The Hurt of GoodBye

Goodbyes are something I am far to use to being a military spouse it is a constant struggle learning to say the “see you later” to people who have at times become family. At Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho leaving the team there was one of the hardest “see you later” I had done.

When I began I was informed I was coming in at a difficult highly translational time due to the leaving of a volatile director and recent incoming of the director whom I transferred in with. The beginning was tough the distrust and poor communication was rapid throughout the program, however with time the new director through positive communication and making it through the storm of team building began to create an environment of trust and personal as well as professional growth (Abudi, G., 2010).  

She established what was expected from all and the open-door policy that could be closed if it was a more private mater to be discussed. Fairness and the ability to rally us together for the greatness and growth of the children was what really began to shine throughout the program and the forming stage took hold once the trust was obtained by the staff (Abudi, G., 2010). She was also a leader she was passionate about early learning and created the highest quality, most welcoming environment possible for all involved. Her vision was clear and through her leadership, action and delegation allowing for others to feel valued throughout the program we all began to thrive and come together to create the environment the children deserved (Laureate Education (Producer), 2011). 

The goodbye potluck was the tradition as a teacher or support member left the program. The favorite foods and of course the “you have to bring that because it’s amazing” were brought to the training room and shared. Plaques, cards and tokens of appreciation were given to the member of the family soon to part and start anew.

Through this master’s program I have learned so much from all of my colleagues. I have learned about programs such as head start and others that everyone has shared. Being able to see what is valued and what the issues are throughout has been valuable with my daily work. I hope to remain in touch with as many as possible to continue to share thoughts, ideas and success as we continue to grow in our early learning career. The discussion boards have been a large wealth of knowledge learning from others and what everyone has to share.

Reference

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Team building strategies [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Communicating Through Conflict Effectivly

Thinking about the issue in my professional life with teaching others to manage time and complete paperwork in a timely manor has been an ongoing issue. Being able to utilize the Thirdside is important to be able to learn from those around me what they may need to be able to make the deadlines. Knowing the importance of being able to put yourself into someone else’s scenario is important to be able to learn about what more might be necessary to complete the task at hand. Overcoming the controversy is important to be able to resolve conflict and communicate effectively.

Personally, I reflect upon the NVC to use with my children modeling a proper way to overcome conflict through effectively communicating with one another. Learning to observe others as we communicate with one another allows for us to learn through communication cues about the message to be sent. Modeling respect and patience is important to me to teach my children how to treat others, however being able to also resolve conflict with my children using NVC is also important to be able to treat them as the young ladies and growing toddler they are becoming.

Utilizing the different skills presented this week I will better be able to keep my respect levels to a higher regard as I work through conflict with others. Learning to look through the eyes of others as the conflict is worked to be resolved is also of high importance to ensure the importance of the other side.

Reference

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

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

Assessment Reflections

The one piece to the evaluation that surprised me the most was the time I allot myself to truly listen to others in a professional setting tend to be limited. In my personal life I am a chatty person, however I thoroughly enjoy listening to others share their stories and experiences. In my professional life timeliness is highly important I need to ensure I take time away from other parts of my day to ensure to give others the time and respect they deserve when they communicate with me.

Reflecting on the results from the self-assessment and the assessments completed by my husband and colleague I am pleased that I am doing a good job overall professionally and personally as a communicator. I do need to learn more about the situations I have a difficult time communicating in, such as confrontational times, and learn to be more skilled and readily able to communicate in these situations. Learning the perceptions to be as positive as they were of the others allowed for me to gain confidence in my communication skills.

Professionally training employees can at times be difficult due to many reasons learning style differences, commination issues as well as other issues. Learning to remain calm when communicating with others is highly important. Active listening, being respectful and engaging in a positive manor ensures the information I need to share can be done in a manner that others understand.

Personally I like to be the positive, effective communicator is something I strive to be. Modeling for our children to respect others, engage in conversations in a positive light, and listen is highly important to me. Being able to learn how to be an effective communicator and learn a listening style to achieve these goals is great to learn to improve and adapt through situations.