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Laura Fernandez TG 02

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I am certain that communication is key , is essential and it is a Two-way traffic. 😃
Having to hear and not listen is not recommended as when one is engaged in a conversation, it is ideal to make use of the skill of listening as only then, information is passed and received effectively.

Hence, the 6 Fundamental Microskill will aid trainee LBS when engaged in all forms of future communication.
~ Laura Fernandez TG02 ~

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My main takeaways from the lecture will be the 8 common communication mistakes to avoid and the 6 fundamental microskills in communication.

For the 8 common communication mistakes, these mistakes might seem like an obvious thing not to do. However, I think that as humans, we tend to do it without us realising. Thus, keepin this 8 mistakes in mind will be good for us to avoid miscommunications between our stakeholders and ourselves in the future.

As for the 6 fundamental microskills in communication, I feel that clarifying is very important. At times, when we are listening to a conversation, we might allow the other person to continue speaking even though we do not understand some factors as we do not want to "interrupt" their flow of thoughts and speech. However, without clarifying, it will lead to a bigger miscommunication if not handled well. Thus, i feel that clarification is a very important step.

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Communication is key in everything we do. We live in this world among human beings, and communication in whichever form is important for everyone to be able to survive (aside from our basic needs).

During my first few years of marriage, my spouse and I often had arguments that caused hatred and fatigue from each other. Realising that, we decided to sit together and address the issue. With that     heart-to-heart talk, we finally were able to understand what each of us felt and wanted in our relationship. We then could  work together and communicated better.

There are many points in the lecture that I am sure everyone had heard of. However, it is not easy to put into practice. Even till now, the chatterbox that I am, is still trying to stop myself from cutting into or dominate conversations. It really takes a conscious effort on a person to be able to actively listen to others.

Juliana J

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All the points shared in the lecture like the common communication mistakes and the fundamental microskills in communication seem simple but it takes a lot of practice to be really good at it. As I listened to the lecture, I reflected on my own communication skills and realised I have A LOT to work on. For one, sometimes I am guilty of wanting to quickly reply something when someone is talking instead of really listening to them and understand what they are trying to convey. I overlook trying to understand their non-verbal cues. In addition, I tend to avoid difficult conversations.

From this lecture, I have learnt some communication skills that at times may have been overlooked, like focusing and paraphrasing. These are good skills to practise when communicating, especially with our students who need to trust us and feel safe to share anything with us. These skills are important to build good and healthy relationships with them so that we can help them at their pace and comfort level to maximise the effectiveness of our interventions. This lecture is a good reminder for me to strive to become a better listener, communicator, and educator.

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1) How should we communicate with a key personnel in school if he/she is averse to negative information?

2) How do we paraphrase without sounding long-winded or repetitive?

3) While we can learn to communicate better, how do we help those around us to listen better?

4) How do we explain an incidence of miscommunication without sounding argumentative or defensive?

Reply: Let me explain this via a short e-reply for the next lecture.

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Self awareness for communication is about knowing yourself well, but also adapting and applying that understanding to manage the best outcome, to get the accurate message across while providing a safe environment for others to open up.

Qn. How about sensitive topics like possible abuse? It can be very awkward to paraphrase or even be involved in such conversations without sounding accusatory.
Qn. Tips on handling very close-minded people? It can be very hard to build rapport or focus on pressing issues. When is removal of ourselves appropriate?

Reply: Let me explain this via a short e-reply for the next lecture.

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A good communication is the key to access the most important information of the particular person or our client. From there, we as an AED LBS, would be able to identify the needs and what needs to be addressed. Thus, providing the best solution that would help them.

My main takeaway from this lecture would be the 8 common communication mistakes to avoid. It is important for me not to have judgemental thoughts when communicating as this will gives me the wrong idea about the person instead of being understanding and empathise him/her. Having judgemental thoughts would lead me to provide solutions that would not benefit them.

