THANK YOU COLLEAGUES

I want to take this time to THANK my colleagues who have been part of my educational journey the past courses. I have learned so much from each and everyone of you. I have enjoyed reading discussion and blog posts on a weekly basis. I do hope that I can move forward to the next step of this journey with some of you, but in case that is not a possibility, I do hope that we can continue to support each other well after our journey is completely over in a few months. I do think that having many of you be part of my professional life would truly be a blessing.

Please feel free to contact me any time.

Good luck to you all with the remainder of  your educational journey as well as your career and profession as Educators.

 

 

Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it.

-Ralph Marston

 

Team Development

After reading the article on The Five Stages of Team Development, I learned that there were indeed five stages when working on a team. The five stages are; Stage 1: Forming Stage 2: Storming Stage 3: Norming Stage 4: Performing Stage 5: Adjourning (Abudi, 2010). Each stage serves as a purpose towards the goal and objective of working in a group. After going through the stages, I now realized why some groups in which I have participated have been successful and others have not.Knowing and understanding the stages of team development can help me when working with groups for the future.

The Adjourning stage of any group can be difficult if the group members have reached their goal and the objectives were met. I can think of some groups I have been a part of in which it was difficult to say good-bye and of course those that I could not wait to come to an end. One of the groups I was privileged to be a part of for almost 5 years was the Child Care center I began working at since my third year as a college student. I enjoyed being part of that group or individuals that I stayed there for as long as I was able to and while I worked on my Master’s Degree. It was difficult for me to say good-bye because we all worked together very well, we had good communication, and we all treated each other as part of a family. All the center staff worked well together that there was no conflict we couldn’t work through no matter how difficult it was. As educators we knew our skills, personalities, and experiences. Being part of this group I learned how to be become an educator and a professional. I was mentored by amazing child care educators which had been in the field for many years and were kind enough to mentor me and I am the educator I am today because of them. It has been 17 years since I last worked at the Child Care Center and to this day all of us keep in touch and try to meet at least once a year to catch up. That group of individuals has been a blessing in my life.

Personally I think that hard performing groups are the hardest to leave because as an individual you feel part of the group. You trust the individuals that have been part of that group, they know your strengths, there is harmony, and good communication between all members. When I began my on-line Master’s Degree, I never thought I would have made some professional connections with individuals that can provide support, guidance, and resources which can help me provide quality services to children and families. I really hope that we can continue to support each other long after we complete our Master’s Degree because working together can also help us get through difficult situations. Adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork  because it signifies that goals were reached and goals were met. It means that the individuals that were part of the group to reflect on their participation, what was accomplished or result of the group, growth and development of all members of the group. Adjourning is a healthy way to move on to the next project or chapter of your life.

 

 

Resources:

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html.

Managing Conflict

Thinking about conflicts and disagreements reminds me of one less which I had not too long ago. I have had many job throughout my career where I have started from the bottom and have move up the corporate ladder. The company I currently work for I began as an a educator, then moved up as an Associate Director, Assistant Director, and most recently Executive Director. When the CEO of the company came to the office to announce who would be the next Executive Director, I was surprised to hear the committee had selected me for the position. Everyone in the office seem happy or so I thought. After the CEO left, one of the educators came into my new office as I was moving asking to speak with me. The employee told me I needed to sit down and listen as she was going to train me to be a good supervisor as I was old enough to be her daughter and nobody younger than her was going to be her supervisor. Very politely I explained that this position was not my first position as a director and supervisor, but she wouldn’t let me speak very much more than that. She became verbally abusive calling me names. Since I had never been in situation like this one before, I had to sit and think for a minute what my next move would be. I have to say it was also a challenge for me because I am an individual who tries to avoid conflict as much as possible. When one person has power over another, that dynamic can cause one or both of the people to handle conflict productively (O’Hair, 215).  I do not want to use my power of supervisor over another individual. I listened  and asked her to give me an opportunity to prove my abilities and skills but everyday is a challenge. It has been a few weeks now and all I can do is ask the Associate and Assistant Directors to work with her and I try to avoid her because I do not know how to handle the situation any more.

