Exploring Roles in the ECE Community

Communities of practice have a huge impact on our knowledge content, and I am opportune to be part of some Early Childhood communities of practice.

Looking around my local environment and considering my project topic, I am looking forward to working with the Federal Ministry of Education, Nigeria. This ministry is of interest to me because its staff are the primary policy makers in Nigeria in terms of children education. Therefore, for me to make a change, I need to belong here. Though I did not see any position of my choice, I think I will function well as a Director of Early Childhood Department. Qualifications required could be a degree in Education and a minimum number of years of experience.

I have always admired ZeroToThree and her mission statement http://www.zerotothree.org/. I will like to work as a Graduate Intern in order to familiarise myself with their principles. What is required is to be a graduate student.

Head Start Cook Road, Houston, Texas is also a place I admire so much maybe because of their staffs' friendliness. I was there sometime last month for class observation. The centre manager was very open and ready to help as she patiently answered my numerous questions. I admire her position and wish I could function in that capacity someday in a federal facility like head start/early head start.

I am looking forward to working in a French child care centre also. It will be my pleasure to put together all knowledge and experience garnered from my 'International tour'  when I begin my child care centre in Nigeria. So, after my maternity leave, I will be picking up an internship position in a French school since my French  is not perfect yet. I will have to be fluent in French for me to pick up a teaching position and of course a degree in early childhood studies.

Finally, I would not mind being a research assistant in Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute http://fpg.unc.edu/. Though I dread research but I think this will be an opportunity for me to work closely with researchers. I like their mission statement and their organisational chart. I like their role as children development researchers.

Thank You!!!

I am saying a huge thank you to every member of Group 2. We worked together as a team and together we 'arrived' at the final week of this course. Thanks to God for His sustenance and guidance.

Wishing every one of us a successful journey as we forge ahead in our endeavour in life. For me, I am taking a two-month summer holiday to resume in September, so, I can spend quality time with my family. Until then, do have a blissful time watching the world cup.

ADJOURNING

I will say adjourning is an essential ingredient of a team because it allows us celebrate our successes, amends our mistakes, form friendships and forge ahead in life.


I had to leave a former school where I was teaching because I was almost due for delivery and my husband preffered I stayed at home with our first child. Initially, it was not easy telling the school management because I thought my husband might have a change of mind. I finally let the cat out of the bag and almost immediately the school management started planning for the send forth ceremony as it was close to the end of a session. The day of the ceremony was filled with emotions and memories. I remembered how I joined the school and how as a new teacher I had to blend with my pupils, teachers and management. And now it was time to leave these same people that took me sometime to understand and flow with. Sincerely, on the other hand I was happy to leave knowing that I will have anough time with our expected daughter. Some of the teachers said they will miss me and some did not express any emotions.


I gained experience while in the school, no doubt, yet I was eager to go share my experience with some other new people. I enjoyed the school especially the pupils I taught. Some of the pupils and teachers came along with me to know my house promising that they will be coming after my delivery. Some of them kept to their words and we were able to establish friendship (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012).
For my masters program, i am yet to think of any adjourning plans because it is my first on-line course and will want to make enquires if there are any specific ways of doing that. But, I hope to exchange email addresses at least for a start and hope that friendships will be formed from there.






Reference
O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Managing conflicts

One of the strategies to manage conflicts I learned this week is respect for others. When I respect people and their cultures, it will help me approach them properly whenever there is a conflict. In doing this, I will express my feelings, observations and request with all sincerity (http://www.cnvc.org/)


Subsequently, I will listen attentively to whatever explanation that would be given.


Conflicts in the home are most times inevitable. I have decided to show my husband and children more respect because we often underrate people who are most familiar to us. Though I keep falling short of my new approach especially with my kids; I look forward to interacting and relating with them in nicer ways. For instance giving my children the allowance to be children when we are outside and to hear their views or opinions when decisions are to be made at home.

A Communicator

It gladdens my heart that I am a people-orientated person, ironically I do not trust people as much as will put me into trouble or alter my judgement for them. I gave the Listening styles profile test to my husband to complete and most of his responses tally with mine. The communication Anxiety Inventory and Verbal Aggressiveness Scale Tests were answered by my husband and two of my friends/colleagues. Of course I told them to be as factual as possible and to avoid sentiments.

Responses I got for the communication Anxiety Inventory are encouraging though I need ti improve. I hope to use my listening skill to serve families and children better. Because people who are in trouble most times just need listening ears and I am willing to do that since it is already a part of me. Aside this, children love being listened to. I will need to improve on my technical information listening ability.

Interesting assignment! I have learned again from this assignment that it is always good to be yourself because if one has two behavioral patterns it will be difficult for others to evaluate you.

Communication

I am not a 'TV Person' so it was difficult thinking and arriving at a show to see. Thanfully, I decided to see Bisi Olatilo Show. The show is owned by a Nigerian and operates in Nigeria, UK and the US. I saw the wedding ceremony of the daughter of the Nigerian President.
As a wedding ceremony, it is obvious the bride and groom are not too familiar with some of the guests.
 When the volume of the TV was turned down, I could see the expressions of fear, suspect and tiredness on the bride's face. One would have thought that the bride should be happy all through the event but she was at one time or the other looking rather scared. And her guests at sometime or the other were either frowning, laughing or dancing. From the looks on the guests faces, I guess the wedding ceremony had lasted for too long
My major observation is that if I didn't turn down the volume of the television, I would have been carried away by the boisterious noise and activities going on that I wouldn't have taken notice of the nonverbal communication. Like O'Hair & Wiemann (2011)said, most times verbal communication contradicts nonverbal communication. Though the atmosphere was supposed to be joyful, people still expressed their frustrations which means communication to an extent is an involuntary action.


With the volume turned on, it was something different; I concentrated on the verbal communication more than the nonverbal communication. I could relate the joyful music with the joyful atmosphere and did observe facial expressions or body movement less than when the volume was turned off.


The expressions on the bride's face could be that of anxiety but I assume she must be tired due to the stress of the day. Due to the security unrest in Nigeria for sometime now, she might be habouring the fear of an attack. My assumptions might be wrong or right. It only shows how people read different meanings to the same circumstance.












Reference


O'Hair, D., Friedrich, G. W., & Dixon, L. D. (2011). Strategic communication in business and the professions. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Communication skill

I coordinate the children's class in my church and usually I make a duty roster for those involved. But for a particular week, I was so choked up that I could not prepare a roster. Subsequently, I just called someone to teach the children some few hours before the time. The lady I called did not like the fact that the instruction or information came quite late. I like the way she approached the matter, first, she told me she will try her best to meet up  with the class and that let that be the last time I will give her such a short notice. Immediately, I acknowledged my shortcoming and promised her not to do that again. The issue was resolved on a low tone.

I wish issues and misunderstandings could be tackled in a similar way rather than bearing grudge.