Emily Fox

Unit 4, Task 1.

Self-reflective account – communicating with adults.

K6-The key features of effective communication and why it is

important to model this when interacting with adults.

When communicating with adults within the setting it is important to

be assertive, this is not to be confused with loudness or aggressive
behaviour. Assertiveness makes communication at team meetings
more effective and, in this context, can be defined as standing up
for your own basic rights and beliefs, without isolating those of
others, and as making your behaviour ‘match’ your feelings. If you
are assertive in your behaviour, you:

-are expressive with your feelings, without being unpleasant;

-are able to state your views and wishes directly, spontaneously and
honestly;

-respect the feelings and rights of other people;

-feel good about yourself and others too;

-can evaluate a situation; decide how to act and then act without
reservation;

-are true to yourself;

-value self-expression and the freedom to choose;

-may not always achieve your goals, but know that this is not as
important as the actual process of asserting yourself;

-are able to say what you have to say, whether it is positive or

negative, while also leaving the other person’s dignity intact.
Non-verbal methods of assertiveness include:

-good eye contact;

-a confident posture;

-talking in a strong, steady voice;

-not making threatening or intimidating gestures such as clenching

your fist or pointing with a finger.

Verbal methods of assertiveness include:

-avoiding words such as ‘maybe’, ‘only’ or ‘just’;

-avoiding phrases such as ‘I’m sure this isn’t important, but....’

Avoiding attacking phrases e.g. those that begin with ‘you’; use
assertive phrases such as ‘I feel’.

When communicating with other adults in the presence of children

always remain aware that the children will copy adult behaviour,
positive or negative, and that adults need to be good role models for
effective communication. Remain professional at all times and do not
let any personal problems or disagreements show in your
communication.

When a teacher has a pupil or pupils with special needs in their class
it can sometimes become hard work as progress is often slow and
the level of attention demanded by these pupils is often high. For
the health and sanity of the teacher, the pupil and yourself it is
important to maintain a sense of humour. Smile and joke about
situations which invite it and do not allow things to get too ‘heavy’ –
having a sense of optimism and good humour can help both the
teacher and pupils enormously. However, avoid using sarcasm as this
can be damaging to the self-esteem of the pupil.
K7- The main differences between communicating with adults and
communicating with children.

Many different methods are used when communicating with adults,

especially other members of your team. These may include:

e-mail, pigeon holes in staff room, staff meetings, social functions,

phone and text messages, written notes, notice boards, news letters,
gestures, and staff training days.

For more on K7 see unit 4, task 2.

K8-How to demonstrate that you value adult’s views and opinions and
why it is important to the development of positive relationships.

When working in an educational setting it is important that all adults

in the environment work as a team. To function well as a team, the
team members must be:

-motivated towards common goals;

-provided with the support and encouragement necessary to achieve

these goals;

-able to communicate effectively.

When communicating effectively the team will be at its most

efficient, ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the school.
Everyone should know precisely what is expected of them with tasks,
situations and relationships clearly defined.

In order to work well with your class teacher you must feel able to
ask questions, clarify expectations and get feedback on your work
with a pupil. It is vital that you meet regularly for information
exchange, joint planning and evaluation. The supporting adult always
needs to be aware of the class teacher’s objectives for a piece of
work.

To show you value other adult’s views and opinions ask for their help,
advice or feedback whenever possible. Ask to observe them working
to give you some ideas, always speak and act with respect. Remain
professional at all times and never ‘gossip’ about a member of staff.

K9-Communication difficulties that may exist and how these may be

overcome.

There are a number of reasons why conflicts arise in the workplace –

the nature of the environment imposes particular stress which can
lead to conflict between members of staff. There may be:

-low morale – if individuals feel unsupported and undervalued in their

role;

-confusions over individual roles in the hierarchy of the setting;

-responsibility and accountability for providing support for children

who are disadvantaged;

-a lack of communication with superiors and colleagues;

-ambiguity over which tasks should take priority during the working
day;

-an excessive workload in both quantitative and qualitative teems;

-feelings of personal inadequacy and insecurity, often following

destructive criticism of one’s work.

Working in partnership with the class teacher can sometimes be a

problem. Some staff may have subject specialism’s and it may be
sometimes necessary for you to ensure that a member of staff
understands the way in which you can assist a pupil in a given
situation and the limitations of that pupil.

A small minority of teachers feel threatened by the presence of

another adult in the classroom.

It is vital that all staff should know the lines of reporting and how
to obtain clarification of their own role and responsibility.

K10-How to cope with disagreements with adults.

If a dispute or disagreement arises in the workplace, whether among

employees or employees and employers it must be settled. Usually,
this is achieved at an early stage through discussion between
colleagues or between the aggrieved person and their immediate
superior. Always approach the other person first to explain how you
feel and to give them a chance to respond. Adults often misread, or
misinterpret information. By speaking directly and privately to the
other person any misunderstandings are often resolved.

If, however, the grievance is not easily settled you should refer to
your school’s grievance policy or procedure.

K11-Why it is important to reassure adults of the confidentiality of

shared information and the limits of this.

And

K12 Organisational policy regarding information exchange.

Confidentiality is the preservation of privileged information,

concerning children and their families, which is disclosed in the
professional relationship. It is a complex issue which is based upon
the principle of trust.

Confidentiality in the lines of reporting

Confidentiality is very important when working in a close partnership
with parents. Some information needs to be shared only with your
superior, i.e. head teacher, as it will be a matter of strict
confidence. If you suspect a child-protection issue, this should be
shared only with your superior and again in strictest confidence, and
parents need to be aware of this. It will be important from the very
beginning of your relationship with parents, there is an
understanding between you that although parents may tell you
something in confidence, you may have to share the information with
your superior. It is not fair to encourage parents to talk about
confidential matters with you unless they first understand this.
Also:

-It is important never to gossip about parents or their children.

-It is important never to discuss one parent with another.

-It is important not to make judgements about children or their

parents.

-Some information needs to be shared with the whole staffing team,

in particular diet, allergy, religious rituals, if the child is being
collected by someone other than their main carer, general records
on pupils individual teachers’ records of assessment, SEN
information on pupils.

Under the Data Protection Act 1998, information about pupils needs
to be kept in a secure place. Never take any information off site and
do not provide opportunities for others to gain access to it. When
sharing information with colleagues only discuss points they need and
are entitled to know.

If information needs to be accessible to all staff, i.e. medical

conditions, this should be displayed in an area only staff has access
to and removed if anyone else will be using the area out of school
hours.

If you notice any breaches of confidentiality always report the

matter to an appropriate member of staff.