EDUC-6165: Communication and Collaboration in the Early Childhood Field



As I think of someone that demonstrates competent communication skills, Christina came immediately to my mind.

Christina was my professor in several child development classes about twenty-five years ago at the beginning of my educational journey. I was an ESL student who had recently relocated to California. Our classroom was diverse and included several students from all over the world, with various expressive communication skills in English.

As an attentive student, I remember observing Christina’s communication skills, as she articulated with her students very carefully. For instance, she used some gestures and props to highlight an object, body language to illustrate and support the thought that she planned to convey, and changed her tone of voice to refrain from becoming monotonic. As I monitored her skills carefully, I remember how she used to look directly at her student’s eyes, reassuring our comprehension. Besides, when a student asked a question, Christina started her answer by rephrasing the question, ensuring she appropriately understood the inquiry.

Another method I remember Christina using was owning the responsibility for her words. For instance, If she said something and a student did not grasp the meaning, she used to say, “let me explain what I mean. I probably did not express my ideas correctly”. Owning responsibility eliminates conflicts, which is essential, especially during a conference, or when we try to resolve conflicts with others. Holding responsibility for our communication skills and the way we convey our words, is essential when we talk to our colleagues, students, and parents.

Comments

  1. Dorothy ANovember 5, 2020 at 10:06 AM

    I admire your post and think that you chose a great person to model.

    ReplyDelete
  2. InetteNovember 7, 2020 at 12:20 PM

    Thank you for sharing about this person. I admire her skillset. Visuals, body language, rephrasing, tone, and reflection and ownership are all great skills to practice in communication with both children and adults.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kamikka HughesNovember 8, 2020 at 10:37 AM

    Hi Ilana,
    I really like how your professor owned the responsibility of her words. What a great way to offer additional information that explains in detail of what she was trying to get across.

    ReplyDelete

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