Communicating with Colleagues

#UKEdChat session 514.
Clear communication between colleagues is vital.
Jargon can lead to segregation and disempowerment.
Poor communication can cause misunderstandings, errors and resentment.
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#UKEdChat session 514 – Sometimes it feels like you are speaking a difficult language. Points which are simple to you can seem baffling to your colleagues, and this can cause frustration and resentment. Clear connection is vital to the optimal operation of a school, yet so many teachers feel that communication is poor in their school, and that they are the last to know about everything. This should be an easy problem to fix, yet it is continually a point of stress and anxiety.

Teaching is a profession with its own lexicon and jargon which can both facilitate understanding, yet put up barriers to the uninitiated. It can also segregate and disempower certain groups by signalling in-groups and cliques. It can also be a use as shield to hide competence and mistakes in judgement by those we trust in the highest positions in our schools.

In the #UKEdChat discussion on Thursday 30th July 2020 at 8pm (UK) we discussed how to improve communication and understanding between colleagues, how to avoid marginalising groups through poor communication, and how to call out obscuration when other use jargon to conceal things.

Questions

How good are the lines of communication between colleagues at your school? What are the main methods, and are they fit for purpose?
Do you feel you can be yourself in communications between yourself and your colleagues?
How do you deal with with colleagues who obfuscate behind jargon?
What is the role of technology in the communication between teachers?
Jargon: A communication lubricant between professionals, or something which places barriers between people?
How does jargon empower some and disempower others? Can you cite an example from your own experience?
What improvements would you like to see in communication between colleagues and how can this be achieved?
A bit of fun to finish… What is your favourite and least favourite piece of teacher jargon, and why? Can you suggest a new piece of jargon we should be using?

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