Communication, in its truest sense, is a two-way street.  If it is not two-way, it is hardly communication at all.  The field of education has studied this topic again and again, and offers some of its findings.  Student learning seems to increase when communication between student and instructor is two-way, rather than “I lecture and you listen” communication.  Communication can be accomplished, good or bad, through body language only.  Specific outcomes must be kept in mind to facilitate good communication.

            If a school wants to have a good support group, it is necessary for the school personnel to communicate with parents often.  When educational staff and parents work side by side, a wonderful spirit of “ownership” in the school is developed, and pride is manifested.

            I have found through the years that first-hand communication is far more reliable than second-hand information.  One of the lessons I learned in my graduate courses was how to deal with a “Boss Cow” syndrome.  There is always someone wanting to fill any vacuum that may appear in an organization.  This move for power is usually accomplished by leaking important information which no one else knows about.  To counter such moves for power, an administrator needs only to feed that person the wrong insider information.  When it is leaked, the “boss cow” loses face and credibility.  Such are the games of administration!

            This blog site has taught me a lot about communication as I have seen the wide variety of opinions expressed by my daughter and grand-daughter.  Because we were each born in a different decade, word choices, idiomatic expressions, and emotionally charged words we use are as varied as the wild flowers blooming here in spring.  It has made me more aware of the need for me to check for my students’ understanding of the illustrations and examples I use when teaching them a concept.

            The process undertaken for the AdvancEd North Central team visit to our school was excellent in promoting communication among students, faculty and staff, parents and patrons.  The result of all that communication was positive support and a spirit of brotherhood in our school.  We’ve always had an open-door policy which welcomes parents into the school; however, good on-going communication has made the experiences even more enjoyable and fruitful.  

-Kay