One strategy that I can use to help manage conflict at the office is to remember that competent communication in conflict means understanding and respecting difference while working to “expand the pie” for both parties. Even in the most uncomfortable and frustrating conflict situations, we can learn a great deal about others and ourselves through culture (O’Hair, 2015). I have to find ways to be respectful and understanding while still be able to handle my responsibilities to ensure quality education and a peaceful work environment for all involved. Another strategy I can use to help manage conflict at work is to find a way to live in a nonviolent environment (The Center for Nonviolent Communication. (n.d.). I am seriously considering finding a way complete the nonviolent training through the center of Nonviolent Communication so that I can find ways to communicate without one day letting this frustration get the better of me. Through this experience, I have learned that differences of opinion and clashing goals are inevitable in any relationship (O’Hair, 2015). I want to have a peaceful work environment because I love my job.

I believe that I can use some of  principles of the 3R principles in my work to avoid conflict and have a harmonious work environment.  A teacher who practices the 3 R’s of Respect, Response, and Relationship will lay the foundation for social, emotional, and cognitive development that will lead to future lifetime success (Chesire, 2007). Since I am the Director, I need to set a foundation and guidelines so that we can respect each other and work together.

Can any of my colleagues provide me with guidance and/or advice to find ways to resolve this issue, Please help.

 

 

Resources:

Chesire, N. (2007). The 3 R’s: Gateway to infant-toddler learning. Dimensions of early childhood. Volume 35, No. 3.

O’Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J. (2015). Real Communication (3^rd. ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

The Center for Nonviolent Communication. (n.d.). The center for nonviolent communication. Retrieved from http://www.cnvc.org/

Who I am as a Communicator?

For this assignment, I asked my boyfriend and my brother to also complete the three assessments so that they can assess and help me understand who I am as a communicator. Of course there were similarities and differences between my results as well as the two individuals who assessed me.

By taking the Communication Anxiety Inventory assessments this week, I learned that I am comfortable in some situations and/or events when it comes to communicating with other as well as social events. I also learned that there are still situations I myself am still nervous about and I still have to work on not only as a person, but also as a professional. By taking the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale assessment this week, I learned that I am in the moderate level. Therefore, I am respectful, considerate to others, but I can also learned that I can argue fairly by attacking facts not individuals to be able to communicate  (Rubin, 2009). By taking the Listening Styles Profile assessment, I learned that I fall into group one and that I am a people oriented individual. Through this assessment, I learned that I am empathetic, concern about others emotions, and that listening styles helps me build relationships (Rubin, 2009).

My scores for the assessments were: Communication Anxiety Inventory 35, Verbal Aggressiveness Scale 62, and Listening Styles Profile 34. My boyfriends results were: Communication Anxiety Inventory 29, Verbal Aggressiveness Scale 62, and Listening Styles Profile 34. My Brother’s results were: Communication Anxiety Inventory 26, Verbal Aggressiveness Scale 68, and Listening Styles Profile 35. After looking at the scores I can see that there were similarities and differences when it came to the results. According to the two individuals who assessed me in the Communication Anxiety Inventory they believe that I am very comfortable communicating in most situations. I was surprised because I still feel that I get nervous in front of others no matter how many times I present or speak in front of crowds. But according to my boyfriend and brother they think that I am always prepared, that I am never nervous, and I know what I am doing. I believe this was a difference because I still believe I have things I need to work on, but they think I do not. I have to say that I was surprised that my results for the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale was only Moderate. I was confused because I believe I am an individual who tries to avoid confrontational situations and/or conversations as much as I can. As confused as I feel, I also feel at ease because the scores for all three results were in the same bracket and maybe the score are more accurate. The final score for the Listening Styles Profile were extremely similar and all under the people oriented group. I do believe the scores for all three assessments were similar because I believe I am a listener and that is why people sometimes  open up to me very quickly. I do consider myself to be a good listener.

One insight  I learned about communication this week is that at least the two individuals who are part of my daily life believe more in my abilities and skills as a communicator than I do. This makes me smile and allows me to gain more self confidence because others do believe in my capabilities as a person, educator, and professional. The second insight that I got from this assignment I learned that sometimes I can be more critical of how I communicate than others that interact with me really think. I also learned that, you develop a self concept by thinking about your strengths and weaknesses, observing your behavior in a wide variety of situations, witnessing your own reactions to situations, and watching others reactions to you (O’Hair, 2015). I believe that the insights I learned from the assessment results will  help better my communication skills not only in personally, but also professionally. After taking these assessments I can think about how I can better communicate with individuals in different situations. I need to really think how am I influencing others through communication. Most communication is influenced in one way or another (O’Hair, 2015). As an educator I can continue to impact and make a difference with children and their families through communication and the more aware I am of my communication skills the better resource and guide I can become for them.

