Hello All,

It has been a really long time since I was last on this blog.  I am excited to learn from you all as we reach the final marks in our masters program journey.  I look forward to your feedback, reflections and comments.

Best,

Talibah

Exploring State and Local Opportunities

In Washington, DC there are many national organizations whose headquarters are stationed in the city.  There are many national organizations and many non profit organizations in the city however, I found it difficult to find some that were specific to early childhood education.  In my search I came across three, one of which I have had interest in since I have worked with them in my previous employment. School Readiness Consulting, is a company that services the early learning community in a variety of ways.  They offer training and support in CLASS, they provide internal leadership and professional development, create and implement data collection for decision making and support policy implementation on a variety of levels (School Readiness Consulting, 2014). This firm helped to support instructional specialist in my previous position specifically on adult coaching development.  Another organization I found was Fight for Children which raises money to ensure low income children obtain high quality education and remain healthy (Fight for Children, 2014).  The final organization is the DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative. The focus of the nonprofit is to guide children through an educational path to graduate and become successful members of their communities.  Currently this organization has a position that was very interesting, a early learning coordinator for which I am qualified based on the requirements listed below.  However, I have limited experience in supervisory positions and I have never worked for a non-profit.  The description is below:

Summary: Works closely with DCPNI partner organizations, parents, and other stakeholders to ensure high quality care and education for all children and parents participating in DCPNI and partner educational and development services.

Coordination and Management

• Responsible for the overall operation and well-being of the early learning programs
• Supervises educational activities facilitated by external parties
• Plans and implements intentional, systematic, and engaging activities that support early development and are inclusive of all children
• In collaboration with partner organizations, plans and ensures the implementation of intentional, systematic, and engaging activities that support the development of early learning skills
• Helps to create safe, clean, and engaging programs that encourage both exploration and complex play for children
• Establishes positive working relationships and communicates effectively with children, parents, partners, community members, and DCPNI staff
• Assist in the coordination of training, technical assistance, and professional development relevant to wraparound support for early learning providers and community stakeholders

Program Quality, Monitoring, and Evaluation

• Ensures the safety, security, and well-being of all children and staff
• Ensures that all goals for quality control, curriculum implementation, staff management and training, parent communication, record keeping, facility operations, and community outreach are met
• Oversees and maintains children’s records as well as all documentation
• Engages family participation in programs through opportunities to visit, volunteer, and/or share resources
• Proactively identifies opportunities and contributes as part of the Early Learning team

Supervisory Responsibilities

This job has no supervisory responsibility.

Educational and Professional Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or related field
• 2 to 3 years of professional early childhood education teaching experience required
• Certification in Infant and Child CPR and First Aid strongly preferred
• Demonstrated knowledge of child development, pre-literacy and literacy attainment and early childhood best practices required
• Teaching or educational leadership experience in a low-income community strongly preferred
• Understanding of DC early learning community, early learning standards and kindergarten readiness strongly preferred
• Demonstrated ability in working with cross-functional teams
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with early learning providers with regard to program implementation
• The ability to work flexibly in a rapidly changing environment
• Excellent written and oral communications skills
• Experience working in Ward 7 or in schools or organization East of the River is highly preferred

Resources:

DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative (2014). Retrieved from http://dcpni.org/early-learning-coordinator/

Fight for Children (2014). Retrieved from http://www.fightforchildren.org/About_Us.html

School Readiness Consulting (2014). Retrieved from http://www.schoolreadinessconsulting.com/

Thank you

As this class comes to end, I would like to thank each of your for sharing your thoughts, ideas, and personal memories and situations.  I have learned so much from each of you as you all have helped to increase my understanding of effective communication.  I wish you well in your professional and educational journey and look forward to working with each of you in our final classes.
Best,

Talibah

Adjourning in Groups

I have worked with several groups but, I have only reached the adjourning with a handful.  Most recently I was assigned to work with a team of teachers for the last two years. In the beginning we had a difficult time moving through the norming stage but we finally did after almost a years work.  That team was removed from my case load this year and it was/is very difficult for me and other members of the team. Questions about trust with the new coach, effectiveness, and worries about having to start the forming and norming process all over have been revealed.  We had clear norms, built a mutual respect for one another, knew each others strengths, and really understood the goal for our work together.  We met one final time at the end of the school year where I said good-bye's and highlighted some of the goals we had accomplished over the two years.  Many members of the team approached me individually to express thanks and sadness.  This team was important to me on a personal level which is why is has been difficult to adjourn from them.  Adjournment offered closure with the group.  It offered the opportunity to reflect in order to help us grow in future situations. Although I appreciate the advice and food for thought from my Walden colleagues, I will not have a difficult time adjourning from them.  Working with others in this setting is a task to reach the end goal.  With such distance between us that cohesiveness is not authentic, rather forced.

