Communication Artifacts

Going into my field experience, this was an area I felt was a relative strength in my own capacity.  Nevertheless, I have identified opportunities for growth in my communication skills.  The most influential experience has been my training and initial practice with instructional coaching.  The coaching process has pushed me to become a better listener.  In reflecting on my own habits, I realize that during conversations I like to make connections and interject with my own experiences.  I also feel the urge to provide solutions when listening to people talk through a challenge in their practice.  Now, I realize the importance of providing time and space for teachers to be reflective in their thinking, and as their coach, use effective questioning techniques.  It is much more meaningful when teachers can arrive at their own ideas, rather than being told what to do.  It provides a sense of autonomy in their work and gives them ownership of their personal goals.  Being reflective in my listening habits will be critical as a future administrator.

Another experience that was helpful in learning about communication was my time as a site coordinator during summer school.  Here, I was reminded of the importance of positivity and clarity in communication.  I was charged with handling many difficult issues, including transportation mixups, schedule changes, and student discipline concerns.  I learned that it was helpful to remain calm and positive when speaking with frustrated families and always provide followup regarding their concerns.  I will always remember the tip I learned in my student management class from Sasha Kuznetsov.  When providing follow up, he would often include the words “I have already____” vs. stating “I plan to _____”.  This small shift in language shows people that you are proactive in your response and have already taken steps to support their needs.  

In regard to clarity in communication, I have learned the importance of taking time to sit down and formulate clear communication structures for a school building.  There were several summer programs sharing space at our school site.  In hindsight, I learned that we did not have a good structure in place for always knowing who to contact about specific students.  From a customer service perspective, many parents were juggled around when they arrived at school or made a call, because not all stakeholders were involved in knowing who to contact for specific purposes.  If I could do things differently, I would have held a planning meeting with all the program coordinators who shared the summer school site and established a better plan for connecting and sharing information.