"...imitation of communication." —excerpts from the free Communication Skills Tutorial for Teachers Teachers/educators click the teachers button Everyone else click the everyone else button The primary difference between the article for teachers and the one for everyone is that the article written for everyone uses language and examples appropriate for non educators.		Best viewed with Internet Explorer
			teachers Imitation of Communication—for teachers: Imitation of Communication—for teachers contains Teachers in the Hilo area may request a Free Observing-Coaching Session after reading this webpage. For the purpose of the tutorial we make a distinction between talking and communicating. We say that communication has taken place when we've produced the results we all say we want. When the results are not what we envisioned we say that we lapsed into talking, or doing our imitation of communication. For example: "Homework done neatly and on time." If the homework was not done neatly and turned in on time then we say that communication did not take place, at least you did not communicate what you thought you communicated.* One or more students clearly got that you did not mean what you said. What happened was you unconsciously lapsed into your imitation of communication. You only created the illusion of an agreement. What's also true is, you lied. You said something and didn't mean it. All truths and all lies (even those you are unaware of) have consequences. In this example you've lost the respect of one or more students and their parents. This is neither bad nor wrong. It's not your fault. You simply have not been taught to create agreements; you've been loosed on students without having mastered teaching. More accurately, we say that you lapsed into your public speaking mode of communicating. A public speaker has no intention for everyone in the audience to get and understand what he/she is presenting. Public speakers, like college professors, hold that it is the listener's responsibility to get everything. It is inappropriate to relate with K-12 students this way because most students have not made a choice to be in school. They are not clear about agreements, and, most importantly, no one has communicated the definition of the word responsibility to each and every student. It's rare that any two teachers in any school have (operate from) the same definition of the word responsibility. It takes a communication skills coach about 30 hours, over a weekend-long communication-skills workshop, to communicate the word responsibility so that everyone in the room (100 workshop participants) is clear about and is communicating from the same definition of the word responsibility—not the "right" definition or "the" definition, just an agreed upon definition to use during the workshop. When both/all parties in a conversation communicate from the same definition of the word responsibility there are seldom any angry arguments. Another example: In a communication skills workshop when the facilitator communicates, "It's time for a bathroom break. Please be back in your seats in 15 minutes. The time is now 9:30. Be back in your seats at 9:45." that's what happens. With few exceptions during an entire weekend workshop everyone is in their seat at each designated time. Communication takes place even with a large audience. The difference? The break is communicated with intention. The facilitator knows with certainty that at any given moment during a workshop some participants are daydreaming.* This is a given. Therefore it's the facilitator's job to command attention before putting content, such as a bathroom break, in the space. It's the facilitator's (teacher's) job to intend that all participants not only hear the words but that they intend to recreate the facilitator's intention. We use the word "communicates" above to make the distinction between announcing and communicating. Announcing a bathroom break results in several participants returning to their seats late. When a break is "announced" participants have no reality that they have an agreement to be back in their seats at a specific time. When homework is "announced," "put out," or "assigned," it results in some students not doing it as envisioned. Read The Homework Story. It takes about 500 hours to train a Communication Skills Workshop Co-Facilitator Trainee to communicate a bathroom break. Most of the training has to do with a trainee learning to recreate a Workshop Supervisor's  intentions. "Put a sharpened pencil under everyone's chair. Place it this way." Thousands of similar instructions are communicated throughout a three-day workshop. All instructions are recreated, no excuses, no reasons. Unlike a military drill instructor's communication model, referred to as an authoritarian or the adversarial communication model, (characterized by abusive yelling and condescension), a workshop supervisor uses what's referred to as Intentional Communication, also referred to as the Mutually Satisfying Communication Model. In other words, military-like precise results can be consistently achieved without being abusive. [ top ]		talking vs. communicating illusion of an agreement communication model enrolling skills agreements are honored adversarial model examples fear of students/parents agreement curriculum becoming vs. being a teacher feedback coaching appointment   Note 1: We address you the reader  by using the word "you." Note 2: Mouse over asterisks* for  elaborations. (v 12.6)           ...break is communicated with intention.                                 When a teacher becomes stuck doing  his/her imitation of communication  they create the illusion of an agreement.
