realized that I was correct that there were two couples and the other guy was a friend. The single friend hangs out with the couples often. The single friend is lonely because he isn’t married or in a relationship. If this had been a show I watched regularly my assumptions would have been correct.

Competent Communication

The person in my life who uses competent communication skills is my daughter. She is only 24 years old, but I have watched her grow into a very intelligent young lady. When she speaks to you she does it in a way that anyone can understand (adult, teenager, child, etc.). She ensures you understand what she is trying to say. She chooses her words carefully.  She will ask you if you understand what she is talking about. My daughter is currently in school for Psychology and the courses that she has taken have even broadened her communication skills.

I would want to model my communication skills after her. Communicating effectively is very important, not just for children and families, but for anyone who you come in contact with. My daughter has experience working with Pre-K children. I often observe how she communicates with her daughter. I have and will continue to use some of her communication techniques to communicate with children.