Effective Communication
What are some ways you illustrate to your students the value of having effective communication skills?
I struggle with the language issues when students speak another language. I hear/read the grammar issues but it does not seem to help because they think it is ok and acceptable. Do I leave it go??
I present various "real world" case studies as topics for discussion. Then open discussion which usually brings about more topics for discussion. I have been known to break out into groups and allow planning in 15 minutes for groups to do bad and good skits; again allowing for more open discussion.
Susan,
Reading a book is not the same as the real setting! Good job on role play!
Shelly Crider
I work with students that are close to transitioning from classroom to real dental office settings. If not familiar with a medical enviroment -they have challenges in how behavior and communication skills are paramount. We work on these soft skills from beginning to end of their program. It takes that long to get them conditioned to a professional atmosphere and culture. We role play daily.
William,
Another interesting task. I like this as many times what we meant to say in an email is not what is received in an email.
Shelly Crider
I often remind my students of the importance of effective communication. We play roles as the sender and receiver. We then analyze the message and feedback. We do this both verbally and non verbally.
Farzana,
I am glad you give help with the APA. Many students do not feel comfortable with this.
Shelly Crider
I work on effective communication with projects such as APA paper which they give presentation each term.
Chris,
Especially if they are texting or reading their phone while walking into interview! I just saw this happen the other day!
Shelly Crider
I always tell my students that their body language and the tone used when they speak or send e-mails to me or to others often speaks volumes! There are times, with a few, that these things need to be addressed, or they might find themselves job hunting for a long time.
Dennis,
Nothing better than real life, as real life can be unbelievable!
Shelly Crider
Many of my students plan to enter careers in law enforcement, so I use examples of the importance of being able to communicate with fellow officers and the public. I use examples from real-life situations.
Tina,
Great job on bringing up listening and the medical field!
Shelly Crider
In healthcare listening is as important as the technical skills our students need to master. The patient does not care how much you know until they know how much you care. Demonstrating concern with body language and simply repeating back what the patient just told you can open the door to really effective communication. And that leads to correct diagnosis and treatment planning. Students are usually nervous when they first start working with real patients. We have specific guidelines in place to help them such as where to sit yourself and patient when conducting a medical history interview. It is not always obvious to nervous beginners.
Susan,
Ahhhh "telephone" is an excellent game to play for communications!!
Shelly Crider
Deb,
Excellent post. We do have to be the communicators. This allows us to stomp out the old saying "do as I say not as I do"!
Shelly Crider
We have a course in my school called Professional Development, which has a component on becoming an effective communicator. I have found, mostly online, a wide variety of games which illustrate various aspects of communication. I have even been known to use the old children's game of 'telephone' to illustrate how messages get mis-communicated! I have also, whenever possible, taken students to a meeting of the public speaking organization Toastmasters, so that they might see how group members learn to overcome their fear of public speaking and become good communicators.
The nature of our role as instructors automatically puts us in position to serve as models for effective communication skills. The better we are at communicating, the more likely the students will be able to understand our explanations of concepts. Clearly stated expectations and requirements for projects can help students produce quality work.
I talk about the importance of well designed presentations in multiple classes. Most students can relate to examples of sitting through presentations that bored them. This gives a good way to talk about how to what should or shouldn't be done during a presentation.
David,
Thank you for sharing real life experiences, nothing better!!
Shelly Crider
