The Adjourning Process

I had a very authentic and fun group in my cohort back in university. We understood each other, supported each other, and we worked cooperatively. We even spent time together just to hang out and have some fun. It was hard to adjourn from them because we trusted each other and was a sense of responsibility was established among us.  I still talk to them and occasionally get together.

The Walden experience has been very enriching for me, not only because of the issues and comments from my instructors, but for the genuine intentions from my colleagues. I think the adjourning process from my colleagues would be a little bit sad because through their experience I’ve also grown as a practitioner. Thanks to their feedback and personal stories, is not so hard to study online. The complexity of the program relaxes thanks to their insightful thinking. Without a doubt they’ve made this journey so much easier and actually fun. 

Avoiding Conflict

Two weeks ago I went to an early learning certification program. In one of the activities I had to play the role of the instructor and the rest of my colleagues had to act like children. The thing was that they over reacted to the scenario and were very rude in their behavior. At the end to the role play, they themselves noticed it and apologized to me. I said to them that it was ok just to demonstrate that their offenses couldn’t hurt me because I was stronger than them. At the end of the class my instructor asked me if I was ok and my tears rolled down. Then my instructor talked with the other girls in the class when I was present and said to them that such behavior was not acceptable. Then I talked to the group about how I felt and after that I felt so much better.

Now that I think of it, when the girls apologized to me and I said to them I was fine, I didn’t want them to think that they had made me collapse, I wanted to look strong, but I also was avoiding conflict because I feared that the great chemistry we had would be lost. But at the same time I wasn’t willing to accept their apologies because my feelings were hurt. When I openly talked about my feelings in front of the group it made me feel so much better and it was then when I could forgive them. This reminds me of the 3S, conflict is not a bad thing, “it is a healthy process, necessary for making progress and dealing with injustice”.   

The Third Side. (n.d.). The third side. Retrieved from http://www.thirdside.org/

Who am I as a communicator?

Doing this test was very fun because it was a different way to reflect on what I say and how others perceive me as a communicator. In the communication anxiety I got a 44 and my sister gave me a 36. In the listening test I scored in group 1 and my sister also placed me in group 1. In the verbal aggressiveness I got a moderate score and the same from my sister. I don’t consider myself an aggressive person; I always try to politically disagree when I don’t agree with an idea. I was very happy that the test actually reflected my efforts in doing that. It was funny to know that my sister actually thinks that I’m a confident communicator but the truth is that I get nervous when talking in public, but once I get the hang of it, confidence kicks in.  Overall I think I hold a balance as a communicator, I do get nervous when I have to speak in public, but if I have to I’ll surely do it. 

Week 3 Blog

In my school, I’ve learned that I communicate differently with other people. The first strategy I would use is the Platinum Rule; I believe this it is a safe place to start off because you are being considerate and taking the effort and time to understand others’ thinking. The second strategy is not to generalize because it promotes stereotypes that are not always true. The third strategy is to welcome cultures from different backgrounds in my classroom and really get to know that child.  The world of the early childhood education could be surrounded by several strategies, but the real strategy that works best is to give you love to children and they will soon represent it verbally or nonverbally. 

T.V. show assumption

The Show I don’t normally watch is “Mike and Molly”. Based on what I watch, I thought that the woman, who was about 35, was Mike’s sister. I made this conclusion because they both entered to the same house and kept their distance. They both greeted an old woman who was in that house, but she does not kiss the old lady when she greets her.  Mike doesn’t not look at his “sister” very often. She smiles to him but never touches him and never gets too close to him. I could see that there was this respect for personal space. When Mike was with Molly she kissed Mike on the cheek and Mike just turned his head and kept watching t.v. next to Molly, with whom he was very close.  

It turned out that it was Molly’s sister. And the old lady was Mike’s mom. If I had been watching the program in a daily basis, my assumptions would have been easier because I would have been more familiarized with the plot of the program. Definitely, watching a program with no sound totally makes you assume things that are not, just because you judge what you see. 

My Dad as my Effective Communicator

I would like to talk about my dad as my example of an effective communicator. When I need advice I always go to my dad. I like the way he speaks to me and the easiness that he has to get his point across. When he speaks to me, he speaks slowly and uses his hands. He always sets examples and makes me see the point of view of others. As he speaks, he constantly says “did I get myself clear” to check for my understanding. When we end our conversation he then finalizes his speech and asks me about my thoughts. He never sounds irritated or boisterous; he just makes me feel that above all he will hear what I have to say and never judge me.  

Thank you all !

Hope:

I hope that educators understand the privileged situation of diverse families and provide the necessary tools to support them.

Goal:

The goal that I would like to set is a compromise. A compromise for the early childhood field to keep promoting issues related to diversity, equity and social justice in the classroom, as well as in professional trainings.

I would like to thank my fellow classmates for posting and showing me ways to grow and learn. Their honesty and feedback were very important to me. I would also like to thank Dr. Tuthill for her unconditional support throughout this course, for the first time I really felt that my instructor was with me in all my assignments.

"The passion comes from the vision"- Louis Derman-Sparks

Thank you all and we’ll keep in touch J

Elisa