Communication for
Successful Schools
Viris V. Clarke-Ellis
JTA Education Conference 2010
General Objective of the
Presentation
At the end of the session:
Participants will have an heightened
awareness of the important role
effective communication plays in
the
success of a school
Specific Objectives
By the end of the presentation, participants
should be able to:
1. Utilize at least three strategies to
improve the communication at their
school
2. Develop a communication matrix
3. Display greater tolerance and patience
when communicating
Communication
The process of successfully transferring
information from one entity to another
 Exchange of thoughts, messages or
information by speech, signals, writing or
behaviour
 The art and technique of using verbal
or non verbal strategies effectively to
impart information or ideas.

Communication in schools
Schools should:
 never
leave
the
business
of
communication to chance.
 Constantly seek new ways to raise
their communication awareness
 develop their skills to become models
for effective communication.

Learn
Effective
Listening
Responding techniques
and
Elements of The Communication
Process
SENDER / MESSENGER / SPEAKER
 MESSAGE / IDEA / SPEECH
 CHANNEL / MEDIUM
 RECEIVER / AUDIENCE
 SITUATION
 FEEDBACK

THE ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION
MESSENGER
SITUATION
MESSAGE
FEEDBACK
CHANNEL
LISTENER
PROFILE OF THE EFFECTIVE MESSENGER
ARTICULATE
 KNOWLEDGEABLE
 CONFIDENT
 FLEXIBLE
 CREATIVE
 AWARE/ADAPTABLE
 PROTOCOL-SENSITIVE

PROFILE OF THE MESSAGE




APPROPRIATELY TITLED OR INTRODUCED
BETTER IF CONCISE AND PRECISE
MUST BE APPROPRIATE FOR TARGET
(Register and Tone)
MUST START AND END ON A POSITIVE
NOTE (Sandwich Technique)
PROFILE OF THE CHANNEL

MUST BE APPROPRIATE
◦ Technology – One to one? Broadcast? Electronic? Nonelectronic?
◦ Discretion – Sensitive? Personal? Public? Generic?
◦ Timeliness – Urgent? Important?

MUST TAKE DEGREE OF
CONFIDENTIALITY INTO ACCOUNT
PROFILE OF THE LISTENER/RECEIVER
LISTENING ≠ HEARING; READING ≠
UNDERSTANDING
 SENDER MUST SOMETIMES BECOME
LISTENER / RECEIVER
 LISTEN / READ WITH AN OPEN MIND:
Forget Preconceptions
 CHECK THE BAGGAGE AT THE DOOR!
 LISTENING CAREFULLY / READING
OBJECTIVELY IS A SIGN OF RESPECT

COMMUNICATION PROCESS
TRANSMITTED
RECEIVED
IMPLEMENTED
UNDERSTOOD
REVIEWED
AGREED TO
Communication and attitude
One can change the direction of
communication if one changes one’s
attitude.
There is no one attitude that is the
'right' one to have, though being direct
and clear certainly helps.
Rights come with responsibility.
Hierarchy of effective communication
One-to-one/face-to-face
Small group meetings
Speaking before a large group
Phone conversations
Handwritten personal notes
Typewritten personal notes
Computer-generated personal letters
Mass-produced non-personal letters
Brochures
Articles in newsletters
News in press
Communication in schools is important
to prevent
Teacher
standing
miss
Teacher
SCHOOL COMMUNICATION WEB
MOE
SCHOOL BOARD
PRINCIPAL
TEACHER
STUDENT
COMMUNITY
Non-Verbal Communication
Professional learning communities
• A climate of support and respect
• A cycle of feedback
• Identification & commitment to
common learning standards
• Common lessons and assessments
• Capacity of staff & increased teacher
efficacy
• Caring and positive relationships among
staff and students
Effective Communication with Children
LISTEN actively (the most basic of all the
skills)
 Use Constructive criticism
“Criticism kills enthusiasm”
 Do not Argue
“If you win an argument you lose a friend”

Teacher
Student
Vertical communication (subordinates and
superiors)
 Boundaries must be CLEARLY defined
 Chain of command must be respected
 Must leave room for dialogue and/or
negotiation if necessary
 Teachers do not have to use “big sticks”
 Use rewards AND sanctions

Teacher
Teacher
Horizontal communication (peer to peer)
 Rules of protocol may be relaxed
 Respect for the individual must always be
displayed
 Understand that roles are intertwined
(others depend on you for their work to be
done effectively)
 Make sure that message is clearly
articulated

Staff
Administration
Vertical communication (subordinates and
superiors)
 Requires rules of protocol to be
observed
 Chain of command must be respected
 Delegation, duty and execution are critical
 Must leave room for dialogue and/or
negotiation if necessary
 Difference between leaders and dictators

Board
Staff
Vertical communication (subordinates and
superiors)
 Requires rules of protocol to be
observed
 Less effective if entirely “top-down”

Parent
School
Send for parents when students do well
 Call class PTA meeting
 Hold Parent recognition functions
 Arrange for media coverage
 Write press release
 Sell success stories

Change one letter in each word to make
a statement about the presentation.
To
fat no goad
Home
School

Effective family, community, and school
collaboration and communication requires
schools to take responsibility for
communication.

This must include:
 Listening to the public & creating dialogue
 Ensuring two-way regular, clear communication
Home
School

Building partnerships to promote the wellbeing of students

Providing multiple means for communicating
with stakeholders, e.g., newsletters, home
visits, electronic communication
Buy-in from
Students
 Teachers
 Parents
 Private sector partners
 Board
 All staff
 All stake holders

ETHOS of school communicates:
Friendliness or hostility
 Business attitude or unprofessionalism
 Excellence or mediocrity
 Order or disorder
 Caring or dispassionate attitude
 Healthy or unhealthy environment

10 Commandments of Communication
1. “Speak” to people.
There is nothing as nice as a cheerful word of greeting.
2. Smile at people.
It takes 72 muscles to frown; 14 to smile.
3. Call people by name.
The sweetest music is the sound of one’s own name.
4. Be friendly and helpful.
5. Be cordial.
10 Commandments of
Communication
6. Be genuinely interested in people.
You can like everybody if you try.
7. Be generous with praise and cautious with
criticism.
8. Be considerate of the feelings of others.
It will be appreciated.
9. Be thoughtful of the opinion of others.
10. Be alert to give service.
What counts most in life is what we do for others.
Strategy for Improved
Communication
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Plan for improved communication
Set goals based on strengths and limitations
Establish priorities
Target your audience and message
Reach out to diverse community groups
Find information sources
Find community leaders
Network
Evaluate the effectiveness of your communication
Barriers to Communication
Making Assumptions
 Patterns/Reverting to Type
 Needing to Be Right
 Mental/Physical attitude
 Health and physical factors
 Technical interruptions
 Environmental factors
 Human error

COMMUNICATION IS NATURAL!
“If God did not intend for us to
communicate with others, we would have
been made without ears, eyes or tongues.
Our fingers would be unable to feel
anything.”