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The video from the TED talk series was interesting as it introduced and explained the models (transmission model and transactional model). Very often, the miscommunications and misunderstandings arise because we fail to understand the perspective of the other person or due to a wrong choice of words. At times, it is also because of our own beliefs and interpretations that cause the misunderstanding.

When we are able to communicate effectively, the students can also learn from us through observation and modelling. Supporting students with special needs means we have to be more empathetic and patient when communicating with them.

Learning to respond and not react is a skill that takes time to hone. This is one area that I  will want to work on.

When it comes to emotions, how do we strike a balance between managing our emotions when we need these same emotions to connect with the other party? Is it possible to learn how to be more emotionally aware?

Reply: This will be answered via my next e-lecture. Thank you.

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The key take away is with micro skills in communication bring people closer together, build trust and helps understand them much better with active listening. And both verbal and non verbal communication are equally important.

I would like to find out after knowing my personality traits, how to be a better communicator with others.

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Communication is an important life skill. Personally, I feel that the attending skill is a very essential microskill. As a listener, to gain the trust of the speaker, I need to show him or her that I am there for him. Only when I gain his or her trust by being attentive, will he or she be able to share his thoughts in detailed. That will help build a rapport.

I also feel that paraphrasing will be useful at regular points to ensure that as  a listener, I have understood what the speaker is trying to say correctly.

On the whole, I feel that the six microskills work hand in hand to allow a good communication to take place.

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Communication is a key element in our busy lives.

I truly believe the 6 fundamental micro-skills covered in this module will benefit the AED LBS greatly. I personally believe clarity in conversations is very essential as it drives the content for itself.

In our line of work, it is important for us to be concise and concrete with important details and facts when dealing with parents, teachers, students, and any other stakeholders. Communication should be accurate (correctness) and not leave out any information(completeness). We also always be mindful of our tone and body language (considerations and courtesy).

By following all this, misunderstandings or arguments can be avoided greatly.

From my personal experience, I feel listening is very crucial in all cases. If one can listen and understand the situation fully, better logical decisions will be made.

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Before we even try to undertake the process of effective communication, it is important for us not just as AED(LBS) but as normal adults contributing to society to understand the different communication patterns and the skills to communicate effectively.

With these tools I feel, building rapport and understanding how the people around us communicate best would be a much easier task to complete. Studying personalities and communication patterns go hand in hand in delivering effective communication. An Introverted client who likes routine work might not appreciate if you catch them off guard to talk to them face to face spontaneously. If we had studied and understand different personalities, fundamental skills and what not to do to deliver effective communication, we would have gone about requesting to block their time off through written communication so that they can fit it into their routine.

There are a lot of pieces and layers which go together in tandem so understanding this is key.

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Effective communication is about being present, physically and mentally with the right intentions and actions.

The 8 common mistakes shared in the lecture are very real especially in our fast-paced environment which also results in a lot of miscommunication in our daily lives, just like the example of playing catch with that "lump of clay" where we all have our own perceptions.

I had experienced the mistake of "reacting instead of responding" in a work email reply and I recognized that it was in a heat of the moment when I replied, the consequence was not a pleasant one. From then, I constantly reminded myself to always step away, take a breather and only reply when I am in the right state of mind.  Also, another point to add on regarding communication via writing in emails or text messaging is to note our punctuations and fonts, i.e an exclamation mark, bold or red fonts can "sound" aggressive and impolite, often resulting in misinterpretation.

I agree that the microskills in communication are all part of active listening which is also the key to being a good communicator. Very often we assume that the other party who is sharing their encounters wants our immediate opinion so we cut in and then start expressing our views which is another common mistake.
It is also very true that if we are in a hurry, it is not a good time to communicate especially on an important matter.

Queries:
1)Any tips on how to tactfully end a conversation if it over-runs from the intended time allocated. Example, if we set aside an hour to speak to a parent and the conversation is flowing on well but went beyond the timing?

