| Communication in Teaching |
| ����������� What did you want to be when you grew up?� What do you do now?� No matter what job you have there is one main thing you had to learn, communication skills.� I wrote this paper on the need for communication skills in one specific career field, that field is teaching.� Yet, the skills needed in teaching can be applied elsewhere.� So read on, you might learn something. |
| ����������� To better understand the communication skills needed for teaching I interviewed my former JROTC teacher Colonel Ferguson.� When I asked him if it is important to listen in his job, he answered, "Yes, it is important to always listen to your students.� It is also important to be able to adapt to different learning styles of students, and to understand the differences in learning."� I also learned that in teaching, you have to be able to talk to large groups, show enthusiasm in what you are teaching, and find topics that have relevance to the students.� In his job he is required to give formal and informal speeches, he stated, "There are times that I am required to speak in a more formal manor than in the classroom."� He comes up with presentations everyday, therefore his job requires a lot of reading, writing, and researching. |
| ����������� When I asked him if he could name one specific example of a presentation he had to give, he took a minute and said, ?I gave a presentation to some veterans about the requirements on establishing JROTC programs in James City County Schools.?� He also told me that he does six to ten hours of reading a week, and that it is very important to bring topical subjects to class that are relevant to the students.� In further questioning I asked him what sorts of things he reads most often, he answered, ?Mostly online resources, science, weather, current events, history, astronomy, and political readings, all of which I tie into my class, that reading takes up about five to ten percent of my work time.?� He went on to tell me that he uses online resources along with science and history the most.� In his line of work, writing is one of the main things he has to do. |
| ����������� When I asked him what sorts of writing he has to do for his job, and who are his main audiences.� He chuckled and said, "Writing is one of the things I do the most.� I can give you a list of all the writing I do.� Let?s see, I write recommendations for students, I write lesson plans, tests, and quizzes.� I have to write reports to the Navy stating how many students I have in the program, how the unit is doing in the case of uniforms, what events we do all year, Budget requests and supportive statements for money for the budget.� I also email parents, and write formal invitations to other schools for when we host events.� In a regular work week I spend about three to four hours writing."� I also went on to learn that in teaching you have to know how to use the Internet and email.� He used his email daily conversing with the school administration, faculty, and for communication with parents.� I asked him how to advance in teaching, and he said, "Well, in JROTC you don?t really advance.� I mean if you take me for example, I am a retired Colonel I can?t advance any higher than that pay grade.� Now I believe you can advance by getting into administration." |
| ����������� That was the end of my interview.� I learned that you need a whole lot of reading and writing in teaching.� I also leaned you need to be able to use the internet, and the most important part of teaching is being able to communicate with the students. |
| Works Cited |
| Ferguson, David. Individual Interview. October 31, 2005. |