			Enrolling Skills Enrolling others to recreate one's intention is not taught to education majors at the level of skill. "Skill" here means: The result (kept agreements) can be produced consistently, at will, and, most importantly, that one is consistently teaching others how to do it through example. Most principals do not know how to cause all their teachers to hand in the various daily, weekly, and monthly reports completely filled out, neatly, accurately, and on time. Because principals have not been taught how to co-create agreements they cannot model the skill, therefore many teachers create the illusion of agreements with students and their parents. A teacher is able to enroll students and parents in keeping agreements. [ top ]
			"...agreements are honored." For the purpose of the tutorial we say that agreements, which are always co-created, are honored. When you become stuck doing your imitation of communication you create the illusion of an agreement. Creating/co-creating agreements is not included in any education major's speech-communication curriculum. Ironically, it is covered in great depth, through to a skill level, in advanced sales training programs in the insurance, automobile, and real estate professions. [ top ]
			Communication Model The communication model used throughout the tutorial is called Intentional Communication. It's also referred to as Mutually Satisfying Communication. Intentional Communication is different than the prevailing university and education-major communication model which interestingly is referred to as the "Adversarial Communication Model," the same model used by our legal system. The word "adversarial" is used because all parties communicate from, are driven by, survival. The focus is on passing not failing, winning not losing, better than, more money than, succeeding at the expense of another. It's easier to see the model when interacting with attorneys because they are concerned with fault-finding and blame. When couples begin to have relationship communication problems virtually none return to any of their former speech/communication teachers for guidance or support. In fact, when couples use the university-taught adversarial communication model, it most always generates acrimonious divorces. Few have learned how to communicate any other way. The adversarial model is further characterized by gossip, talking negatively about another behind his/her back.  Most often a listener of gossip, say in a teacher's lounge, will hold the opinion that gossiping is wrong, yet not stop it mid-sentence when they hear it, directly, or even in the background. Instead they condone it, put up with it, unconsciously intend it, with self-righteous judgmental silence. They do this in a way that causes others to think highly of them while they themselves think less of the actual badmouthers. This is called covert sabotage—of the badmouther and the principal. The fundamental motivations of adversaries are fear and survival. The implied agreement is that it's ok, and even necessary, to withhold certain thoughts from others, for fear of.... [ top ]
			Adversarial Model Examples: University faculty members communicate from an us/them paradigm. They use this same adversarial model when they argue and fight with the legislature for more funds. Such arguments are characterized by name-calling and blame—"...those jerks won't give us the money we need for supplies, etc.."  The populace, their graduates, thinking this is the right/only way to communicate, emulate them and fight and argue similarly in most all such matters. Quite often a professor will say negative things about a college president behind his/her back in front of students. It's considered the norm, "...everyone does it, etc.." Faculty members will say negative things about students and parents in the faculty lounge (this is not unethical as long as the teacher follows through and shares with the student or parent what they found themselves saying behind their back). Education majors emulate‡ their mentors, especially the Speech/Communication faculty's adversarial communication model. They become addicted to blaming. For example a teacher might say: "Some parents just won't come to PTSA meetings." As opposed to, "I don't know how to communicate so as to produce 100% parents participation." Or, "I don't know how to communicate with the legislature so that they will fund our requirements." ‡In lay terms this means that professors and high school teachers dump responsibility for getting their communications (subject matter) on the student.   The word "dump" is used here because it is irresponsible to relate with another as though they operate from your definition of the word responsibility.   A definition of the word responsibility is not taught in schools—through to clarity—consequently each teacher/professor has his/her own definition. Each have his/her own point of view of things for which they are willing and not willing to be responsible. The tutorial presents a definition and uses it throughout the tutorial.   