2) Speaking from an AED (LBS) role, how do we deal with challenges that involve school personnel who is unwilling to cooperate. Example: " A teacher who is adamant with her teaching approach towards a SEN student and refuse to take our recommendation or advice?

Reply: This will be answered via e-lectures for Lecture 2. Thank you.

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Communication is key to any type of relationships. It is of utmost importance therefore that as an AED (LBS), we learn how to be better listeners. We sometimes think that we are listening, but do we really hear what the other party is actually telling us? Or , as shown in one of the videos, are we thinking of what to reply to the person speaking to us? I believe it will be a very challenging task to ask of us, but we will need to re-learn how to listen,  and have the steps behind Active Listening become second nature to us. And let's not even think about listening to what is not said openly, but rather between the lines or through body language, expressions and emotions!

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As an educator, it is critical that we equip ourselves with effective communication skills when we are communicating with various stakeholders. Rapport building is fundamental when we are interacting with teachers, students and parents as such we need to sharpen our listening skills i.e. listen with a clear mind and caring heart.

Question:

-       How can we defuse a situation when a parent is in denial that their child has behavioural/ learning needs during parent-teacher meeting?

Reply: This will be replied in Lecture 2. Thank you.

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The 6 Fundamental Microskills in Communication resonates well with my understanding of what good human interactions is all about. While the skills are specifically used by counsellors, the concepts is widely applicable to any situation that requires human to human transactions, from education, service industries, sales and marketing to even personal or professional relationships.

Personally I find that Self-Awareness is key to the internalization in the 6 Fundamental Microskills in Communication into practice. As humans, we are naturally biased towards our own experiences and worldviews. Being Self-Aware allow us to be empathetic. Empathy is the basis of good communication.

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Communication Mistakes  (Takeaway)

·       Not Editing Your Work

– sometimes during heavy workload or tiring days, we might copy and paste some parts of one report to another, and we do not check our work. This could lead to embarrassing situations where the report states someone else’s name or condition, etc. and if read by another, we are not seen as carrying out our work professionally.

·       Delivering bad news via email

– the sender can be perceived as being inconsiderate, unempathetic, and may result in the receiver misinterpreting the tone of our intentions
- this bad news could be forwarded or published in social media if delivered to wrong party (mistyped email address). It is more advisable to give a phone call and check that you are speaking to the intended party as bad news is urgent and should be delivered asap to the RIGHT person and your concern can be expressed through your voice because emails are "tone-deaf"

·       Using ‘One-Size-Fits-All” Approach to Communication

– we should not make the assumption that the stakeholders listen to or understand us in the same manner as they come from different backgrounds or have different experiences

~Ng Sui San TG1~

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In the counselling process, microskills are essential for establishing rapport and starting the therapeutic process. These skills include listening, nonverbal communication, silence, empathy, and responding. My takeaway from the lecture was that Active Listening is most effective to encourage students or stakeholders to be comfortable and share their motives. Active listening taught me not to be judgemental, ask deeper questions and avoid interruptions. Hence, overall, Empathy and Self-Awareness are the basis to build a good relationship with stakeholders.

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As an AED LBS, I believe that being able to communicate effectively is important. While we aren't required to be as skilled as the counsellors, I noticed that during my time at school, the students I was attached to felt comfortable speaking with me about their problems. As educators, it is vital that we encourage our students to feel as though they have been heard. Thus, I believe that using microskills in our communication will help me to be able to listen effectively and help my students and stakeholders more efficiently.

Question:
What is the best way to deal with aggressive parents who do not like to listen or comfort? Instead, they demand immediate solutions or answers.

Reply: This will be replied in Lecture 2. Thank you.

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Does it need to be special education related? For example if I were to look for a magazine article regarding communication, must it be related to education, or could it be in general?

TG03 - Shahira Shari

Reply: It can be related to education and in general IF what was shared can also be applied to the SEN / Education context.

