Communication is like a two-edged sword. Wielded properly, it can become a powerful tool to bend the masses to your will. However, a word out of place, a misstep, can prove costly, resulting in great rifts of irreconcilable differences. It is an inescapable part of our daily lives, from conversing with the auntie at the coffee shop, to consulting our professors for clarification, and in the future, interacting with our colleagues in the workplace. It is therefore, important to learn the art of effective communication. In the corporate world, employees who are skilled in this area, are able to secure lucrative deals with prospective clients, and hence, are highly prized assets in the company.
Good communication is vital in a myriad of jobs. This is especially so in the teaching career where valuable communication skills play a pivotal role. As a recipient of the MOE teaching award (an MOE-funded scholarship for prospective teachers), I am well aware that educating eager young minds will soon become my raison d'être. Therefore, I must learn how to connect effectively with my target audience - the students.
Throughout my schooling years, I have seen more than my fair share of mediocre teachers. They are unable to teach well not because they are lacking in knowledge; rather, it is due to their inability to present their information in a form that the students will understand. Furthermore, a teacher’s job does not just end in the classroom. They play the role of a mediator too, especially when dealing with children from broken homes or troubled family backgrounds. All of these require teachers who have high levels of emotional intelligence or E.I., where effective communication skills are an essential trait.
Besides, having good communication skills will boost my employability, just in case ( crosses fingers :P )
I decide to part ways with a teaching career in future!
Good communication is vital in a myriad of jobs. This is especially so in the teaching career where valuable communication skills play a pivotal role. As a recipient of the MOE teaching award (an MOE-funded scholarship for prospective teachers), I am well aware that educating eager young minds will soon become my raison d'être. Therefore, I must learn how to connect effectively with my target audience - the students.
Throughout my schooling years, I have seen more than my fair share of mediocre teachers. They are unable to teach well not because they are lacking in knowledge; rather, it is due to their inability to present their information in a form that the students will understand. Furthermore, a teacher’s job does not just end in the classroom. They play the role of a mediator too, especially when dealing with children from broken homes or troubled family backgrounds. All of these require teachers who have high levels of emotional intelligence or E.I., where effective communication skills are an essential trait.
Besides, having good communication skills will boost my employability, just in case ( crosses fingers :P )
I decide to part ways with a teaching career in future!
The importance of effective communication
This cartoon is solely the property of Mark Parisi and is borrowed from http://www.offthemark.com/
Hi Russell,
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I would like to say I really enjoyed reading your Blog, especially the comic part at the end:D Your command of language is really good yet understandable. It is very true that communication will be one of the aspects that will determine our place in the working environment. I also feel that those who are better communicators stand a better chance at interviews, promotions etc.
I am in agreement with you for your second point that teachers need good communication skills. I have personally experienced difficulty understanding a lecturer in NUS. He was from Russia and I found it very difficult to understand what he was trying to say. Hence I stopped attending his classes and I know many others who did the same. This surely is undesirable, especially in a teaching/learning environment.
Hope you benefit a lot from this course and get your dream job as a teacher… all the best.
Cheers,
Keerth
Look into Gardners 'Multiple Intelligence' Theory and Bloom's Taxonomy. Excellent for engaging students in the classroom especially when applied in unison
ReplyDeleteHi Russell,
ReplyDeleteI too, like Keerth enjoy your blog very much. I loved the metaphor you used to describe communication as a two-edged sword. Your blog is filled with a wide variety of vocabulary, which shows you select your choice of words very well that makes your blog sounds lively. By comparing the aunties in the coffee shop to the professors, you painted an vivid image in the readers' mind.
I admire those who choose teaching as their career path for teachers are the "engineers of human's soul". I too shared the same happiness when I see the children growing and learning everyday during the days where I taught in a primary school back in my hometown.
Best wishes to your teaching career! I am sure you are able to shape the future leaders of the country! =)
Regards,
Jason
Hi Russell,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, thank you for the comments about my post! I am so sorry about the little technical glitch though.
Now, with regards to your post, I can see that it was very well thought-out. The general overview of communications was very witty and I liked how you added a dash of personal touch by mentioning your future career. Certainly, all walks of life need to be equipped with communication skills and without a doubt, teaching is a career that requires a high dose of good communication, especially when dealing with a class of adolescents whose ears are shut most of the time to a teacher's 'wise words'.
I can see that you are very focused on your future teaching career. It's a rare gift - the desire to educate our nation's young. Hence, I really hope you would not ever part with the teaching career (fingers crossed, too). It would be a great loss, to MOE. (:
I enjoyed reading this post, Russell, from the general overview (and "double-edged sword") of the importance of communication skills to the discussion of the role such skills play in the educational process. As a future teacher, you will certainly need the full range of these skills, just as you expect. (And hopefully, with your generation entering into classrooms as leaders rather than pupils, the mediocrity you mention will lessen!)
ReplyDeleteAs for written skills, I do have one problematic point to mention, apparent in your second paragraph: "As a recipient of the MOE teaching award (an MOE-funded scholarship for prospective teachers), educating eager young minds will soon become my raison d'être."
Do you see the problem? (Hint: What is (or who SHOULD be) the main subject of the sentence?)
In any case, I look forward to working with you this term.
A hearty welcome to ES2007S Group 2!
Hi Russell,
ReplyDeleteI find your entry very well-written and pleasant to read. I love the way your ideas are presented - clear and straight to the point. The cartoon at the bottom of your entry is also apropriately used to illustrate the problems which may arise from miscommunication. I really enjoyed that. :)
I once thought of becoming a teacher as well. However, I dropped the idea partly because I was afraid that I may become one of those 'mediocre teachers' you mentioned in your entry. As a private tutor myself, I agree that being a teacher not only requires you to explain concepts clearly, but also to mediate any conflicts between students.
I feel that the tone of the message and the correct usage of words should be emphasized as well. Some students may be more sensitive than the others, hence any wrong usage of words or tone may result in irreconcilable consequences. Furthermore, some students may not clarify their doubts even though they do not understand what you taught. Therefore non-verbal communication is also important and your speech should be altered accordingly to cater to the different kinds of students.
Mastering the art of effective communication is not easy. But with the passion for teaching motivating you, I am confident that you will be an outstanding teacher. :)
Regards,
Kesleen
Heyas Russel!
ReplyDeleteI admire your drive to be a teacher. I, unfortunately, don't possess the patience to teach. Here's to you inspiring young minds one day!
Your decision to enter the education system makes it doubly important to develop good communication skills, as you've explained. Stating your intention of teaching was a good foundation for basing the rest of your entry. Kudos! It was also interesting to find out you were inspired to teach by 'poor' teachers instead of outstanding ones. Funny how that works.
Placing a comic at the end was a smart decision! I enjoyed this read.
I doubt we'll be classmates anymore, but still it was nice to meet you, Russel. Have a good one!
Thank you all for the comments! I have also made the necessary changes!
ReplyDelete