Differentiating Communication
It
is known that culture is bases on the characteristics of a group of people that
share race, language, religion, music, arts, foods, et al. I am a member of multiple cultures and have
an assortment of social identities. One
culture that I associate with and am a member of is the teacher and school culture. School cultures are unique and distinctive,
in which they are created and re-created by people considered members of a
context; i.e., teachers, students, parents, and communities (Hongboontri &
Keawkhong, 2014, p. 66).
As
an early childhood special education specialist, I find myself interacting and
communicating with the members of this culture is different manners and
languages. When interacting coaching,
and training administrators and specialized staff, I tend to use more formal
and technical language. During coaching
sessions and trainings with early childhood teachers and paraprofessionals, the
language is a mixture of formal and informal with a twist of casual discussions
added throughout the six-hour trainings.
When in early childhood classrooms and interacting with children between
the ages of 4, 5, and 6, my language and mannerisms are more interactive,
playful, and diverse depending on the students’ ages, abilities, disabilities,
and the classroom activity.
Growing
up, I was taught the Golden Rule of “do unto others as you would have others do
unto you,” which I follow on a regular basis.
I want others to treat me with respect, honor my differences, and speak
to me with kindness and honesty. Whether
I am interacting with a family member, friend, colleague, administrator,
educator, child, parent, or strange, I intentionally and respectfully speak
with them as I assess their language, cultural expectations, and diverse
needs. Once I understand who they are
and how they wish to be treated, I modify and tweak my mannerisms and language
to maintain a respectful, culturally responsive relationship with them. This behavior, in many ways, is associated with
the Platinum Rule of “do to others as they themselves would like to be treated”
(Beebe et al, 2011, p. 114).
Remembering
that school culture is a compilation of “traditions and rituals that have been
built up over time as teachers, students, parents, and administrators work
together and deal with crises and accomplishments” (Deal & Peterson, 1999, p.
4), it is important to vary one’s mannerisms, language, and communicative
behavior based on the culture, diversity, social and professional role, and, possibly,
the personality of the other person or persons. Each member of the school culture is, also, a member of another culture. Being aware of our personal culture background and consciously cognizant of another's culture background will promote and nurture resilient inter-cultural communication, which is part of our daily lives in early childhood education (Vuckovic, 2008).
Intercultural Communication Poster
References:
Beebe, S. A., Beebe,
S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (2011). Interpersonal
communication: Relating to others (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Deal, T.E. &
Peterson, K.D. (1999). Shaping school culture:
The heart of leadership. San Francisco,
CA: Jossey-Bass.
Hongboontri, C.,
& Keawkhong, N. (2014). School Culture: Teachers Beliefs, Behaviors, and
Instructional Practices. Australian
Journal of Teacher Education, 39(5), 66-88. doi:10.14221/ajte.2014v39n5.7.
Vuckovic, A. (2008).
Inter‐cultural communication: A foundation of communicative
action. Multicultural Education &
Technology Journal, 2(1), 47-59. doi:10.1108/17504970810867151
Hello Donna!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog post. I liked the examples that you provided which discussed how you transitioned from using the golden rule as a youth to now as a professional in the field of early childhood utilizing the platinum rule when you communicate. I think teaching children the foundation of the platinum rule will help them before better communicators in the future as well as helping them understand how to respect different cultures.
Thanks Donna for such an informative post. Throughout your post, I found examples, citations and a poster that I can apply in both my personal and professional life. The examples of how you differentiate communication within the school setting is meaningful. I can how you can be viewed and valued as an effective communicator, for you seem to relate and adjust to the person to whom you are communicating with. Thanks again for sharing ideas that the reading can relate to and apply.
ReplyDeleteSchneeka
Donna,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. You are right when we are communicating with kids; we are more animated. Observing adults and taking time to learn their cultural communication, it can contribute to being more effective in your connection. When people feel respect, they are more inclined to listen.