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Personally for me, I tend to assume that my message is understood. I should keep in mind to use paraphasing/summarising, which would enable me to see if the other party has understood.

When we are posted to our school, I understand that we may have a lot to handle. How do we ensure that we are able to give the other party our undivided attention and time?

Reply: This will be replied in Lecture 2. Thank you!

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Communication is complex and it is a two way street. It is not just about talking to someone, but it is also to make sure that the person that you are talking to understand your messages and ideas. The use of clay to represent communication demonstrates how a person's ideology, culture and family background affects perception. Keeping that in mind is very important for us. We need to understand that the presence of personal perceptual filters, and be mindful of who we are talking to so that we can craft our messages better.

It is important for us to be a good communicator as we are the advocate for our students. Supporting students with SEN is a team effort, and thus applying the  microskills in communication is extremely helpful.

The personality test is interesting! I agree that we need to keep an open mind while communicating with others, so that we understand each other's viewpoints and difference.

I feel that I will need to practise on paraphrasing skills. It is one of the most essential steps in effective communication and I feel that I have not been doing that when communicating with stakeholders. The most challenging part is to capture the important points in a conversation, and to use our own words to avoid "parrot-phrasing".

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Learning and mastery of interpersonal communication skills allow us to be effective when collaborating with the stakeholders such as, teacher, parent, administrator, student and psychologist, all with the common objective to nurture our students with diverse needs in the least restrictive environment, as it really takes ‘a whole village to raise a child’ so there is no need for us to worry about handling a case all on our own.  With mindful and greater self-awareness of the way we perceive what we hear and interpret, avoiding the common communication mistakes, plan and mental rehearse active listening (include fillers of ‘silence’) prior to our interactions with the stakeholders, we are likely to establish better relationships with others that is built on open-mindedness and trust. A reminder for myself :>

Question: When conversation becomes difficult and not getting anywhere, is it a good option to terminate meeting politely and request for another time to discuss, even if we are calm but the other party is not after a period of calm?

Reply: This will be answered in Lecture 2. Thank you.

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Communicating effectively is perhaps the most important life skills as it allows the passing of information to other people as accurately as possible so that the receiver understands. I feel that good communication skills can improve both personal and professional relationships as it enables us to understand others and be understood.

From the lecture, I feel that self-aware is vital to be a good communicator to connect and build relationship on a deeper level, especially with SEN students. Being empathetic to their needs allows us to cater better to individuals and understand that one size does not fit all.

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One of my takeaways from this lecture is the importance of active listening and how we can demonstrate it in our communication with others, for instance, through observing and reflecting both what they say as well as their nonverbal cues, such as facial expression or body language.

In addition, I learnt that having greater self-awareness is beneficial to becoming a better communicator. Sometimes I find myself having preconceived notions about others even before I get to meet or speak with them. Learning more about my personal biases and stereotypical mindsets will help me to be more mindful of keeping an open mind and withholding judgement when I hold conversations with people in and outside of the school setting.

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Communication is one of the most important aspects of what we do. This includes interacting with colleagues, peers, students, and stakeholders. All of us have different communication styles and personalities, making self-awareness essential.

Having a better understanding of the 8 communication mistakes to avoid is very helpful to me as I wish to build up more confidence when communicating with others. I prioritise the importance of preparing for important meetings with colleagues or stakeholders. In this module, I hope to gain a better understanding of the six fundamental microskills and other relevant skills that will enable me to be an effective communicator.

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Comments
Even when we want to convey certain ideas or information, listening is more important than transmitting. By showing that we are open to listening, the other party may feel more comfortable and then open up and pay attention to what we may have to say. Listening also shows that we are not talking to them solely for the purpose of trying to push an idea or to get our way.

Question
How best do we manage and communicate with superiors who may be challenging to work with, without coming across as being rude or insubordinate?

Reply: This is will be replied in Lecture 2. Thank you.

