Communication Surveys

For the assignment this week, I had my husband and my older sister take the surveys for me.  It was really interesting to see their results because my husband's were almost exactly the same as mine, but my sisters were pretty different.  For the anxiety score, my sister's score was a lot lower than how I scored myself and how my husband scored me.  It made me feel confident that most people are unaware of my social anxiety and also made me realize that my husband knows how I actually feel in social settings.  This week I was able to focus on not allowing my past experiences influence the way I first see people.  Although I don't feel it is a problem to make connections to people you know to people you just meet, I still want to focus on seeing the new person as who they really are and not perceiving them in a different way.  I have been talking to my husband about some of the things we have been learning in this class and he has started to point out my communication skills, whether they be positive of negative.  One thing that I have realized that has a big influence in my communication is facial expressions.  My facial expressions sometimes seem to be more exaggerated than I mean them to be.  I feel that both of these things can help me with my communication in professional settings because it will allow me to focus on who I am talking to and be aware of expressing myself in the way I intend to.

Effective Communication Strategies

I have realized that depending on who I am talking to, I will communicate differently.  I am definitely more comfortable communicating with people who come from similar cultural backgrounds as I do and find that I become more guarded in the things I say to people who are from different cultures. I have some family that are different races, religions, and social classes and I typically feel like I have to communicate differently than I normally would when I am around them.  A few strategies that I have thought of that can help me communicate more effectively with people who are different than me are:

1. Think before you speak.  It is easy to just speak without really thinking about what you are saying or whom you are talking to, but it is important to consider the person and to make sure that what you are saying is appropriate.

2. Consider what they say.  When speaking to anyone, it is crucial to work to understand and reflect on what that person is saying.  Effective communication comes from effectively listening to the other person and actually hearing what they say.

3. Put yourself in their shoes.  Similarly to the Platinum Rule, I feel that it is important to work to understand who you are communicating with and then speak and treat them the way that they would like to be treated.

Communication with Television

For this assignment, again consider what you have been learning about communication skills and styles. Then record an episode of a television show you do not normally watch. Watch the show with the sound turned off.

I chose to watch a Disney show because it is something that most children would watch.  Throughout the show, it was clear that the main characters are twin girls who live very different lives.  One of the sisters is very popular and also appears to be a famous singer, while the other sister is more on the nerdy side and is not as outgoing as her.  I felt like I was able to understand the majority of what was occurring throughout the episode even though I couldn't hear what was taking place. 

Now, watch the show with the sound turned on.

The show was not difficult to understand and I was surprised with how well I understood what was happening.  I was shocked that it was so easy to understand the plot of the show just through watching the show.  Facial expressions and hand gestures were very helpful in deciphering what was happening throughout the show, though it was still easier to have the details of what was happening.  I realized it was more difficult to understand what was happening with the other characters that weren't the two main girls without being able to listen, but I felt I was able to grasp the majority of what was happening. It was definitely more appealing watching the show with the sound on than it was without it.  

Communication Example

My parents are a great match because they are able to balance each other very well.  My mom is excellent at communicating with people and making friends, but she is very expressive and doesn't always handle situations that can be confrontational as well as my dad can.  My dad is calm and is one of the greatest communicators I know when it comes to dealing with people in problem situations.  Earlier today a problem arose with work and I was near him while he was on the phone with the other party he was dealing with. Although he was very upset about the situation that had occurred, he was still able to be professional on the phone and clearly state his problem without becoming angry or upset.  My dad is great at listening and trying to understand others when they talk to him and is great at making people understand him.  I would definitely want to model my dad's communication behaviors and hope to be as calm and professional as he is.

Professional Hopes and Goals

After diving into diversity and equity throughout this course, a hope that I now have in regard to working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that I will have the mental understanding of what I can do to make these families feel like they belong.  I want to be able to use the knowledge that I have gained to ensure that the families I work with feel comfortable with who they are and that they know they can come to me with any concerns they have.

One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field that is related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is that professionals will be encouraging of diversity and look for ways to teach children that we should be accepting of everyone around them.  We have the power to share with children that everyone is special and that it is alright to be different.

To my colleagues: I have really enjoyed getting to know each of you better throughout the last 8 weeks.  Each of you have taught me something and have given me more insight on diversity and equity and I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to be in this class with each of you.  Thank you for helping me on this journey and I hope that all of your future classes go well!

Welcoming Families From Around the World

The country that I chose to explore as the country of origin that "my" family moved from is Thailand. I was able to learn a lot of facts about Thailand that I had no clue existed.  I learned five ways that I can be culturally responsive to this family.

1. Taking off my shoes when I go to their home for a home visit (The Thailand Life, 2016). 
2. Ensure that I don't point when talking to them or giving them a tour of the school (The Thailand Life, 2016). 
3. Calling all of the adults by their first name with the title Khun because they are not used to their last name being used (Kwintessential, 2016).
4. When greeting the Thai family I will use the "wai"gesture rather than shaking hands (Kwintessential, 2016). 
5. I will make sure to never pat the child on their head because they believe that it can be dangerous to their well-being (Everyday Culture, 2016). 

I feel that these preparations would help me know how to make a family from Thailand feel more comfortable and respected coming to America. I know that if I moved to a new country I would feel pleased and grateful in knowing that someone took the time to find out about my culture and do things that would make me feel comfortable in my new environment.  

References

Countries and Their Cultures (2016). Thailand. [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Thailand.html

Kwintessential. (2016). Thailand-Thai language, culture, customs, and etiquette. [Data file]. Retrieved from 

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/thailand-country-profile.html

The Thailand Life. (2016). 10 Things you didn't know about Thai culture [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.thethailandlife.com/10-facts-thai-culture-and-customs 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

In the movie 42, Jackie Robinson's story is shown of how he made it to major league baseball.  It was incredibly difficult for Jackie Robinson to become a professional baseball player, not because he lacked the skills, but because of the prejudice that existed during that time.  There had never been a black baseball player in major league baseball and people were not ready to accept that, but he continued to work hard and when a white man was determined to bring him on his team, Jackie had to work harder than everyone else because of the way people treated him.  His teammates treated him terribly, the fans were extremely rude to him, and besides his own racial community and coach he had no one on his side.  This experience completely diminished equity because he was treated this way because of his race.  It was not fair that a black man couldn't play baseball, but he had to be the first to make the change and show that it was not just a white person's sport.

While watching this movie, I was devastated by what Jackie and his family had to go through.  The way people treated him was awful and unnecessary.  There were many times throughout the movie that I felt uncomfortable watching because of the trials that Jackie had to face because of his race. When I see things like this, I continuously wonder why anyone would treat someone so harshly. Because of what Jackie went through, he was able to make the change for black people to be able to play baseball and overcome the hardships that came from people against it.