THANK YOU

As we end this class, I would like to thank all of my colleagues for the knowledge and experiences they have shared with me throughout this course. I have learned so much from each one of you. You have encouraged me and inspired me to continue the work I am doing in this profession. I know this will not be the last time we all cross paths but I wish you all the best.

Stages of Team Development

When I was in college, I worked at the Gap Outlet. I had been their for a while so I had built relationships with my managers and my co-workers. Since most of us had started working their at the same time, we were like a little family that supported and encouraged each other. After I graduated, I decided to move back home to Atlanta, which was three hours away. I had considered staying because I really cared about those I worked with and part of me didn't want to leave. It was hard to say good-bye because I felt like I was leaving my second family. They took me in and helped me out when I faced some hard times. When I could not go home to my own family they took me in. They were their for me to talk and they helped me during times when I felt like giving up. We didn't just work together, we actually spent time outside of work together. Before I left we all got together and just hung out. We had fun that night just reminiscing on all the fun things we had experienced throughout the year. Just sharing that time with them and hearing all their encouraging words made leaving a little easier. We vowed to keep in touch as much as possible. When thinking about how I will adjourn from the group of colleagues that I have formed, I hope that we are able to still keep in touch, whether it be through our blogs or email.  I feel that adjourning is essential to the stages of teamwork because it gives time to give closure and wish others good luck on their future endeavors. I feel that groups that form on the basis of the five stages and have been built off of meaningful relationships are more likely to groups that stay in contact with each other. It is likely that any group that reached Stage 4: Performing will keep in touch with each other as they have become a very close knit group and there will be sadness at separating and moving on to other projects independently (Abudi, 2010).

Reference:
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

Conflict Resolution

In considering disagreements and/or conflicts I have recently experienced one strategy or approach that I could have used would be the win/win approach. "The win/win approach is about changing the conflict from adversarial attack and defense, to co-operation.
It is a powerful shift of attitude that alters the whole course of communication (CRN)." In my instance, I was having an issue with my assistant and feeling like she was  basically not doing her job in the classroom. I felt that because she had been in that class for a long time and no one has said anything about her actions that she felt as if she was doing anything wrong. In my case, even though I didn't say anything to her and management did nothing to help the problem that I just let it go and did nothing about it. Instead of saying something to her I basically picked up her slack because in the end it all fell on me anyways. I had gotten to the point where I only expected her to do what she usually did which was nothing. She never really interacted with the kids and didn't help when it came to planning. I think another reason I sat back and didn't say anything because I didn't know who how to approach the situation and I didn't think she would respect my thoughts because she had been their much longer than I had and was older than I was. Anyways, I think the win/win approach would work because its a resolution that focuses on us coming up with a way to work together and both of our needs and wants are met. By working on our needs and not just a solution we can address all our issues. "Addressing each person's underlying needs means you build solutions that acknowledge and value those needs, rather than denying them (CRN)."

I think another approach I could have used would be the creative response approach to conflict. This approach is about turning problems into possibilities. In my issue, I never really approached the situation. I just complained about how bad it was but never did anything about it. I could have chose to see what could be done, rather than staying with how terrible it all was.

Reference:

Conflict Resolution Network. (n.d.) CR Kit. http://www.crnhq.org/pages.php?pID=12#skill_3

 

Who am I as a Communicator?

In thinking about the differences and similarities between how I evaluated myself as a communicator and how others evaluated me, there were more similarities than differences. One thing that surprised me was how my colleague viewed me as a communicator. She viewed me as be the type of person that is not afraid to communicate or speak my mind. She perceived me as being a person that feels comfortable and confident communicating. To me this was surprising because at work I don’t communicate as well as I would like. I am effective when I communicate with my parents but when it comes to communicating with my colleagues I tend to be more quiet and reserved. I would say that my lack of communicating with my colleagues comes from the environment in which I work. For the most part my results were correct about the type of communicator that I am. In the results I received when I evaluated myself, it revealed that I am empathetic and concerned with the emotions of others, which is true. I am genuinely concerned for others and sometimes put their needs above my own. I can see how this could also interfere with my judgment because I try and see the best in everyone and I tend to be very trusting. It also showed me that when communicating sometimes I lack confidence in my speaking but that is because I worry about what others say or think. These evaluations have opened my eyes and showed me areas in which I need to improve in order to be an effective communicator.