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Communication is an essential skill in our daily lives. It allows us to provide and receive accurate and timely information through different forms. I strongly agree that it is important for me to be self-aware in order for me to be a good communicator. It will help me to be more mindful in the area where I need to improve, in order to reduce misinterpretation of communication.

After this lecture, I realize that I need to practice on how to reflect in order to bring out the underlying feelings when I paraphrase. Sometimes, I also tent to respond or react too fast when communicating. I should sort out my thought before speaking.

As an AED LBS, we have to build a sense of trust and support to different stakeholders. Communication is definitely the key to carry out our work effectively and efficiently. I have to put in more effort to improve my communication skills.

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Effective communication is indeed very important in our daily life. In this lecture, I like the analogy used to refer to messages as pieces of clay being sent from one to another. In the process of passing it around, it is often being re-shaped, re-worded, always changing due to an individual's experiences, culture, relationship or subjectivity. In addition, it is good to be reminded that passive hearing and active listening are not the same. In the video on role-playing, it is amazing that the coach is able to listen and give feedback in different areas so quickly. How did she listen and sort that information out so quickly? This will be one area that I would like to work on.
I am looking forward to sharing during the tutorial, how to use the understanding of the different personality traits to be a better communicator.

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I strongly believe that communication is key in our line as an AED(LBS). Having good communication skills will lead to building good relationships with our clients and also with people around us. Bearing in mind that during our communication, there are a few factors that we need to be aware of. For example, the 8 common communication mistakes are important to take note of. Naturally, I myself will avoid difficult conversations as I did not know how to respond and face the situation. I will either ignore it or will let my co-worker handle it. Now that I learned avoidance can cause further problems and it is important for us not to avoid difficult conversations and so I learn how to make clear actionable feedback. I learn to ask open-ended questions to start a conversation and give the opportunity to the other party to allow to speak up during the conversation.

Initially, I thought that “One-Size-Fits-All” only applies to the lesson plans but it applies to communication as well. I am an introvert who does not like to communicate or ask questions, but as an AED(LBS) I need to learn to break the ice and communicate well with others. I learn that we need to practice in order to be good speakers (communicators). My hope is to improve my communication skills.

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TG1 Joshua Wu

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Effective communication is essential in everything we do. Delivering a message is not enough as it must also meet the purpose of the sender.

From this lecture, I have learnt that we need to have a good communication skills especially those that are often overlooked such as paraphrasing and focusing. I feel that paraphrasing is useful as I can reflect on myself to check and ensure that I had been an active listener by understanding what the speaker is trying to say correctly. I find that it is a useful tool especially when doing reports.

Overall, I feel that the 6 microskills mentioned overlap one another in order for effective communication to take place.

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Online communication has been somewhat of the norm over the past few years. Zoom/MSTeams functions are the new phone calls and I think the importance of nonverbal communication comes into play a lot more now. It is still somewhat new to me to use these functions as mediums of communication. What I hope to takeaway from this course is to actually pay more attention to my own body language (through the self-camera on my devices) as I communicate with my future colleagues, students and parents.

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As an AED (LBS), communication is certainly a key aspect of our job. I feel that paraphrasing and summarising are really important when communicating with others. This will help us understand the stakeholders better, and at the same time, the stakeholders will know that we are indeed listening to them. This will certainly allows for better communication with both parties in the future.

Question: How do we deal with someone who refuses to listen to what you have to say to them, without us coming off as being rude or disrespectful?

Reply: I will reply to this in Lecture 2. Thank you.

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As an AED LBS, I should be equipped with good communication skills. It is important to observe and listen actively when being around teachers, pupils as well as parents. Only when we give them our attention and able to summarise what they are trying to say, they will trust us and will most likely be more open to the conversation. During the conversation, I should give them space to talk about their view points by being quiet and take time to absorb what they are saying. I should also keep an open mind and not assuming things. Thus, by clarifying what they share during the conversation will help in avoiding miscommunication. When we are able to identify the needs and what needs to be addressed, then, we can provide the best solution that would help them.

