Communicating with Students to Increase
Academic Success
Nichole Hobbs, School Psychologist/Liaison PGSMHI
Tawana Doggett, Mental Health Clinician
May 18, 2009
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
Prince George’s County Board of Education
Verjeana M. Jacobs, Esq., Chair
Ron L. Watson, Jr., Ph.D., Vice Chair
Donna Hathaway Beck
Pat J. Fletcher
Heather Iliff
R. Owen Johnson, Jr.
Rosalind A. Johnson
Linda Thornton Thomas
Amber P. Waller
Haywood L. Perry, III, Student Member
WILLIAM R. HITE, JR., ED.D. Superintendent
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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Purpose, Process, Payoff
• Purpose: Provide professional development to school staff
by the PGSMHI
• Process: Presentation will be delivered to the school staff
at Isaac Gourdine Middle School during teacher planning
time throughout the month of May.
• Payoff: To provide information to ensure that all
employees are effective and students’ environments are
conducive to learning
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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Workshop Outline
Introduction & Icebreaker
Definition
Types of Communication
Ways to Communicate Positively
How to Communicate During Conflicts
How to Avoid Negative Communication
Communication Builders
Discussion/ Questions?
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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Communication is …..
• the sending, giving, or
exchanging of information
and ideas from one person
to another.
• Not just “What do I want?”
but “Why do I want it?”
• What do you see?
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Types Of Communication
• Verbal
Talking
• Non-Verbal
• Facial Gestures
• Body language
• Appearance
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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What is your communication
style?
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Passive
Passive-Aggressive
Aggressive
Assertive
Verbal
Non-Verbal
Emotional
Cognitive
How do people react
to your style?
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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The Seven Habits of Highly
Effective People
Knowledge
(what to, why to)
Habits
Skills
(how to)
Desire
(want to)
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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Positive Communication
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• Inviting
• Helps open the door to students’ examining and
understanding the painful feelings behind their
ineffective behavior.
• Builds positive views of others.
• Promotes problem solving
• Individuals manage emotions
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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Active Listening
Learn how to really listen.
Teachers have to be active listeners.
Active listening includes:
• Staying focused on what is being said.
• Empathize and try to remain calm during
conversation.
• Encourage your students to really say what is on
his mind.
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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Questions phrased as statement….
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• The student can answer, give a nonverbal
response, or just listen.
• “Looks like you’re having a tough day.”
• “Little things can feel like big things when there’s
something on your mind.”
• “Students can get upset at school when they’re
worried about something at home.” (question by
displacement)
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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Constructive Questioning…..
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• Can’t be answered yes/no
• Begin with words like How and Can
• Encourage the student to respond not just to the
question but also to the communication process
• Require us to be able to tolerate and listen to the
student’s negative feelings
• “How can I be helpful right now?”
• “Can you tell me what happened to make you so
upset?”
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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Constructive Encouragement
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• Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood
• Focuses on effort and/or strategies (process) rather
than on ability or product
• Effort example: “Wow, Tony, you’ve really made
improvements on your behavior chart this week!
I can tell how hard you’ve been trying to get to
class on time!”
• Nonexample: “Tony, your behavior chart finally
looks respectable! See, you can do it! If you’d
only try like this all the time . . .”
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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Constructive Encouragement
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Uses phrases such as “you are working on” and
“you are learning to”
• Doesn’t deny the reality that the student’s present
performance leaves much to be desired
• Doesn’t reinforce feelings of inadequacy by
reminding the student of how well he/she could do if
the student just tried
• Validates steps the student is taking NOW to master
a task and thus helps the student see the connection
between effort and positive outcomes
•
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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The secret component in constructive
encouragement
• Persuasion = trying to talk the student into
displaying a desired behavior
• Example: “You should be doing your work
instead of acting up like this!”
• Attribution = communicating that the student is
already displaying the desired behavior or is
trying to do so
• Example: “I can see you’re making a real effort
to get your work in on time!”
• Promoting Positive Behaviors Through
Attribution (ESI, 1999)
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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Summary: Positive Communication
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Make eye contact.
Eliminate distractions.
Listen with a closed mouth.
Let your student know they have been heard.
Keep conversations brief.
Ask the right questions.
Express your own feelings.
Admit it when you don’t know something.
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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Communication Builders
Tips for Teachers to help open lines of
communication
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“I’d like to hear more about it.”
“Tell me more about that.”
“ I understand.”
“What do you think about…”
“Would you like to talk about it?”
“That’s interesting.”
“I’m interested.”
“Explain that to me.”
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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Negative Communication
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Interrogating
Reminds students that adults are unhelpful and critical.
Reinforces negative views of others.
Emotionally reactive
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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Destructive questioning….
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• Can be answered “yes” or “no”
• Begin with words like Are, Have, and Do
• “Are you roaming the halls again?”
• “Have you been bothering Samantha?”
• “Do you want to go back to the suspension
room?”
• Close off adult-student communication
• Reflect our own negative feelings about our
inability to help
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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Negative Communication
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• Questions that can’t be answered in terms of the
student’s self-understanding or in a way that
preserves self-esteem
• Begin with words like What, Didn’t, and Why
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“What in the world is the matter with you today?”
“Why are you acting like that?”
“Didn’t I tell you not to . . .?”
“What do I have to do to get you to . . .”
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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Negative Communication
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• Stay away from….
• The Yes-But Speech
• The You-Can-Do-It Speech
• The Just-Do-Your-Best Speech
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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How to Avoid Negative Communication
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Always start with the end in mind
Understand your motivation
Reprimands negatively impact compliance
Nagging & lecturing
Interrupting
Criticizing
Dwelling on the past
Using Sarcasm & Threats
Putting down
Lying
Denying feelings
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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Communicating During Conflicts
• Stay in control of your
emotions
• Work on one problem at a
time.
• Look for creative ways to
solve problems.
• Be polite.
• Use “I” messages.
• Be willing to forgive.
• Devise a future plan &
debrief student and class
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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Conclusion
• Communication is sending information from one
person to another.
• Communication can be verbal or non-verbal.
• Communication can be positive or negative,
effective or ineffective.
• Practice communicating during conflicts.
• Practice communication builders.
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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Resources/References
• http://trainingpd.suite101.com/article.cfm/commu
nication_styles
• http://matrix.scranton.edu/humanresources/com
munication-styles-handout-leadership.pdf
• www.natalierathvon.com
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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Questions?
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS • www.pgcps.org
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