IW! 02.10.14
Face-to-Face Communication:
It’s Still Essential, It Still
Takes Skill!
Marilyn Friend, Professor Emerita
Department of Specialized Education Services
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
marilynfriend@marilynfriend.com
21st Annual Inclusion Works Conference
February 10, 2014
Arlington, TX
Who Is Here?
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Special education teachers?
General education teachers?
Parents of children with disabilities?
Related services providers?
Site administrators?
District administrators?
State or regional agency professionals?
Other agency personnel?
University faculty? Students?
Who did I miss?
Today’s World of
Collaboration in Schools
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RTI teams
IEP teams
Grade level or department teams
PLCs
Coaching
Co-teaching
Consultation
Parent-teacher conferences/meetings
Problem solving meetings
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Topics for the Session
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Overview of core elements of effective
communication
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Analysis of your strengths and liabilities related
to professional interpersonal communication
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Application of key communication skills to typical
education situations (professional-professional;
professional paraprofessional; professionalparent)
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Ideas for responding to interaction dilemmas
participants have encountered.
Collaboration Components
Friend & Cook, 2013
Professional Dilemmas and
Collaboration
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Isolation
Control issues
Expert problem solving
Self-reliance
Traditional role
boundaries
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Pragmatic Issues and Collaboration
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Time for planning, implementing,
and reflecting
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Appropriate space for
collaborative activities
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Resources (financial and other)
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Administrative support
Understanding Communication
Communication is the management
of messages for the purpose
of creating meaning.
Elements of Communication
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Communication is transactional
Communication occurs through multiple
channels
People create meaning for communication
Environment and noise affect communication
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Physical
Physiological
Psychological
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Principles of Communication
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Communication is
unavoidable
Communication is
irreversible
Communication is always
two-dimensional,
including content and the
relationship
Communication
effectiveness is learned
Perspective and Perception
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Perspective
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Personal lens through
which you filter information
Perception
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Process of selecting,
organizing, interpreting, and
negotiating meaning from
all of the information
available in a given
situation
For Skilled Communication …
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Develop specific communication skills
Choose and adapt behavior
Factor in cultural influences
Address message-to-noise ratio
Watch yourself…monitor your interactions
Communicate ethically
ADD OTHER ITEMS FROM BOOK LIST
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Non-Verbal Communication
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Body language
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Vocal cues
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Spatial relations
Barriers to Listening
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I’m in a hurry
I’m distracted by
what’s around me
I’m self-conscious
I’m bored
I’m thinking about
what I’m going to say
I’m out of my comfort
zone
I’m daydreaming
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I know what the
speaker will say
I want it repeated
I’m on mental
overload
I’m not responsible for
the information
I’m tired
I’m confused by the
topic or speaker
Paraphrasing
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Synonymous meaning only
Omit affective content
Small segments of information
Skip paraphrasing signals
Use for every 2-4 paragraphs of information
Adjust use based on message complexity
and readiness to listen
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Reflecting
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Include emotional content
Use verbal and nonverbal signals to judge
emotion being expressed
If in doubt, paraphrase instead
Use every 2-4 paragraphs
Adjust use based on message complexity and
readiness to listen
Feedback
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Descriptive, nonevaluative
Specific
Directed toward behaviors that can change
Concise
Checked
Question Format
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Open v. closed
questions
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Direct v. indirect
questions
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Single v. multiple
questions
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Concreteness of Questions
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Presupposition
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Conveys to others an expectation of what they should
know- helps focus ?
Ex.: What is your greatest concern about having her in
your classroom?
Prefatory Statements
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Precede your question with a statement to set context.
Ex.: Yesterday you mentioned……. I want to get back
to you about that. What is the problem?
Suggestions for
Effectively Asking Questions
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Use pauses effectively
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Monitor question-asking interactions
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Make questions meaningful
Resistance: Definition
Resistance is the ability to NOT
get what you DON’T want from
your environment.
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Causes of Resistance
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Concerns about Proposed Change
• Different perceptions of anticipated outcomes of
change based on different belief systems
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Concerns about Personal Impact of the Change
• Worry over possible failure, frustration with the newskills, practices, loss of autonomy
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Concerns about Others Involved in the Change
• Worry about impact on relationships
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Homeostasis• Desire to keep things the same
Should Resistance Be Addressed?
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Is the resistance an appropriate
response?
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Is addressing the resistance
warranted?
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What is the extent of the other’s
commitment to change?
Reducing Resistance
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Work for ownership
Identify how change will reduce burdens
Match values
Use novelty
Ensure autonomy
Involve others in planning
Use consensus
Use feedback from others
Make revisions with problems are small
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Persuasion: Definition
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Persuasion is any attempt to
influence the actions of judgments
of others by talking or writing to
them.
Persuasion: A Response
to Resistance
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Behavioral approach
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Consistency approach
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Perceptual approach
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Functional approach
References, Readings,
and Related Materials
Adler, R. B., Rodman, G., & Cropley, C. (2012). Understanding human communication (11th ed.). New York, NY: Oxford
University Press.
Beebe, S. A., & Masterson, J. T. (2012). Communicating in small groups: Principles and practices (10th ed.). Boston,
MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Chen, M., & Rybak, C. J. (2004). Group leadership skills: Interpersonal process in group counseling and therapy. Belmont, CA:
Thompson/Brooks Cole.
Correa, V. I., Jones, H. A., Thomas, C. C., & Morsink, C. V. (2005). Interactive teaming: Enhancing programs for students with
special needs (4th edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.
Ephross, P. H., & Vassil, T. V. (2005). Groups that work: Structure and process (2nd edition). New York, NY: Columbia
University Press.
Cook, L., & Friend, M. (2010). The state of the art of collaboration in special education. Journal of Educational and Psychological
Consultation, 20, 1-9.
Gansle, K. A., & Noell, G. H. (2008). Consulting with teachers regarding academic skills: Problem solving for basic skills.
International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, 4, 199-211.
Friend, M. (2000). Myths and misunderstandings about professional collaboration. Remedial and Special Education, 21, 130-132.
Friend, M., & Cook, L. (2013). Interactions: Collaboration skills for school professionals (7th edition). Columbus, OH: Pearson.
Gansle, L. M. (2009). Parent-teacher communication: What parents and teachers think and what school leaders need to know.
Journal of School Public Relations, 30(1), 28-50.
Hybels, S., & Weaver, R. (2012). Communicating effectively (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Knotek, S. (2003). Bias in problem solving and the social process of student study teams: A qualitative investigation. Journal of
Special Education, 37, 2-14.
Johnson, D.R., & Johnson, F.P. (2009). Joining together: Group theory and group skills (10th Edition). Boston, MA: Merrill.
Lynch, E. W., & Hanson, M. J. (2011). (Eds.), Developing cross-cultural competence: A guide for working with children and their
families (4th edition). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Rivers, D. (2007). The seven challenges workbook: Cooperative communication skills for success at home and at work (5th
edition). Retrieved from www.NewConversations.net.
Rubinson, F. (2002). Lessons learned from implementing problem-solving teams in urban high schools. Journal of Educational
and Psychological Consultation, 13, 185-217.
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