My takeaway from this lecture is not to quickly reply and get my client to answer all the questions that I have listed down. However, I should really listen to them and understand what they are trying to convey. When I'm rushing with the questions that needed to be asked, I overlooked on the verbal cues. Thus, it is also important to pay attention to it. Only when they feel that we are listening to them attentively and sincerely, they will put their trust in us and thus, build a good rapport.

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#1. Do the articles need to substantiate what was being done in the school? Or only need to be a recommendation/add on as an improvement to the school? Or BOTH?

Reply: It can be either to recommend an improvement or to substantiate or both. We would prefer it to be an add-on - so a recommendation would be better.

#2. Due to the limit in word count, do we need to reiterate/mention what was found in the group presentation? Or our reflection can delve in straight to what our recommendations will be?

Reply: No need to reiterate what was found - perhaps just a sentence or two to cover what was found, then to delve in straight to what the recommendations are.

Thank you!

TG1 Clarissa Chia

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Communication seems to be a simple term, indicating an act of information transfer. However, it is not an easy skill to master. The six fundamental Microskills in Communication reflect much more than just an information transfer. I realize the foundation to any communication is open mindset and empathy.

The video illustrating communication using moulding clay ball was an excellent visualization of how good communication and miscommunication happen. We often communicate with a personal perspective based on our personal experience. Hence, miscommunication occurs when we lack the perception of others. Thus, it is crucial to listen and understand before conveying our messages.

Communication is crucial in the LBS profession as sensitive issues are exchanged with stakeholders. Good communication skill is very vital as miscommunication can create difficult situations.

Query: What are the best ways to redirect conversation between stakeholders, especially with parents, without breaking rapport. During my school stint, often meeting overrun most of the time, conversation drift with lost objectives. It can be challenging to redirect conversations without breaking rapport with stakeholders (especially parents). It will be helpful to elaborate more on the “focus” aspect of microskill communication.

Reply: I will reply to this in Lecture 2. Thank you.

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As AEDs (LBS), we are able to build relationships with students, parents, teachers and various stakeholders through effective communication skills. I will keep an open mind and use active listening in my communication with my SENS students. During meetings with parents or different stakeholders, I will prepare the necessary documents, think about different scenarios, and questions and answers that will be raised during the meeting.

Question : For active listening, how long does the period of silence last for when waiting for the other party to speak again? Thank you.

Reply: I will reply to this question in Lecture 2. Thank you.

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Doing the personality test is just a gauge for us to better understand our personality. Sometimes due to time constraint and we needed to deliver the message urgently, people may misinterpret our good intention. Hence when uncertain, it is always good to seek advise from supervisor or mentor.

The 8 common communication mistakes shared are good reminders for us to reflect on our experiences and plan for better approach in the future. Being an AED LBS requires to communicate with many different personnels and it is important to maintain the rapport for the benefit of the child.

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As an AED LBS, I believe that communication is key. We have to make sure that the other person is able to understand what i was saying and vice versa. This will help us understand the people that we are working with better. I personally feel that we should also keep an open mind and not jump to conclusion.

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I feel that active listening is an important skill that all educators should have. Sometimes a student who is troubled may not be able to out rightly share their problems or their feelings. As educators, we must be able to listen beyond their words. It is important to pick on their non-verbal gestures. I had a student previously in school who is a very bubbly girl who never fails to smile and greet me when she sees me. There was a time whereby when i saw her smile, i felt that something was actually bothering her. Her lips were chapped, she was sleeping in some of her lessons. When i ask her if everything was okay, she will bite her nails and smile saying she was okay. I started to spend more time with her and checked in on her. Due to her rapport with me, eventually she broke down and shared her troubles. When she came home one day, she realised that her mother has packed the clothes and left.
When i went through this lecture content, there were many incidents which came in my mind. Students are indeed very smart. They tend to catch on the body language and the way an educator communicates. They can sense if the educator is sincere and is willing to listen to them. If they feel that the educator is biased, they will not open up.

