Who am I as a Communicator?

This application this week has set the tone for who I really am as a communicator.  Verbal and non-verbal communication can have either a negative or positive impact on one’s life. On many occasions I am forced to speak in front of group of people and it is my desire to leave a lasting impression.

The listening styles assessment revealed that I was a people oriented person who is empathetic and always concerned about others feeling. This is exactly who I am. My friends and family always tell me how compassionate I about wanting to meet the needs of others. It has always being my passion to help build people up. I had a very rough childhood so I think of my life experiences as millstones that I have overcome. Knowing that I am able to help others is a blessing within itself.

One thing that was a bit surprising for me was my results from the verbal aggressiveness assessment. My score was a 69. This means that “with little provocation I may cross the line from argumentativeness”. I guess it is those unintentional things that I say which can be harmful to those whom I am speaking with.  This assessment really stirs my curiosity as I never felt as if I came across offensive when speaking with others. It is never my desire to harm or degrade others.  Our choice of words when communicating should not be harmful to others.

One insight that I gained from this assignment was how other’s perception differ from mine. The communication anxiety assessment has helped me realize the importance of overcoming my fear of speaking in front of a crowd of people. I want to be effective communicator so I must be comfortable enough to speak in front of large group of people.

Cultural Diversity

Cultural Diversity

When communicating with other people it is the switch that comes on automatically when I am communicating with various cultures. For example: When I am communicating with my family members and friends who are African American I tend to abbreviate words or use slang. In a general statement I may ask my sister “Girl what is going down tonight “implying about her plans for the evening. If I was talking to someone from another culture I would generally ask “What do you have planned for the rest of the evening” which simply means the same thing. I try to use proper English when communicating with other cultures.  With my family I generally tend to say whatever because I feel comfortable in my own skin.

Most of this behavior is based upon the stereotype and prejudices of other people. If I went around talking to other people in the manner that I speak to my friends and family, I would be considered “ghetto” because of my broken English.  I know who I am and what I believe in so I am not offended by others assumptions of me. It always amaze me how individuals can lose their self identify because of the judgment of other people. In our classroom community we will have children who communicate as if they are talking to people in their home environment. It is not our duty to label, prejudge of place stereotypes because of our differences. As an educator we must embrace one another differences in order to provide children with quality learning experiences

Television Show

My Wife and Kids

I decided to watch the television show “My Wife and Kids”. With the sound turned off the family displayed a lot of non-verbal communication skills. The mother on the show raised her eyebrows when speaking with her younger daughter. Her facial expression displayed her anger as the little girl stood there in front of her.  As her mom spoke to her she lowered her head and folded her arms. The little girl appeared to be sad. When the dad came in the house you can tell by the way he threw his brief case down on the couch that he had a long day at work. Their gestures and facial expressions helped me convey what was going on in the household. They all gathered around the dinner table and grabbed hands as the father begin gracing the food. Once he was done he nodded his head and the family began eating. They appeared to be a very enmeshed family.

Once I watched the television show with the volume turned on most of my assumptions were right. It seemed so natural and I was excited that I was able to piece the picture together without hearing it.  Most of it comes from having a best friend who is deaf. Whenever I went to her house she always had the volume turned down on the television and I would never turn it up because I was use to it. I seemed to be drawn into the show when the volume was off because it made me feel more connected with the characters.  I would turn the caption on toward the end of the show to see if my assumptions were right. Majority of the time they were. On the show the mother was fussing at her daughter because she got some milk without asking and spilled it everywhere. The mother was in the kitchen while her other daughter sat at the table doing her homework. When her husband came in she asked him how his day went.  He threw his brief case and advised her that he had a very long day. They all washed their hands and begin to sit down at the table. They ate together like most enmeshed families do. This exercise had helped me understand that all communication is effective whether it is verbal or non-verbal. We may have children in our classroom community that may suffer from hearing loss. It is important that our gestures and facial expressions help them convey the subject matter so that they can excel in their learning.

Effective Communication

When I think of all the people in the world, my grandmother comes to mind when I think of a person who demonstrates competent communication within a particular context. She displays strong communication skills. On many occasions when I went to my grandmother house or spoke with her over the phone, her voice would capture my attention. It was never a time in which my grandmother was not certain of what she was talking about. When speaking with us she would provide information that was resourceful and reliable. Proving information that is accurate is always a positive so that we can believe in what one is saying. She was very proficient and always used a great choice of words. She would use direct eye contact which made me feel connected to her as she spoke to me. Even when others spoke while she talked, she would stop what she is saying to give the other person a chance to be heard. She nods her head when she is in agreement with what others or saying. She never lost her concentration and was always able to restate was the previous person said and offer advice if necessary. This made me realize that not only was she a good communicator but also a good listener.

 
I hope to be an effective communicator like my grandmother so that I able to capture the attention of a crowd as I am very shy when speaking in front of a group. I want to be able to give each person direct eye contact as I speak so that we can connect with one another. Being able to connect with others as you speak can build trust which would build meaningful relationships that can have a lasting impact on the lives of children and families.