Bachelor in Special Needs Education

Notes in ELECT (Effective Communication with Professionals and Families)

COMMUNICATION

After this lesson, you should be able to:

• Explain the importance of communication process
• Differentiate between the verbal and vocal components of a message
• Identify variables associated with the verbal and vocal components of a message
• Explain the role nonverbal communication plays in the communication process
• List and describe various nonverbal behaviors that are commonly used in teaching-
learning situations

What would happen to teaching and learning if there is no communication?

>Teaching-learning will not occur

How does communication take place?

Encode Interference Decode

Feedback

Messages may be sent or received through verbal, vocal, physical, or situational stimuli
(Trenholm, 1998). As a teacher, you must be skilled at sending and receiving messages through
all these modes. The ability to decode messages (feedback) transmitted by students depends
directly on the skill at observing and listening.
3 Skills
• Verbal Communication
• Nonverbal Communication
• Listening

VERBAL COMMUNICATION
• Hennings (1975) breaks spoken messages into verbal and vocal components.
Verbal component → actual words spoken and their meanings
Vocal component → voice firmness, modulation, tone, tempo, pitch, and loudness
Verbal Learning
• Discussions will have a different meaning to the learner, depending on their past
experiences, prior knowledge, interest, level of understanding, etc.

Variables that affect learning: (Hurt, Scott & McCroskey (1978))

• Organization. Good or well-organized verbal information tends to be learned better. Also
information presented at the beginning or end of a message tends to be retained better.
• Message sidedness. Two-sided messages, that is, messages that present opposing
views, tends to be retained better.
• Language intensity. Verbal information that deviates from a neutral position appears to
be learned better.
• Concreteness and ambiguity. The more concrete a message, the better it is learned.
However, the message must not be made so concrete that the basic concept is lost.

Vocal Learning
• The human voice brings words to life.
• Changes in voice loudness, pitch, inflection, tone, and rate not only affect the emphasis
within the messages but can actually change the meaning of the words.
• “Come here!”, “Sit Down!”
 • Vary the strength of your voice (to be heard by all members of the class)
• Rate: when someone speaks rapidly, it conveys that the message is not really important;
words spoken at slower rate communicates there importance and invite careful attention
• Tone, inflection, and pitch
“I am losing my patience with this class!”
• Loudness, fast rate, and uneven pitch communicate excitement or enthusiasm.
• Slow rate and even pitch communicate disinterest

NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Not all communication is audible (Galloway, 1976; Trenholm & Jensen, 1996).
Some researchers believe that nonverbal communication comprise 80% of our total
communication.
We constantly send messages through the way we look, stand, move, use our voices, dress,
use space, and use words. Nonverbal messages can reinforce, modify, or even contradict
verbal messages.
Actions do often speak louder than words.

Nonverbal information we receive is used to decide what our reaction or role will be in a certain
situation. Nonverbal cues influence our perceptions and attitude; basis of inferences we make
about each other or situations.

Facial Language
• The face is second only to words in communicating internal feelings (Miller, 1981).
…that facial expressions can be readily visible or fleeting, involuntary or voluntary
…that facial expression can reinforce, modify, or even contradict the spoken word
Readily visible facial expressions are usually intentional
…send a message (smile indicating pleasure)
…mask true feelings (poker face hiding displeasure)
…wrinkling the forehead → deep thought
…lifting the eyebrows → wonder/surprise
…sneering → anger
…jutting the chin → show firmness
Fleeting facial expressions are often unintentional and are quickly covered up with other
expressions. Involuntary facial expressions usually take place under highly emotional
circumstances in which we are fearful, angry, happy, or surprised.
• The use of the eyes is probably the most meaningful channel of nonverbal
communication.
• Our eyes can be shifty and evasive, conveying hate, fear, and guilt, or they can express
confidence, love and support (Miller, 1981).
• Eye contact can open communication, prolong communication, or cut off communication.
• Teachers often use eye contact to control interaction in the classroom.
• Direct eye contact (a stare) can also be used to change behavior.
• A stare used in conjunction with silence can be quite useful in gaining the attention of
misbehaving or inattentive students.

Body Language
Gestures with the head, arms, hands, and other body parts are pervasive nonverbal
communicators.
Note: take care not to overuse gestures.
When a speaker uses too many gestures, the listener cannot really tell what is important in the
message.
Stance and general posture
tense body → closeness and insecurity
relaxed torso/limbs →strength, openness, friendliness
direct orientation → liking/feeling of security

Touch
For younger children: sense of belongingness, security, a caring relationship; hug or pat
(reinforcers); withholding contact (rejection/dislike)
For secondary students, touching should be avoided.