Communicating with Different Cultures

Question 1: Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures?
Question 2: If yes, in what ways do you communicate differently?

I have realized that when I am communicating with my Spanish speaking parents I tend to ise my hands a lot.  Sometimes its hard for us to communicate with one another so I guess I try to use gestures to help me communicate. I also use written communication. I translate all written paper work to Spanish so that all my families are aware of whats going on in our classroom. I have some Spanish speaking parents that send notes that they have translated to English in order to communicate with me. Some of my other parents know some words in English, so sometimes I am able to catch on to what they are trying to say.
When communicating with some of my Spanish speaking students, I use pictures to help me communicate. It helps that I have learned some Spanish words and phrases to help me communicate.

Communication is not always my strongest area. I communicate differently when I am with my friends than when I am hanging with my guy friend. When I am with my friends, I talk up a storm. Expressing my feelings is easy. When I am with my guy friend, I am quiet as a mouse. We have been friends for years and when it somes to talking, I become a very private person.

Three Strategies to Help Communicate Effectively
● Learn more about how different cultures communicate. Learn a few phrases that could help me build a relationship with my parents.
●Become more confident is my speaking and expressing my thoughts.  Feel free to speak my true feelings.
●Don't be afraid to ask questions.

Communication in Television

The show I decided to watch is a show called How I Met Your Mother.  It is a show that I would not typically watch but from watching it seems interesting. In my first viewing of the show without the volume the characters where sitting at a table in a bar talking. It seemed as if one of the characters was telling a story because the other characters where looking at the person speaking and it seemed as if they were responding to what she had said. From the body language of two of the characters I can assume that they are in a relationship because they were sitting close to each other. They all seem to be friends. As I continue to I noticed that two more of the characters seem to be in a relationship as well. They were talking but I think the female character was not happy with what the male character said and she walked out of the room and closed the door. The male character didn't seem to be affected by her words at first because the expression on his face was one of joy and not sadness. Later on he showed a different emotion when he looked upset and sad about the situation with his girlfriend (one of the main female characters).  There was a part in the episode where two of the guys were in a classroom and one of the males was standing in the front and the other was sitting at a desk taking notes. The one standing in the front was showing pictures and talking about the girlfriend of the other character. When the girlfriend found out she looked very upset and hurt. She had the look of anger in her face when she confronted the two men on what they were doing in the classroom. As she walked in the room the two men seemed surprised and tried to run after her when she stormed out. At the end of the episode the couple where sitting outside on the stairs talking and looked like they were making up because they hugged and kissed.

After watching the show with the volume on, I see that most of my assumptions were right.  In the episode one of the characters, Ted was trying to teach his friend Barney all about Robyn and how to keep her interested in their relationship. Ted was telling Barney ways to keep her happy and her likes and dislikes. When Robyn found out she was very upset even though the intentions were not to be deceitful but to be helpful. The nonverbal cues really helped in figuring out what was going on in the show. Comparing what I thought to what actually happened I was pretty on point. The characters body language, gestures, and facial expressions really helped in trying to figure out what was going on. 

Communication is Key....

If I had to think of one person who demonstrates effective communication skills, it would have to be father. He is easy to talk to and really listens to what you have to say. He doesn't judge and always keeps an open mind. Most people who know me, know that I am not always the best communicator, especially when it comes to my feelings. Sometimes its hard for me to talk to people but its not that way with my dad. I know most people are thinking that's how its suppose to be between a father and daughter, well are relationship is one that has been growing more now that I have gotten older. None the less talk with him puts me at ease because I know he is truly listening. My father is definitely someone whose communication skills I would model. When he speaks, others listen and when others speak he listens. He is genuinely interested in what others say. He speaks with confidence and is honest and respectful.