Communication for Successful Schools Viris V. Clarke-Ellis JTA Education Conference 2010

1. Communication for Successful SchoolsViris V. Clarke-Ellis JTA Education Conference 2010

2. General Objective of the Presentation At the end of the session: Participants will have an heightened awareness of the important role effective communication plays in the success of a school

3. Specific Objectives By the end of the presentation, participants should be able to: 1. Utilize at least three strategies to improve the communication at their school 2. Develop a communication matrix 3. Display greater tolerance and patience when communicating

4. Communication • The process of successfully transferring information from one entity to another • Exchange of thoughts, messages or information by speech, signals, writing or behaviour • The art and techniqueof using verbal or non verbal strategies effectively to impart information or ideas.

5. Communication in schools Schools should: • never leave the business of communication to chance. • Constantly seek new ways to raise their communication awareness • develop their skills to become models for effective communication. • Learn Effective Listening and Responding techniques

6. Elements of The Communication Process • SENDER / MESSENGER / SPEAKER • MESSAGE / IDEA / SPEECH • CHANNEL / MEDIUM • RECEIVER / AUDIENCE • SITUATION • FEEDBACK

7. THE ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

8. PROFILE OF THE EFFECTIVE MESSENGER • ARTICULATE • KNOWLEDGEABLE • CONFIDENT • FLEXIBLE • CREATIVE • AWARE/ADAPTABLE • PROTOCOL-SENSITIVE

9. PROFILE OF THE MESSAGE • APPROPRIATELY TITLED OR INTRODUCED • BETTER IF CONCISE AND PRECISE • MUST BE APPROPRIATE FOR TARGET (Register and Tone) • MUST START AND END ON A POSITIVE NOTE (Sandwich Technique)

10. PROFILE OF THE CHANNEL • MUST BE APPROPRIATE • Technology – One to one? Broadcast? Electronic? Non-electronic? • Discretion – Sensitive? Personal? Public? Generic? • Timeliness – Urgent? Important? • MUST TAKE DEGREE OF CONFIDENTIALITY INTO ACCOUNT

11. PROFILE OF THE LISTENER/RECEIVER • LISTENING ≠ HEARING; READING ≠ UNDERSTANDING • SENDER MUST SOMETIMES BECOME LISTENER / RECEIVER • LISTEN / READ WITH AN OPEN MIND: Forget Preconceptions • CHECK THE BAGGAGE AT THE DOOR! • LISTENING CAREFULLY / READING OBJECTIVELY IS A SIGN OF RESPECT

12. COMMUNICATION PROCESS

13. Communication and attitude One can change the direction of communication if one changes one’s attitude. There is no one attitude that is the 'right' one to have, though being direct and clear certainly helps. Rights come with responsibility.

14. Hierarchy of effective communication

15. Communication in schools is important to prevent Teacher standing Teacher miss

16. SCHOOL COMMUNICATION WEB MOE SCHOOL BOARD PRINCIPAL TEACHER STUDENT COMMUNITY

17. Non-Verbal Communication

18. Professional learning communities • A climate of support and respect • A cycle of feedback • Identification & commitment to common learning standards • Common lessons and assessments • Capacity of staff & increased teacher efficacy • Caring and positive relationships among staff and students

19. Effective Communication with Children • LISTEN actively (the most basic of all the skills) • Use Constructive criticism “Criticism kills enthusiasm” • Do not Argue “If you win an argument you lose a friend”

20. Teacher Student • Vertical communication (subordinates and superiors) • Boundaries must be CLEARLY defined • Chain of command must be respected • Must leave room for dialogue and/or negotiation if necessary • Teachers do not have to use “big sticks” • Use rewards AND sanctions

21. Teacher Teacher • Horizontal communication (peer to peer) • Rules of protocol may be relaxed • Respect for the individual must always be displayed • Understand that roles are intertwined (others depend on you for their work to be done effectively) • Make sure that message is clearly articulated

22. Staff Administration • Vertical communication (subordinates and superiors) • Requires rules of protocol to be observed • Chain of command must be respected • Delegation, duty and execution are critical • Must leave room for dialogue and/or negotiation if necessary • Difference between leaders and dictators

23. Board Staff • Vertical communication (subordinates and superiors) • Requires rules of protocol to be observed • Less effective if entirely “top-down”

24. Parent School • Send for parents when students do well • Call class PTA meeting • Hold Parent recognition functions • Arrange for media coverage • Write press release • Sell success stories

25. Change one letter in each word to make a statement about the presentation. • To fat no goad

26. Home School • Effective family, community, and school collaboration and communication requires schools to take responsibility for communication. • This must include: • Listening to the public & creating dialogue • Ensuring two-way regular, clear communication

27. Home School • Building partnerships to promote the well-being of students • Providing multiple means for communicating with stakeholders, e.g., newsletters, home visits, electronic communication

28. Buy-in from • Students • Teachers • Parents • Private sector partners • Board • All staff • All stake holders

29. ETHOS of school communicates: • Friendliness or hostility • Business attitude or unprofessionalism • Excellence or mediocrity • Order or disorder • Caring or dispassionate attitude • Healthy or unhealthy environment

30. 10 Commandments of Communication 1. “Speak” to people. There is nothing as nice as a cheerful word of greeting. 2. Smile at people. It takes 72 muscles to frown; 14 to smile. 3. Call people by name. The sweetest music is the sound of one’s own name. 4. Be friendly and helpful. 5. Be cordial.

31. 10 Commandments of Communication • 6. Be genuinely interested in people. • You can like everybody if you try. • Be generous with praise and cautious with criticism. • 8. Be considerate of the feelings of others. • It will be appreciated. • 9. Be thoughtful of the opinion of others. • 10. Be alert to give service. • What counts most in life is what we do for others.

32. Strategy for Improved Communication • Plan for improved communication • Set goals based on strengths and limitations • Establish priorities • Target your audience and message • Reach out to diverse community groups • Find information sources • Find community leaders • Network • Evaluate the effectiveness of your communication

33. Barriers to Communication • Making Assumptions • Patterns/Reverting to Type • Needing to Be Right • Mental/Physical attitude • Health and physical factors • Technical interruptions • Environmental factors • Human error

34. COMMUNICATION IS NATURAL! “If God did not intend for us to communicate with others, we would have been made without ears, eyes or tongues. Our fingers would be unable to feel anything.”