 

 

Resources:

O’Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J. (2015). Real Communication (3^rd. ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Rubin, R. B., Palmgreen, P., & Sypher, H. E. (Eds.) (2009). Communication research measures: A sourcebook. New York: Routledge.

• “Communication Anxiety Inventory”
• “Verbal Aggressiveness Scale”

 

Rubin, R. B., Rubin, A. M., Graham, E. E., Perse, E. M., & Seibold, D. R. (Eds.) (2009). Communication research measures II: A sourcebook. New York: Routledge.

• “Listening Styles Profile-16”

Diversity & Communication

The only time I feel that I communicate differently with people is when I speak with my family members. The reason I feel that I speak differently with my family is due for my cultural upbringing and background. Cultural identity-how individual view themselves as members of a specific culture-influences the communication choices people make and how they interpret the messages they receive from others (O’Hair, 2015). I feel that I communicate differently with them because of gender roles as well the way I was raised. Many of my family members are very stuck in their way they were brought up. Coming from a Latino Family I was raised to help with household chores, expected to be married, and have children after I graduated from high school. I am 40 and I did not turn out the ways I was supposed to according to them as well as our cultural beliefs, values, and customs. Therefore, I feel that when I communicate with them I have to think like they do and act like they do if not I am not able to have a descent conversation with them. Other than that I feel like I do not communicate differently with anybody else. I try to communicate as respectfully as I can with others without judging, stereotyping, and/or being prejudice towards them in any way. So in intercultural communication, we should accept and respect others as well as their cultures such as values, customs, and taboos (Zhou, 2007).

Based on what I have learned this week one strategy I need to use as an educator to help communicate more effectively with other groups is that I need to know, understand, and accept who I am as well as my culture in order to understand other’s cultures. A second strategy I need to use to help communicate more effectively with others is that I need to understand my non-verbal communication and/or behavior. Recognize your own patterns of nonverbal behavior. Most of us are unconscious until we meet someone who does not fit in our pattern (Gonzalez-Mena, 2010). One thing I don’t what to be doing is being rude or insulting someone without understanding my own nonverbal behavior. The last strategy that I can use to help communicate more effectively with other groups is that I need to understand my attitude. It goes without saying that a person’s attitude plays an important in the process of communication. It is, therefore, essential for you to know your likes, your dislikes, and the degree of your ethnocentrism to avoid these hidden personal premises (Zhou, 2007). I need to be able to remember who I have become, not be disrespectful, but a good communicator even within my own family.

Working with young children and families we have to remember that we are constantly being watch and children will learn by example which means that they will learn to imitate behaviors and/or actions they see and we have to ensure we are helping them learn how to be sensitive and empathetic with others around us.

 

Resources:

O’Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J. (2015). Real Communication (3^rd. ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2010). 50 strategies for communicating and working with diverse families. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. “Looking at Nonverbal Communication Across Cultures” (pp.80-81).

Zhou, Bin, & CUI, Fu-guan, (2007). On the promotion of intercultural communication competences. Sin0-US English Teaching, 4(9), 77-81. Retrieved from the Walden Library database.

 

 

Communication Skills & Styles

For this week’s experience I watched the show Modern Family. I know that this is a popular show because my nieces and nephews always talk about it, and therefore, I decided to watch it. I watched Modern Family -Double Click Episode (S7 E22).

Watching the show without any sound was weird because I didn’t know who the characters were and what was going on in the show. Since I have never watched the show, I didn’t know if it is a continuation from the previous show. From watching the show with no sound I learned that there are many characters and that they use non-verbal communication. Nonverbal cues are used to manage the impressions and regulate interactions of communicators in a variety of relationships and situations (O’Hair, 2015). Many of the characters used hand gestures, pointing of fingers, eye rolling, as well as a lot of touching. I saw the characters be around each other different times throughout the show.

