Communication in the Classroom strategies and their implementation

Communication is vital to good teaching practice, as much of teaching is about sending and receiving messages. Communication skills are essential for good classroom management and help create an environment conducive to positive behaviour and effective learning. Middle school teachers must be adept at resolving conflicts and teach their students how to communicate their problems in order to be able to work through and resolve them.

Dyer (2009) identifies communication as the transfer of meaning from one person to another through their interpretation of verbal or non-verbal behaviour. According to Arthur-Kelly, Lyons, Butterfield and Gordon (2007), communication can be broken down into seven main elements. The sender, a unique preconditioned individual, formulates an idea, which is encoded into a message. This is transmitted to the receiver, who in turn decodes the message and interprets the idea. Perception plays an important role with each individual having differing past experiences which affect their understanding of the message. Feedback between the individuals establishes whether the message has been understood or stimulates continued discussion.

Interference frequently affects communication within the classroom learning environment. External factors include noise or student proximity, while internal factors are more complex and personal, such as the students emotional state. Anything which distorts the intended meaning of the message is the result of communication barriers, such as inadequate classroom management leading to high noise levels or disruptive behaviour distracting students (Arthur-Kelly et al., 2007). Recognising these barriers and causes of poor communication is pivotal to avoiding them (Dyer, 2009). Non-verbal communication, defined as any meaningful aspect of a message other than the words (Arthur-Kelly et al., 2007 p.67), is routinely identified as a key way in which information is perceived by the student. Non-verbal communication includes; facial expression, eye contact, paralinguistics, positioning and posture, gestures, proximity and touch, personal physical characteristics and the physical setting in which the communication occurs.

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Cooper and Simonds (1999) (cited in Arthur-Kelly et al., 2007) identified that most teachers communicate through facial expression to control their classroom environment and use smiles to stimulate a positive atmosphere. A teacher can make eye contact with a student to encourage their involvement in the activity or give a warning that their disruptive behaviour has been noticed. Paralanguage, the vocal features of speech such as volume and tone, can indicate sarcasm, anger or anxiety. Teachers should be aware of how their own paralanguage is perceived by the students and influences the classroom environment. Being aware of vocal signals may help identify students who may need specific attention as part of a behaviour management strategy. For example, noticing early indications of anger and taking time to recognise or resolve the cause, may prevent the angry student disrupting those around them. Arthur-Kelly et al. (2007) discuss how a teachers positioning and posture is interpreted by the students and is a way in which the class can be managed. Adopting a rigid stance with arms folded is a way of asserting discipline after a disruption, whilst a more relaxed posture would be appropriate to encourage group participation. Moving around the classroom, or standing briefly next to a student who has been misbehaving is likely to discourage them from continuing with the behaviour. Gestures like nodding or shaking the head are quick ways for a teacher whose attention is primarily focused elsewhere to communicate with students who are misbehaving without disrupting the flow of the main activity.

Proximity and touch can be problematic aspects of non-verbal communication, and awareness of such is vital for teachers. This is also an area in which understanding of cultural differences is important. However, appropriate use of touch to the shoulder or arm, can indicate support and is a method of building a positive rapport between teacher and student (Arthur-Kelly et al., 2007).

Classroom management can be enhanced by being aware of the influence of the physical location on communication (Arthur-Kelly et al., 2007). Taking the time for one-on-one sessions in a quiet location with students perceived to be trouble-makers may help to identify the underlying factors causing their disruptive behaviour. This helps build a relationship with the student, and has a more positive effect than disciplining them in front of the whole class. Milne (2010) suggests that a teacher should stand almost in the doorway to greet their students, forcing them to slow down and enter individually, having the overall effect of calming the class down.

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Making a conscious effort to hear and understand what is being said is known as Active Listening. This is an extremely important aspect of communication within the classroom. When a teacher responds too quickly or interrupts, students may feel that they have been dismissed before they were able to get their message across. Allowing students to express themselves without questioning or offering advice can help when trying to resolve issues. This establishes communication between student and teacher rather than exclusively from teacher to student. Building relationships is extremely important in creating a positive and nurturing classroom environment (Arthur-Kelly et al., 2007).

Active listening, including the use of paraphrasing, perception checking, and clarifying questions, is an effective tool for teachers to verify whether concepts have been understood (King, Simms and Osher, 2001). Having good listening skills enables the listener to interpret messages more accurately. This has the additional effect of reducing emotional interference which allows the speaker to talk more clearly (Arthur-Kelly et al., 2007).