Disagreements and Conflicts

I have been with my current boyfriend for almost 5 years.  Needless to say we have surely had many instances with disagreements, as I am sure most couple have.  In the beginning it was rough learning one another but, now after some years and us moving in together the disagreements do not happen as often and do not escalate like they use to.  Most recently, we got into a disagreement (I prefer not to get into details) and we both ended up talking loudly and aggressively toward one another.  In the past I have had problems keeping the focus on the issue, frequently bringing in other issues that honestly may or may not be related.  I have learned that is NOT a good idea so when in the midst of conflict I focus really hard on listening and not quickly responding (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012, p. 239). Over the past few months I have learned a few strategies that have really helped maintain calmness and respect for one another during these times:

1. I try to state my feelings and needs as clearly as possible and then I ask for him to repeat what I said so that I can confirm we both have the same clear understanding (The Center for Nonviolent Communication. (n.d.). The center for nonviolent communication. Retrieved from http://www.cnvc.org/)

2. I ask questions that must be answered specifically.  I avoide yes/ no questions to gain a better understanding of his position (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012, p.240). 

3. I try to compromise as often as possible. Specifically when I need something done I ask "when will you do it by?" so that I dont get upset when its not done when I think it should have been done and he also maintains power in that he has control over when he wants to do it (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012, p. 241, 244).

All three of these strategies have really helped the communication between the both of us and aided in the creation of a safe, respectful environment were we both feel comfortable address difficult issues.  What types of strategies have you all found that have worked to increase your communication with your spouse, partner, or person you interact with frequently?

References

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

The Center for Nonviolent Communication. (n.d.). The center for nonviolent communication. Retrieved from http://www.cnvc.org/

Communication Evaluation

The communication evaluation this week was very interesting.  I had my significant other and my mother complete the survey. The one thing that surprised me was that my mother did not rate me as high as I thought she would have for verbal aggressiveness especially since we have a long history of ineffective communication with one another.   After all of the exercises this week, I was reminded of the importance of knowing yourself, as it impact your communication with others.  Having self-esteem, knowing how we feel about specific things, and being able to continuously assess and reflect on our abilities is crucial. Without having those skills we will never grow in our communication or be able to effectively use communication as a way of building relationships both professionally and personally.  Another insight I had this week was how I manage my identity to others, specifically self presentation.  Depending on the setting, there are certain aspects I choose to reveal which have been successful thus far, however when determining what to present to others, I must take into account how that will be received by others and how that can impact my communication with those individuals.  This is especially important when determining how to present yourself to children and families and finding the fine line between building a personal professional relationship that does not cross to far into personal but far enough that the parents trust and value your opinion and input.  This week was eye opening in that like our professional practices, communication is constant and we should always be engaging in reflection around our communication so that it continues to be effective.

Communication

When thinking about communication one of the first people that comes to mind is the fabulous OPRAH!

Oprah, unlike many other new anchors and TV personalities, is able to show the affiliation she has for others in a way unlike anyone else.  When interviewing I notice she laughs and smiles, when appropriate, she is gracious for allowing others to speak with her, she touches her guest, on the hand or shoulder, and whether the topic of a serious nature or not the viewer, or at least I walk away feeling touched, inspired, or open to receiving the information present or extracted from the interview (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012, p. 6).  Oprah also has a goal in mind when speaking or interviewing.  She does not talk to gossip or slander but rather to expose a truth, dispel a myth, gain understanding, etc.  She uses her ability to communicate to achieve a specific goal, which is why she is considered one of the most influential people (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012, p. 7).  

Oprah is influential over many people, "there is no body else with that kind of consistency and power", as stated by Dorothy Pomerantz of Forbes.com (Reaney, 2013). Additionally, Oprah always seems to be aware of cultural barriers and differences when speaking to others, she demonstrates appropriate behavior which make you want to spill all the tea! She is surely one that I have attempted to model some of my own communications after.  She is very successful and a huge portion of that is due to her ability to communicate.  I admire her ability to disagree without making others feel degraded or intimidated.  I admire her sincereness when speaking with others and respect for differences.   I admire her ability to accept responsibility for her communication, as she often expects the same when interviewing others (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2013, p.15).  My current level of communication is aligned with my experiences, age, and knowledge I have gained through work and personal experiences.  As my experiences and knowledge deepen and expand over time and through opportunities my level of communication will change and expect.  

References

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Reaney, P. (2013). Oprah tops forbes' most powerful celebrity list. Huff Post Media. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/26/oprah-forbes-most-powerful-celebrity_n_3500418.html