Watching the show with sound was confusing because I still did not know any background information about the characters, who they were, and how they were related. As I watched the show I realized that some of the characters were related and that was the reason why they were very touchy with each other. I also noticed that the characters were very confrontational with one another and there was a lot of tension within the characters. Watching the show I also found that all the characters were very involved in each other’s life sometimes I think more than what families should be and maybe that is why there is not many boundaries and miscommunication between the characters. I also noticed that the characters communicated through screaming as well as criticizing each other.

Watching a show I have never watched before confused me because I had no idea what has been going out before the episode I watched. I don’t know if it was because I had never watched Modern Family, but I felt confused, lost,  and anxious from watching the characters interact with one another. I also felt like I was trying to catch up to understand communication between the characters. I also felt the characters were angry with each other and that is why there was a lot of tension and high emotions within the characters. I learned that the characters communicated their feelings towards others or situations mainly through nonverbal communication, mainly gestures. Nonverbal behavior clarifies meaning by reinforcing verbal messages in three ways: repeating, complementing, and accenting (O’Hair, 2015).  I felt that this show was too busy for me to watch because there was so much going on. From watching this show I learned that how we communicate with friends, family, and colleagues can have an impact on the people around us and they can make their own conclusions which may not be accurate based on what they saw.

 

 

 

Resources:

O’Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J. (2015). Real Communication (3^rd. ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

 

 

Competent Communicator

Thinking about a competent communicator makes me think about my mentor. Through my mentor I have learned so many skills that I have used to become a better individual as well as professional. I have witness her professionalism when not only speaking with individuals, but also also present various topics in English and in Spanish.

Some of the behaviors my mentors exhibits that I believe make her an effective communicator is that she always conducts research and accommodates her presentation according to her audience, therefore she always knows and understands who her audience is before speaking or presenting. Another skill I have learned from her is that she knows the information she is presenting so that she does not read the information. She always walks around to deliver the information to her audience. She also asks questions to keep the audience engaged and to ensures that her information is being understood.  Another skill that makes her a competent communicator is the fact that she does not judge individuals and when she listens she paraphrases what she hears so the person she is having a conversation with understands she is listening and understands the conversation.

I believe that I have already began to model some of my mentors skills and behaviors which make her a competent communicator because I believe that she gets her information across to her audience. I have admire the way she has rooms full of parents and individuals at her presentations. I have ben part of many conferences where parents and individuals in the community ask for her to be a speaker or presenter. I have also admire the ways she prepares for her presentations and or topics and how she is prepared for the unexpected as well as a flexible individual because sometimes there are things that are out of our control and she is always calm and collected as she does what she does best present information.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

One Hope:     

My hope is that I can continue to learn so that I can continue to be opened minded, respectful of others, welcoming, and to continue to provide services to young children and their families as well as adults through college courses so that they too can one day be great role models and mentors to all children regardless of color, age, race, ethnicity, religion, sex-preference, and disabilities.

 

 

One Goal:

One goal I would like to set for the field of early childhood is to form more collaborations, networks, and support groups with early childhood professionals so that we can lean on each other, talk to one another, and help one another through difficult times. I have come to understand that as educators we need each other. It would be amazing to be able to count on my colleagues in the future.

 

 

Grateful:

I would like to take this time to say THANK YOU!!! Thank you to all my colleagues for their support, guidance, feedback, and comments throughout this course because you made me think critically about diversity, equity, and social Justice. I have learned so much from each and everyone of you through your own experiences and thoughts. Through you I have learned to be even more open-minded, to continue to treat individual with respect, to be a better listener as well as the importance of good communication with children, parents, co-workers, and colleagues.

 

 

Welcoming Families From Around the World

As a preschool teacher, I am preparing for a new child to my classroom. The new child’s name is Elizaveta and her and her family are from Russia. I want to ensure that the child and her family feels welcomed, that they feel like they belong, and are part of the family we have with the children already attending school.

My classroom staff, children, and families will prepare the following ways:

1. Learn as much as I can about Elizaveta’s and her family.
2. I would learn about the educational system is Russia so I can ensure I understand where the child is according to their standards. I also want to understand their educational system so that I can communicate and work collaborative with parents to ensure Elizaveta is where she needs to be academically in the United States.
3. I want to provide the children and center staff with information about Elizaveta’s culture. (Basic Facts such: culture, location, weather, customs, traditions, flag, foods).
4. Ensure the center is inclusive and represents Elizaveta’s culture as the other children’s culture. Add the Russian flag with the other flags in the room that represent where children’s families originate. Also ensure I have toys such as Matryoshka-The Russian Nesting Doll).
5. Ensure that the center sets up a family pot luck with all the children and their families along with the center staff to ensure Elizaveta and her family that we are excited to have them join the center.
6. I would contact colleagues and other professionals to ask for advice and feedback on how I can better prepare for a new student in the classroom.
7. Prepare a packet of information for Elizaveta’s parent’s.

