Who am I as a communicator?

After looking about comparing the tests that I competed myself and how my best friend and mother scored me, I found that we all scored right around the same. What this tells me is that I am the same person no matter what the situation. Yes, I do talk differently do different people but I am a good communicator in most situations. The did rate me as being high in verbal aggressions as I rate myself high and it has pointed out that this is something that I really need to work on in my personal life.

I think the one think that surprised me the most is that my mom did not put me in the high verbal aggression category but in a group just below. I think this surprised me because through all my years of living I have probably fought with  her more than anyone else (those teenage years). I would think that she would have scored me higher. I was also shocked that my best friend said I had a little communication anxiety, she knows that I like to talk to everyone, but maybe it's because I don't talk to everyone as much as she talks to everyone!

I have definitely learned this week that I need to take the time to listen to others and what they are saying. I need to express what I believe in more calmly instead of getting so worked up and only hearing what I am saying and not what the other person is trying to say. I think this was a good lesson for me and really taught me a lot about myself and how I handle different situations.

Difference in Communication

I think that most people communicate differently with different types of people. I know that I communicate differently with my co-workers, students, parents and administration. I talk to my co-workers with respect and on an equal playing field. I talk to my students in kid-friendly language. The parents I have to sometimes talk to with authority because I am of a different race and sometimes much younger than they are. I talk to my administration with respect and very professionally.

 I find that I talk to my friends and family the same but often times about different topics. I am myself around them and tend to speak my mind. The only time that I really catch myself talking differently is when I know people have a more religious background. I tend to watch my language more and be more respectful towards their beliefs.

No matter what when I talk to someone I am always me and let that come across. I never want to be fake to anyone or not let them know the real me. I think this is very important when building relationships.

Body Language & Facial Expressions

I actually decided to watch an episode of Love Ir or List It on HGTV. This is not a show that I normally watch but I thought it might give me good insight with body language and facial expressions because it is someone's house.

I could tell by the body language that the 2 TV host were not agreeing on the house that the couple was living in. They were not happy with the way that the house looked and the space that they had little off. They were making facial expressions that were looked sad and upset instead of happy and excited about the house. The couple who were currently loving in the house went to look at other houses and you could tell that they were not in love with the houses that they were seeing. They just make disgusted faces like they were unhappy. When the show went back to the host you could tell that there was something wrong with the remodel because she looked angry and was rolling her eyes at the construction workers. The final house that the couple looked at they really liked because they were smiling and laughing. When the show was over the couple was so happy with the remodel of their own home because they were running around and looking at everything, smiling from ear to ear and laughing.

Most of the thing that I assumed were very true. The family was unhappy with the house that they were currently living in and they loved looking at a possible new home. They were also happy with their remodel and how it turned out. I think that this show was very easy to follow based on their expressions. I think watching a sitcom or series would have been a little more difficult because the characters might have been harder to read.

Effective Communication

When I think about someone that has competent communication skills I think of my Assistant Principal. Whenever she is talking she is always assertive but yet positive and also listens when others voice their opinions. She lets you know that her door is always open and if you need to talk to her that line of communication is always there. She will be the first to back you if you have difficult parent and will support you to the fullest.
 I would love to model her effective communications. I think that because of the way that she hold herself people are more willing to talk with her and get her opinions on certain situations. If I was ever to take a higher role in the school system I would want this relationship with my coworkers. For right now I try to model this example with my grade level and other coworkers.