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| NAEYC SQUISH-SQUASH OPEN-ENDED ART WORKSHOP |
This assignment was fun and
enlightening all wrapped up in one! I
learned much about myself, primarily from my own answers. The responses from my husband, Stan, and my
friend, Brett, were quite similar to my own.
The biggest difference, and it is only by one point, was on the Verbal
Aggressiveness Scale, they scored me in the moderate category, and I placed
myself in the significant category. I
believe that, at times, I cross the line, especially when I am passionate about
something. Perhaps, it is a good thing
that others do not feel the same way about me as a communicator. I certainly hope to attack facts, rather than
the person.
While reading the questions, my
mind went in a million different directions.
I was forced to evaluate my own communication skills. This is my first big ah-ha moment. I learned that, following each workshop or class,
I need to step back and openly evaluate my presentation. I always ask Stan what he thought of a
workshop. In spite of the fact that he
is extremely prejudiced in my favor, I have found him to be honest and up-front
in his responses. I have learned a lot
from his perceptions of my workshops.
However, I somewhat understand the importance of looking at my workshops
from my own perspective as both a communicator and an early childhood
professional. If I can learn to do this
objectively, I will be able to learn from each communication situation that I
am involved in.
The next insight that I
gained is that I view my ability to communicate differently depending on the
situation. Prior to this activity, I
just thought that I never felt uneasy talking or sharing ideas. Yet, after thinking about the situations
presented, I am more at ease speaking as a presenter, rather than an intimate
situation with a few people. I found
this extremely interesting. I feel less
at ease in a small group situation, where I do not know most of the
people. When I mentioned this to Stan
and Brett, they did not agree; in spite this, it is true! For some reason, I feel that I am able to
reach everyone in a large group, rather than a small group. This sounds contradictory, and yet, the more
I think about it, the more reality it has for me.
Lois,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post. I was wondering if you give an evaluation to the workshops participants after the workshop? I have gone to a lot of workshops on early child development and on Autism and they handout evaluations...I don't know what happens to these, but they are surprising to me that someone cared enough about the participants to offer hand-outs on our views of their presentation and workshops. Thank you for doing so much and spending so much of your time for the early childhood field.
Hi Nancy! I'm not totally certain that I understand what you are asking. Most conferences do detailed participant evaluations; for instance, for the past 2 years, I have scored among the most requested presenters for SECA, which I'm very proud of. When I present my own workshops, I always include an evaluation. While there is always the good and the bad, it's important to me as a communicator that I am meeting the needs of the majority of my audience members. I take the evaluations very seriously, using their comments to better myself.
DeleteHowever, Nancy, I don't think that an evaluation with a lot of check marks is often a reliable source, so I encourage the use of evaluations that encourage participants to give actual feedback. I think the extra time needed to complete such feedback is important and well spent! Thanks for commenting!
Lois,
ReplyDeleteI tried to figure out which I am more anxious about and it truly is a toss up between large groups and one on one situations. I do more large group trainings so I feel a bit more confident there. It sounds like your husband and friend both felt you come across as more confident than you feel yourself to really be. That was definitely the case with me and I am thankful for whatever strength it is that allows me to fake my way through so well!
Regarding your discussion with Nancy about evaluations, there are times when it is best to step away and not lean to heavily on evaluations. If there is one out of 40 who thought the information was worthless, you should certainly take the opinion of the majority. Some people just need to attack for whatever reason and I try hard not to be brought down by such people.
Hi Tammra! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. What kind of trainings specifically do you present? I have been in front of an audience performing in some way or another for almost all of my life, so I've never experienced stage fright. I know that I'm the happiest in front of a large group; the larger the better!!!! I'm interested in hearing about your presentations!
DeleteHi Lois, we are the exact opposite of each other - I prefer small groups and tend to shy away from large group situations. I have never enjoyed public speaking and often will turn down opportunities because of my fears. But in a small group setting I am very comfortable, even if I do not know the other people. In any new situation with people I do not know I tend to sit back and listen before I share. But once I know the other people's stance I am very comfortable sharing and being part of the conversation.
ReplyDeleteHi Lois,
ReplyDeleteI must comment on your picture... The workshop looks fun!!! Open ended art, a large group of early childhood professionals, and all those colorful materials- Awesome!
Your thoughts about intimate one-to-one or small groups versus larger groups is a valid one. It does take different listening and communication skills to share in either setting. While the larger group tends to be more energy with many things going on simultaneously, there is less need for focusing on details or personal intimate body language. I find that in the more intimate situations the eye contact and the focus is directly on the speaker. This can be quite intimidating. As a counselor, I have worked hard to improve my comfort level while listening on a one-to-one. It helps to mimic their body language and to listen more and speak less. I used to ramble on and on in intimate settings because silence made me uncomfortable. Just like I am rambling on here... Nonetheless it is a matter of preference too. It can be rewarding to help someone reach an Ah-ha moment.
Thanks for sharing!=)
Funny Lois, I was the opposite of you on the verbal aggressiveness scale, while I thought of myself as moderate, my colleague thought I was on the significant end. It made me stop and think about how I am perceived. In your case, you were harder on yourself. I also think that you are blessed to have Stan there to be your mirror. This is one of the many things I miss of my husband. I sought his opinion many time in my life and found an honest, objective refection of myself. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLois,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy reading your posts, and that is because I really do believe that you honestly give so much of yourself into your posts, and I really think that is wonderful! Like you I also was surprised to see that I too scored significantly high in the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale, whereas my colleague and co-worker, and my sister each scored me at a lower level for this particular assessment. And like you stated I think I to cross the line when it is something I am very passionate about, but I also do believe that is something that just makes me me. I also found it very fascinating to hear what you stated, in regards to your comfortable level of a large group versus a small more intimate group. And the reason why I found it very fascinating is because to some degree I also find that true for myself. When it comes to conducting small more intimate meetings with my staff, versus presenting a teacher's training workshop, I actually feel a little more at ease in a larger forum. And isn't that amazing some of the things we discover about ourselves, as well as about others, through experiences such as this. Great Insight and Great Job as always!
Sylvia