Communication Blog

This week my husband Randy and my friend Bob had evaluated my communication anxiety, verbal aggression and my listening profile. All three of scored very similar when it came to my communication anxiety and my listening styles profile, however the major difference in score was my Verbal Aggression. While I had scored a 65, Randy has scored me as a 45 and Bob at a 36. Bob and Randy both thought that I was mild mannered and always respected the view points of others, while I thought that I had a fair balance between respect and consideration of others. The reason why I was so surprised was because I had always thought of myself as only speaking my mind when I felt very strongly about an issue and that sometimes I stick my foot in my mouth before thinking. The scores that Randy and Bob had both gotten made it seem like I am the type of person who listens to others and never defends my position.

      The insights I have gained this week was I am a people person. All three of us had agreed that I love being around people and that I really do not worry when I have to communicate with others in a small group or a one on basis. I had also learned that the way I perceive myself in the verbal aggression category is that I do tend to speak my mind and tend to know what other people are going to say before they finish their thought. My husband said that he knows this part is true because most of the time I can finish his sentences and read his mind. According to Randy, “at first it drove me crazy, but after dating for three years and being married for four years I think it is great that my wife and I know each other so well”. I have also learned that in the teaching profession I need to listen to what my students and the parents are saying before I give advice or try to help them out. I also need to stop assuming that I know how someone feels without having all the facts first. In my personal life I sometimes get mad at my husband whenever I am frustrated and this is something I really need to work on as well. I need to realize that arguing and yelling does not solve anything. When I am upset the best thing to do is to walk away from the situation and go back to the discussion after both parties have calmed down.

Cultural Diversity

  Yes, I do find myself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures. I grew up in the Los Angeles area where most of the people were either Hispanic or Blacks. I am white and I consider myself to be a minority. I feel that belonging to a club at school called Cross Colors Culture Club has helped me get a better understanding and appreciate other cultures. Every year my area has an International Dance Festival where other countries will come and perform their ethnic dances. Last year my husband and I had the pleasure of meeting a young dancer from Japan who was more than happy to share her culture and ethnicity with us. I feel that this was a great experience.

  The ways that I communicate differently with people from different groups and cultures is that I am always careful about what I say so I do not offend anybody. I have a friend who is of Indian Descent (she is from the country of India) and sometimes we have different view points. One thing we do not agree on is marriage. Her marriage was an arranged marriage which is very common in her culture, while my marriage was not an arranged marriage (I got to pick my husband). I feel that a person should marry someone they love instead of marrying someone just because their parents like the guy. I feel that a woman should be able to pick her partner whom she wants to spend the rest of her life with.
  Also, when I am communicating with young children I always bend down to their level so they do not get scared. I feel that a child feels more at ease when you are at their level. I always use easy words for them to understand.

The three strategies I would use to help me communicate more effectively with the people and the groups I have identified are:

1. Choose my words carefully so I do not offend anyone.
2. To learn more about other cultures so I have a better understanding of the others person's point of view.
3. I want to teach my students about other cultures so they have a better appreciation of people and maybe help them grow up in a world where there is less prejudice and racism.

TV Show

   The television show I had chosen to do this assignment was Leave It To Beaver. The show stars Barbara Billingsley, Hugh Beaumont, Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers. The reason why I chose this show was because I had never seen the show before and I wanted to select a show that was wholesome for the family.
    With the sound off I was able to see the characters smiling which shows me that the family is friendly. I also observed that the wife stays at home and waits for the kids and husband to come home. The wife is always properly dressed. The parents show concern for their kids and also show them when they are proud. The family always sits down together for meals.
   When I had gone back to watch the show with the sound on, the assumptions I was able to make is that it is family show that shows family values. It also teaches you a lesson. In this particular episode I was able to pick up on the moral of the story and the plot even though it is not a show that I normally watch. The plot is about the importance of being a good team player instead of acting like you are the only player on the team and because you feel that your are the best, practice is important. Beaver (played by Jerry Mathers) scores the winning touch down and since he played so well one week he feels that he does not need practice and skips out on practices all together. The coach calls the house and tells Beaver that since he missed practice he is not able to play in this Friday's game. Beaver becomes upset and attends all practices and stays late to make up for the practices he has missed. He also learned to be apprectiative for what he has instead of having a swollen head.

Competent Speaker

  In life we all have role models, people we look up for guidance and those who have touched your hearts. One person in my life who demonstrates competent communication  is a woman who I am proud to be named after and whom I am proud to call one of my best friend's (besides my husband of course) my mother, Darlene. My mother has always been and is a strong woman who stands up for what she believes in and has always gone out of her way to stand up for her children. Growing up my mother was the one who always fought for our rights in school.  If a teacher had made us feel dumb she would go to the school and talk to the teacher and the principal. My mother always made sure that we knew we were not dumb and that we can achieve anything if we set our minds to it. My mother always made sure that we never gave up on our dreams and goals. If we needed help with our homework she always helped us out. My mother always attended the parent-teacher conferences and when we had problems in school my mother always knew who to talk to to make sure that we were being treated right. I have learned many things from my mother over the years: I have learned to be assertive when necessary and I have learned to stand on my own two feet. I have also learned how to be a good wife and when I have children I hope that I can remember how well she raised me so I can pass this on to my children.
     Yes, I would definitely want to model all of communication behaviors after my mother because she has done a great job of teaching me the importance of standing up for myself and how to never take things for granted. She has taught me to always accomplish my dreams and never let anyone talk me out of doing things that are important to me. My mother is a great role model and one of the most influential people in my life and I really do not know what I would do without her.