I agree that clarifying, questioning and summarizing are important skills in communication. We have to clarify and question to get the background information and the parties involved to see how better we can help the student. While summarizing and paraphrasing, it will not only help the student to correct and process the information, it will also help us to ensure that information is not interpreted wrongly.

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I am glad to learn more about effective communication, and the common mistakes I should avoid such as not being prepared and not checking and editing my written work.

I also got to understand better than being self aware plays a big role in effective communication. For example if I am the speaker, I should always keep in mind that the message that I convey can be misinterpreted by the receiver. Thus clarification is crucial in order to check understanding.

Lastly, I'm glad to learn the 6 fundamentals of active listening. A lot of times you would think that you are a good listener, however there are many habits that you can pick up in order to really be actively listening and engaged in your conversation with the other party.

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Active listening is important when having a conversation. It makes the person that is talking to us felt listened to. At times, when someone talked to you about his/her problem, he/she is not actually looking for solution. He/She just want to be heard. This is something that I need to work on because I tend to problem solve his/her problem. It is achievable with being aware what needs to be done and this requires repeated self refraining from being a problem solver and just listen.

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Communication is, in fact, the bulk of being an AED LBS. It is important to communicate effectively to ensure that the purpose is met when exchanging information in the best way possible. Most of the time, I focus too much on the verbal I did not realise that non-verbal communication plays a big role.

Of the five types of communication, active listening is most important to engage our stakeholders and students effectively. Preparing and rehearsing beforehand is important for communication to be effective, especially when handling difficult situations.

The six fundamental micro-skills are interlinked and useful in any conversation. I am still sharpening my communication skills and hope this module can help me become a better communicator.

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From the lecture I found that though yes, it is important to convey our thoughts clearly, at the same time, it is pertinent for us to listen when someone is communicating their thoughts to us. Active listening sounded like a simple skill – giving eye contact, nodding head at appropriate times, but I found myself getting stumped on the part where you need to REALLY LISTEN and not think about any similar experiences or what you are going to reply. This is extremely difficult for me as my mind automatically formulates a response and when I look back at my conversation, even with my friends, sometimes, I tend to jump the gun and would respond immediately, before they finished.

Through this course, I hope to be able to use the microskills interchangeably, both when listening and communicating. There are certain skills like paraphrasing (summarising) and reflecting that I would need to hone myself in. Just like how the lady (coachee) in the fourth video shared, when the coach really listened to her and attended to her feelings, she felt more open and wanted to talk more. Being an effective communicator is definitely an important skill for an AED (LBS) and different stakeholders will require different approaches. Thus, I hope to be able to practice and apply the skills being taught and of course, to not confine these skills to the class/course/work, but also apply it in my personal life (i.e., with friends, family etc.)

Here are some questions that I have:

#1 When meeting with an agitated parent/colleague, is it wise to tell the person to ‘Calm Down’ and to point out that they are not in the right emotive state to discuss a certain issue, if not, how do we approach this situation? Considering also that we have a limited time with them, especially if it is a parent.

#2 Under professional meeting circumstances (e.g., meeting a parent), in order for us to summarize/paraphrase what we have heard, are we able to take notes? Or will it seem like we are not fully attentive and attending to the person we are speaking?

Thank you!

Reply: I will reply to this in Lecture 2. Thank you.

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My key take away will be a good communication allows people to be closer and understand the situation better. communications allow two parties to share what is in their mind, what's bothering him or her and allow the party to explain their thoughts, this build trust and relationship.
With a proper communication, we can avoid arguments and misunderstanding.

Based on my personal experience, marriage life is full of ups and downs, hence it is important to constantly communicate your thoughts, your likes and dislikes and never keep things bottled up.