Develop and Refine Your Communication Practices!

By. Craig Perrier

I am a big fan of clear, inclusive, and purposeful communication. It is a beautiful practice that can be, no, should be, expected in the education profession.  To be clear, I mean communication between colleagues, to and from administrators, with parents, and in the classroom. Moreover, technology makes it easy for effective communication to happen. Finding the right tools and process, therefore, are essential practices for educator at all levels to develop.

The benefits of strong communication are numerous. To name a few, it can help with clear messaging and reminders.  Relationships and networks can be developed and evolve through communication.  Lastly, communication helps clarify, support, and facilitate student learning not just during the class. The benefits are so abundant that part of a course I teach for school leader asks educators to identify a “problem of practice” related to communication and then create an innovation that addressed the challenge. 

Don’t worry, you need to be enrolled in my class to improve your communication practices!  But it does help to have an outlet to mine from to meet your communication goals.  To do so, I suggest exploring the Educator Marketplace  for tools and ideas  for a range of communication practices.  My list below is just the tip of the antenna. Use it as a gateway to examine, explore, and enhance the ways you connect, inform, celebrate, and support your community. Enjoy!

• Hardware matters when it comes to communication.  Explore products from Lenovo, Dell,  Epson, and HP to upgrade your devices.
  
• Protecting your communication tolls and systems from hackers, spammers, and scammers should be part of your communication discussions and infra structure.  Services from Microsoft, Roxio, and Norton provide multiple security options for you to select from. Be safe!
  
• Celebrating and recognizing colleagues and students are practices often forgotten.  But when it happens, people remember the gesture making it one of the most valuable types of communication.  Put a smile on peoples’ faces with deals from Staples, Calendars.com,  and Current.
  
• Move beyond the digital world and print your message with great products.  The Educators Marketplace has multiple deals for your printing and copying needs including InkFarm, Vistaprint, and Instant Ink (Exclusive Deal – 2 Months FREE!).

Legendary poet laureate and multi-Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Frost offered this wisdom about communication, “Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it.”   The goal, I believe, is to be in a synthesized middle ground between Frost’s  halves so that you “have something to say… and keep on saying it.”  Find that space in the Educator Marketplace . Enjoy!