Download Name: Dainea Williams Russell Course: Administration in Education

Name: Dainea Williams Russell
Course: Administration in Education
Date: February 29, 2016
Assignment # 1
Question 1 (a):
Examine the communication process of your school/organization and
discuss its effectiveness. (2 marks)
Olga James-Reid (2014. pg. 34), states that communication is the process of exchanging
verbal or non-verbal messages. It is a continuous process and is inevitable in any educational
organization. In my school community, communication is a two way process that is transmitted
both verbally and nonverbally to students, parents, colleagues and all other stakeholders
involved. For example, as a staff we meet on a weekly basis to plan, organize, and also
implement strategies to meet our daily goals. Notices and other written messages are sent around
to remind both administrative and ancillary staff of duties and important dates. Notices are
placed on notice board to allow students and the general public to become aware of and have
access to important information. Communication also takes place with parents and other
stakeholders through face to face contact, written letters or telephone conversations. In some
areas, this is very effective, however, in other areas the communication process needs significant
improvement. For example, as teachers in the classroom we have to be skilled at not only
explaining things clearly but also listening to our students. This will ensure that communication
is effective at all times, so that teaching and learning is successful. In many instances, we may
have miscommunicated with the students or even our own co-workers which leads to
misunderstanding and may give the wrong feedback. In such instances the communication
process is not effective and as such needs to be improved.
Question # 1 (b): Identify at least three barriers to effective communication within your
school/organization and outline 3 measures you would put in place to remove such barriers in
order to improve the communication process (8 marks).
Messages are communicated twenty four hours; every day of the week. However, not all
our verbal messages are interpreted the way we intended it to. This is because in the
communication process, there are many barriers that hinder effective communication. Three
major barriers to effective communication in my institution are: language differences, cultural
differences, and barriers to listening.
One of the major barrier to effective communication is language. Even when we are
communicating in the same dialect, the terminology used may act as a barrier if it is not fully
understood by the recipient. In the classroom sometimes we use language that the children may
not understand. Because of this they often do not grasp certain concepts that we teach thus
hindering learning. Sometimes too, teachers or principals may use terms or jargons to parents,
staff members or other stake holders which may not be interpreted in the intended way and as
such does not get the correct feedback. To remove such a barrier, we must always think carefully
when communicating to the students and ensure that we use simple language and terms that they
can easily relate to. In addition to this, when communicating to parents or other stakeholders, we
should ensure that we do not use jargons that we would normally use with our colleagues but
make our messages clear, concise and to the point.
Culture is a powerful source that affects the behaviour of the organization. However,
because each individual in the organization has her own believes, norms and way of thinking, it
can become a barrier to effective communication. For example, some principals, senior teachers
and other colleagues believe that their way is the only way and sometimes is the best way of
doing something. This may lead to a breakdown in communication and can affect the success of
the institution. In order to correct this, we must be open minded and have a clear understanding
that there are other ways of doing things. We must also learn to respect the opinions of others as
different people behave and believe differently.
In addition to language and culture, there are some barriers to listening that hinders
effective communication. Some of these barriers are: lack of attention, interest, distractions or
relevance to the receiver. This is quite evident in the classroom when students become
uninterested or unenthusiastic about their school work. Here is where the teacher must plan
interesting lessons that will have students engaged and actively participating in the lesson. These
lessons must be stimulating and technology based as this will encourage classroom
communication. On the other hand, there are many things that can get in the way of listening
when communicating o our colleagues, parents or other stakeholders. These include lack of
interest in the message being communicated or the topic discussed, feeling sick or tired, being
prejudiced or bias and sometimes too, we might be preoccupied with our own issues that we fail
to listen. In order to improve on the barriers to listening we must be brief when conveying our
thoughts, respect the other person for his or her knowledge or skills irrespective of his or her
background. Also, we must always maintain eye contact when the person is speaking.
In conclusion, effective communication is essential in any institution as it helps in
achieving success and help to maintain a strong working relationship at all levels of the
institution. We should therefore try to break down barriers that hinder effective communication
so that the day to day running of the institution is successful.