 

I want to ensure that the children and staff at the center make Elizaveta and her family not only welcome, but ensure that they are very much part of our family at the center. I also would like to ask the parents what I can do at school to make Elizaveta more welcome and so that other children learn where she is from. I would like to ensure that Elizaveta and her family have a smooth transition from Russian into the American culture because moving from your country to a new country can be a challenging and difficult experience.  I want to be able to have good, open, and honest communication with Elizaveta’s parents so that we can work together and collaboratively to ensure that Elizaveta is successful not only in school but in life as well. I believe that working together with center staff, children and their families, as well as Elizaveta’s family we can create a safe and caring environment for all children to grow and learn. I believe that it is essential to include not only the center staff, but also the children and families because children learn by doing and even if they are not at the center any longer they can remember how important it is to make others feel welcome and part of the classroom.

 

 

“Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best.” — Bob Talber

 

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”                              — Benjamin Franklin

The personal side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

When I think of bias, prejudice, and oppression I think back to the one time I purchase my first name brand vehicle. I had just completed my Master’s Degree in counseling and has started my first job as a school counselor. I felt that I had worked hard to obtained my degree, get an amazing job, and therefore the next thing I decide to do I buy a Lexus SUV car, which was my dream car. One day after going to the gym I decided to visit a friend who lived in a different part of town than I did. I parked my vehicle on the street, visited my friend and by the time I left it was dark. As I was walking to my car a police office pulled in behind me and asked why I was approaching that car. I explained that it was my vehicle, but the police officer did not believe me. He asked me to step away and provide him with my identification or my driver’s license. I was confused and asked, did I do something wrong? He said not yet! Still confused I asked, I don’t understand, he then said, for your protection I will run your license plates and your identification. He also says, I just want to make sure you didn’t borrow the car without someone’s permission. At that point I was extremely upset and could not believe what I was going through. I said how can I steal my own car officer. He had me sit on the side walk until he checked and he came back and said everything checked out and I can leave. I said I told you it was my car, I bought it. He then said, I just had to check because I can’t believe a person like you can drive a car like this. Then he said he wanted me to allow him to check my vehicle because he thought I was a drug dealer. At that point I got into my vehicle closed my door, locked it, and through the window, I said sure when you can show me a warrant then you can check my vehicle. I said you do not know who I am. I am a hard worker, I have a college degree, and I am a counselor that is why I can afford this car. Now if you excuse me, I have to go home. I don’t think he was happy with what I said because he followed me until I pulled into the gate of my apartment complex.

In this particular situation, the bias, prejudice, and oppression  diminished equity because the police office who was the person of authority was discriminating me and assumed that I had stole a vehicle that was mine. The police officer was already making a judgement call by accusing me of a crime by just looking at me.

This situation made me feel anger, hopelessness, and fear. I felt anger because I could not believe what was happening to me at the time. I felt hopelessness because I thought there is nothing I can at the time and the office was making his own conclusion about myself and actions based on what he saw, his mind had already been made up and until he confirmed what I already knew, that the vehicle was mine there was nothing I could do. I also felt fear because I knew the police officer had authority and he intimidated me through the whole process.  This situation makes me think I should not have felt anger, hopelessness, and fear around a person of authority because I did not do anything wrong. I believe a police office should help protect people not make them fear or doubt their service and commitment to people and community.

For this incident to turn into an opportunity to greater equity, I think the officer should not make decisions based on appearances. I believe he should not intimidate people by ensuring he has power to make a judgement call over appearances. I also think for me, I should not  feel anger, hopelessness, and fear because I did not do anything wrong. I need to learn not to fear people with authority because I have worked hard to get where I am and to have what I have and if others think I should not be where I am or have what I have it is their own issue not mine. Instead of feeling anger, hopelessness, and fear I should take it as a learning experience for the other person because they were proved wrong about who I am.