Assertive Communication techniques are helpful in circumstances where it is necessary to reduce interference when sending a message (Arthur-Kelly et al., 2007). Assertive communication is a method of articulating positive or negative ideas in an open and straightforward manner. The rights and feelings of both the speaker and listener are recognised whilst the speaker advocates for their own needs. This approach allows the teacher to constructively confront the student while aiming to resolve the situation in a mutually satisfying way. Types of communication in which the speakers rights are ignored are submissive and those which ignore the listeners rights are described as aggressive. Teachers must be aware of these alternatives, because they highlight the benefits of assertive communication in conflict resolution. By actively listening to the student, a teacher is able to identify the students problem and promote a mutually beneficial solution.

One approach to assertive communication is the use of I-messages, statements made to others about ourselves and our feelings. The focus of the I-message is on the needs of the speaker rather than on the behaviour of the audience. The speaker asserts their desires explaining the reasons why their request is important. This technique respects listeners rights and calls upon them to willingly comply of their own volition. I-messages can be broken down into 4 components. A description of the problem, its effect on the class, how the speaker feels about this effect, and what

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the speaker would prefer. Gordon (1974) (cited in (Arthur-Kelly et al., 2007) explains that Imessages are particularly useful when the co-operation of the child or class is necessary to reach a solution. By drawing the students attention to the problem rather than enforcing a solution, the teacher indicates that they believe the student is willing to cooperate.

Further assertive communication techniques include behaviour reversal, repeated assertion, negative enquiry, fogging, self-disclosure, acknowledgement without agreeing and workable compromise achieved through negotiation (Kolb and Stevens Griffith, 2009). Where active listening and assertive communication alone have been unable to resolve a situation, further progress can be made through negotiation. Both active communication and asserting through Imessages are valuable techniques in problem solving via negotiation (Arthur-Kelly et al., 2007).

Negotiation involves first identifying the problem; either from the student through active listening and open questioning, or to the student/class through the use of I-messages. Potential solutions are identified; the student proposes options without critical input from the teacher, alternate options may be objectively presented. The implications of each alternative are identified with the student/teacher analysing the options and their outcomes and recognising the potential to resolve the issue. Either teacher or child may take the opportunity to blacklist certain solutions as unacceptable. The child agrees to accept the choice offering the highest possibility of success and the lowest risk of negative consequences. A time scale is proposed, allowing opportunity to review the effectiveness of the solution. If the solution has been successful then the strategy can be maintained, or negotiation can resume at the stage of identifying potential options.

Daunic et al. (2000) (cited in Arthur-Kelly et al., 2007) describe the middle school social environment as increasingly complex, requiring students to develop coping strategies using communication skills to resolve conflicts. Good communication skills are essential in order to build productive relationships in the classroom.

Unless communication is clear, the messages interpreted by the students can be inconsistent, confusing, or discouraging. Non-verbal communication is a major factor in the students interpretation of a teachers message. Teachers should be aware of their non-verbal communication and use it to promote positive behaviour and a productive classroom environment. It is important for teachers to recognise communication barriers and to utilise assertive communication techniques to maintain class discipline to prevent disruption.

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Teachers should nurture a positive learning environment by using effective communication to build good relationships with and between students. Students need clear feedback in order for them to understand their progress and the goals they need to set themselves to improve. Taking advantage of active listening and assertive communication techniques to resolve conflicts and problem solve helps to reduce interference. This has a positive influence on the classroom environment and promotes good relationships.

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REFERENCES
Arthur-Kelly, M., Lyons, G., Butterfield, N. & Gordon, C. (2007). Classroom Management: creating positive learning environments (2nd ed.). South Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited

Dyer, J. (2009). How communication works, the business communication handbook. Australia: Pearson Education

King, M., Sims, A. and Osher, D. (2001) How is cultural competence integrated in education?. USA: Centre for Effective Collaboration and Practice. Retrieved December 20, 2010, from http://cecp.air.org/cultural/Q_integrated.htm Kolb, S. and Stevens Griffith, A. (2009). Ill repeat myself, again?! Empowering students through assertive communication strategies. Teaching Exceptional Children, Vol. 41, No. 3, pp. 32-36. Retrieved January 1, 2010, from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.cdu.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid=113&sid=89 d65087-7a90-41e7-98de-31f9791b962f%40sessionmgr114&vid=7

Makar, K. (2007) Professional standards for Queensland teachers: processes and debates. Development of the consultation draft. Queensland, Australia: Queensland College of Teachers. Retrieved December 14, 2010, from http://www.qct.edu.au/PDF/ProfessionalStandardsForQueenslandTeachersProcessesAndDebates.pdf

Milne, F. (2010) Top tips for trainee teachers: use your body language to control the classroom. London, UK: Guardian Careers. Retrieved December 29, 2010, from http://careers.guardian.co.uk/top-tips-for-trainee-teachers-use-your-body-language-tocontrol-the-classroom