Thank You!

I just want to thank everyone one for sharing your experiences, insights, thoughts, and questions. You have helped me become a better communicator and listener. I hope to see some of you in the next class and for the rest, I wish you well throughout your EC adventures. Dr. Parrish, a special thanks to you, you challenged me in all the right areas. I have learned and I am ready to implement what I have learned in the workplace. Continue in the blessing everyone.

Adjourning

I have participated in many group meetings and projects; and we processed through them pretty much according to the stages of team development. The adjourning process mainly consisted of lingering goodbyes and God bless you’s. On certain occasions the group leader of the youth ministry completes the adjourning process with refreshments and a heads up on the next event or program. Until now I had not thought about the adjourning process here at WU. There are several colleagues I would like to stay in contact with and possibly visit someday. Adjourning is essential to teamwork because of the many variables that can form from teamwork outcomes and you never know when you might need someone’s expert opinion on something concerning the early childhood field. I personally hope to hear from everyone occasionally in the future.

Conflict Strategies

            In addition to running a childcare facility, I work evenings as a home healthcare specialist. Six months ago, the program coordinator (pc) resigned and another was hired 5 months later. Under the previous pc, if a day off was needed, it was our responsibility to find someone to cover the shift; if no one was available then we would call the pc. Well, recently I needed a day off, got my shift covered, notified the mother of my client of the change and thought everything was okay.
           Later, I got word that the new pc came to the house that night and was upset that I was not there. I was told he was upset because he was not aware of the switch for that day.
          The conflict from his perspective is that I should have made him aware of the change; from my perspective I was not aware of the change in protocol so I did it the way it was previously accepted. Although, I was told he was going to have a conversation with me, it has not happened yet (It’s been over a week now). So, I would have to say the conflict is unresolved.
         However, even though he has not contacted me; because I know it caused a problem, I will notify the program coordinator next time. I would label this action as cooperative strategy because it benefits our working relationship and serve mutual rather than individual goals (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2013).

 Reference

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. 

NewYork:Bedford/St. Martin's.

 

Nonverbal Communication

            For the assignment this week, I watched Supernatural, one of my daughter’s favorites. She loved that I allowed her to pick a show and she knows Supernatural is not my “cup of tea”. The silent episode began with a family of three: dad, daughter, and son; this became obvious when the daughter passed by the dad and gave him a kiss on the cheek while he was reading the newspaper. Then she passed the younger guy, who I assumed to be the brother; they looked at one another sarcastically and made verbal remarks. The daughter goes for a swim, and then disappears in the water; it is obvious something is not right, by the look on her face even though her surroundings seem calm.

The next scene shows two men in a café, circling the missing girl’s picture in the newspaper and in a serious discussion with each other; the eye contact was there and they were both fully engaged in dialogue. I labeled them as detectives or investigators. They were interrupted by a flirty waitress, who made her intentions obvious by the super huge smile and the way she leaned over to talk to the guys; one guy seemed appalled, the other responded with an equally huge smile and lustful gaze as she walked away.

 In other scenes, nonverbal communication was demonstrated when one investigator discretely nudges the other to look at something in the house, during an interrogation. There was also a little boy with a sixth sense, who with a frightful look on his face and frantically pulling on the arm of one of the investigators, lead me to believe he was very fearful about something.

            Watching the episode with sound went a lot faster than without sound. The previous assumptions were pretty much on point; except 1) the guys were not investigators, but spirit hunters; 2) the guy who seemed to be appalled at the waitress was actually anxious to get on with the case and 3) the little boy was not fearful but trying to tell the spirit hunter something.

In silence it looked like the movie was out of order, people who I thought were nice and helpful were manipulative and selfish. It is so easy to take things out of context but for the most part reading their body language was more precise than trying to read their lips. In reference to contradicting verbal messages-people tend to say whatever is necessary to gain pleasure or avoid pain; however, what a person believes is many times, shown through their actions. So, when people are not honest, it is easier to tell by their behavior than their words.

Competent Communication

I would like to recognize Dr. Creflo A. Dollar, pastor of World Changers Church International as one who demonstrates competent communication. He teaches the word of God in a practical and simplistic manner. Pastor Dollar informs his audience of what he will talk about, he talks about it, and then review what he said. He presents background/foundational information to bring greater clarity to the main point; breaks down and defines terms for greater understanding; and uses illustrations and practical examples as a means of putting it all together. He teaches it, so we can hear it; he explains it, so we can understand it; and he demonstrates it, so we can live it out.

Dr. Dollar’s methods of communication are effective because through his teachings, my life has changed for the better in areas of finance, health, and relationships. Rather than model his communication behavior, I would like to become confident in what I believe to be true and in what I believe will bring results; when that happens, I communicate well with others because my caring is genuine and the topic is heart-felt.

Professional Hopes and Goals

            When it comes to working with children and families from diverse backgrounds, the hope that I have is that we are able to communicate and understand one another. A goal I would like to set for the early childhood field relating to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is to 1) show families from diverse backgrounds that they are welcome by displaying flags and the word welcome in the language each flag represents as well as through our actions. 2) Demonstrate equity by honoring diverse families represented in the facility with a given week to share and answer questions about their culture. 3) Create strategies to increase awareness of the harmful effects of microaggressions. I am truly inspired by all of the insights and questions from the discussion. I listened to  the hearts of each of you and I learned a lot from all of you; you all have played a tremendous part in shaping my professionalism for the better. Thank you!

Welcoming Families From Around the World

            This week I will interview with a family who recently immigrated to Oklahoma from Chile. They are seeking a facility to care for their two year old while they look for work and get established. I am not familiar with culture of this country, so what I will do first is research the family dynamics and makes their visit as comfortable as possible. Secondly, I will ask them about their culture and how can I best serve them. Thirdly, I will share with them the vision and mission of the facility. I will listen to the family; there may be unspoken rules related to gender, power, and how we interact with each other and make adjustments where possible (Christen, 2006). I will ask about their needs and expectations for the child and allow them to ask questions about me, the facility, and staff.

            This increases the family’s knowledge about the facility and personnel; it assures them that they have a voice and their voice is heard; and that their culture is accepted. We benefit by learning about another culture and experiencing new and different ways of doing things.

 

Reference

Christian, L. G. (2006). Understanding families: Applying family systems theory to early childhood practice. Young Children, 61(1), 12–20. Retrieved from http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/pqdweb?did=1042679491&sid=1&Fmt=4&clientId=70192&RQT=309&VName=PQD