week 5

A co-worker and I have worked side by side for two years, only to split into to separate classrooms last September. Over the last 10 months, we have had difficult communicating and have not been on the same page with our responsibilities and expectations of the classrooms. Although this is not always an issue, our rooms often combine and act as one unit and there needs to be fluidity and communication. One of the strategies I've adopted is observing her body language. Most of the time she is uninterested in what I have to say and is not actively listening. This leads to problems when she "didn't know" something which i've told her numerous times. I've learned to let it go, and keep repeating it to her. Ive also decided that after telling her once that she's been told something before, I don't say anything about her already being told again. Ive gone to my boss numerous times about our conflicts and asked what steps I should take or continue, and she honestly told me to ignore it. a person who does not want to participate and work together is only pulling herself further away the more I push for unity. This is NOT the best communication though, and I am very aware of that. Communication is a two way street though, and hers is a one way. 

One other strategy I have learned is that we all communicate differently and it is important to analyze styles. Do people prefer one-on-one? Are they better at writing things down? Is it easier to have a mediator for conflicts? These are all components to consider when trying to have meaningful communication with someone. At a recent staff meeting, a co-worker put together an icebreaker. one of the questions was "what is your communication style" and out of twenty people, only 3 (her, me, and our boss) knew what the question meant.