Language of Space and Motion

Learning environments are often territorial.
Classroom arrangements often restricts classroom interaction and feelings of openness; leads
to feeling of separation between teacher and students.
Teacher movements in the classroom
The physical makeup of the learning environment creates moods and affects the interaction
within the environment.
Subjects in the ugly room had reactions of monotony, fatigue, headaches, irritability, and
hostility, while those in the beautiful room responded favorably with feelings of comfort,
pleasure, importance, and enjoyment for completing the assigned tasks (Miller, 1981).

Language of Time
• Spending a little time on a topic or passing it by often communicates that the topic is
unimportant or that the teacher has little interest in it.
Pauses
• Pausing just before or just after a specific topic is presented signifies the importance of
the topic.
• Teacher’s pause can cue students that an important point is going to be made or that the
last point was important and the students should think about it.
• Long pauses reflect anxiety or an attempt to mask uncertainty or fear.
• Teacher’s use of wait time (increased time in waiting for a response from the students)
could improve communication in the classroom.
 PARENT CONFERENCES

After this lesson, you should be able to:

• Explain the importance of and techniques for establishing communication links with the
community and parents
• Discuss the recommended procedures of conducting conference with parents

COMMUNITY AND PARENTAL LINKS

• The overall quality of instruction will be improved when a school has a “concordant
relationship” among the students, teachers, administrators, parents and the community
as a whole.
• A harmonious relationship will help build trust and promote respect (Krall & Jalongo,
1999)
• Community outreach programs should be developed that will provide supportive and
nurturing home, school, and community environments in which the academic and
affective needs of students are effectively addressed.
• Six types of involvement:
• Parenting
• Communicating
• Volunteering
• Learning at home
• Decision making
• Collaborating with the community to improve and expand connections with
students, communities, and families (Epstein, Coates, alinas, Sanders, & Simon,
1997)
•
Linking community with the school:
• School meetings
• Back-to-school night
• Opening the school grounds and building for community use
• Meeting the teacher or principal for coffee
• Newsletters
• Students performances and presentations
• Student buddy systems
• Involving the parents in school policy making
• Team teaching
• Offering adult courses in the evening
• Developing a senior mentoring program
• Using community guest speakers
Conference with Parents
• A parents’ conference should not be the time to lecture parents. Teachers should be
cautious about giving too much advice on the home life of the students.
• The overall atmosphere should be unrushed and positive.

STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL CONFERENCE

Step 1. PLAN AHEAD.
Establish your purpose. Plan what you intend to say, and what information you want to
obtain from parents and share with them. What are your concerns about the students?
Step 2. START THE CONFERENCE.
Be positive. Establish a sharing atmosphere. Begin the conference with a positive
statement.
Step 3. HOLD THE CONFERENCE.
Establish and display a positive attitude. Be an active listener. Be accepting with regard
to input and advice. Establish a partnership so that all concerned can work toward a
common goal.
Step 4. END THE CONFERENCE.
End the conference with a positive comment. Communicate your belief that working
together will lead to achievement of common goals.
Step 5. CONDUCT FOLLOW-UP CONTACT.
Keep all parties informed. Send notes and make telephone calls to share successes,
concerns, and other matters.
Additional Tips for a Productive and Successful Parent-Teacher Conference
1. Encourage both parents to attend conferences. Misunderstandings are less likely
when both parents are involved in the discussions of the student.
2. Make early contact with parents. Send a note or letter home with all your students
and let parents know you will be happy to meet with them at any time.
3. When parents come to the school building meet them at the entrance they will use.
And above all get the name right. Do not assume Enchong Dee’s mother is Mrs.
Dee.
4. When talking with visiting parents, do not sit behind your desk and squeeze parents
into children’s desk. Arrange to have the conference room, with chairs and/or tables
available.
5. When parents arrive, review the agenda of the conference – the why, what, how,
and when of the conference. However you should remain flexible.
6. Avoid educational jargon. Avoid terms such as flexible scheduling, criterion-
referenced testing, least restrictive environment, and outcomes-based assessment.
7. Occasionally, you will run into parents who are abusive and hostile. Try not to be
rude to these parents.
8. Watch your nonverbal communication. Avoid Smile, nod, and make eye contact to
show you are interested in the conference proceedings.
9. Remember that parents may not share your attitudes and values . Do not be
judgmental. Do not try to assign blame.
10. Before the conference ends, summarize the discussion. Outline future plans and
actions.
11. If you run out of time, arrange another meeting. Do not rush to a conclusion
because of time constraints.
12. Keep a record of the conference discussion. Make some brief notes as soon as
possible after the conference, while details are fresh.

Reference:
Moore, Kenneth D. (2001). Classroom Teaching Skills, 5th ed. USA: McGraw-Hill.