Whereas it's understood that it's a college student's responsibility to get clear about homework, it's also known that the mind's of most high school students are preoccupied at any given second and therefore they might not be in the now, not present, not conscious, when words are exchanged between teachers and students. Many high school teachers operate from the same point of view as a professor's, "If you don't hear/get me then it's your fault that communication didn't take place."   For example: I, this web page author, am not responsible for ensuring that you are absolutely clear about the contents of this page (the word "absolutely" is redundant here. It's used because the word clear could be misunderstood). As the tutorial coach I do however accept responsibility with tutorial participants. That is to say, we communicate through to mutual satisfaction.   For the most part, college students withhold most judgments, criticisms, resentments, the negative thoughts, they have of certain faculty members, out of fear of recrimination. Faculty have not been taught how to create a safe space for the truth to be told. [ top ]		Education majors emulate  their mentors, especially the Speech/Communication faculty's  adversarial communication model.         In lay terms this means that  professors and high school teachers  dump responsibility for getting  their communications (the subject matter) on the student.           The fundamental motivations of adversaries are fear and survival.
			"...fear of students/parents." Most teachers have fear in their relationship with some of their students and parents and fellow faculty members.  As education majors they were not taught how to tell certain truths and have others feel good upon completion. They are afraid to deliver verbally certain kinds of important, extremely uncomfortable, feedback to the parents and their child. This keeps everyone producing more of the same. Behind the doors of the teacher's lounge some teachers say things they wouldn't dare say to a parent's face. It turns from a "clearing" to badmouthing/gossip when the teacher does not afterwards tell the parent what he/she was saying behind his/her back.  Other teachers in the lounge, the "nice" ones, (quite often the ones that receive the awards) condone the gossiping behavior with silence. These teachers, with their unconscious "nice/polite act," are surrounded by gossipers because they continually reward/reinforce the behavior. Ironically, suppressed gossip (gossip communicated non-verbally) has the same detrimental, more-of-the-same, effects as does irresponsible verbal gossip. For every teacher stuck in poor performance there is another teacher sitting silently, self-righteously, on their judgments, criticisms and valuable feedback, thereby keeping the whole school stuck in mediocrity. Notice that we do not say that an observer is communicating ineffectually, thereby keeping others stuck in mediocrity. In truth an "observer" is unconsciously communicating brilliantly using the adversarial communication model, and in so doing they get to look good or better than. Notes: 1) When a leadership-communication skills coach gets into communication with someone in-the-process-of-becoming a teacher  the effect is so profound that the faculty will experience a transformation—not just a change but an actual transformation. That, or the effects of such a conversation will inspire the wannabe teacher to voluntarily leave the school in support of the school system's integrity, and in so doing also effect a transformation. 2) In reality most school systems cannot hire a coach because screeners, those that hire, do so from their university-taught adversarial communication model. The interviewer/screener will automatically find a reason to not hire a coach; they create dozens of jump-through-this-hoop hoops. Consequently, coaches seldom offer his/her services to a school system. To offer is considered suicidal behavior. 3) A coach will not enter into a prolonged conversation with a professional educator (outside of a consultation or workshop) because educators are addicted to arguing. That, and educators cannot be trusted to communicate openly, honestly, and spontaneously. During conversations they withhold certain thoughts, for reasons. Without an agreement to coach a coach does not have permission to teach others how to communicate—if a coach hears a lie or are spoken to condescendingly (abusively), which is most always the case, they simply, quietly, extract themselves from the conversation. 4) It is virtually impossible for a coach to not hear a lie/error within the first few minutes of a conversation with an educator. With a coaching agreement the educator gives permission to the coach to interrupt them for clarification, feedback, or correction. With a coaching agreement the feedback is valued not argued with. We use the word "conscious" to draw attention to the fact that when our mind becomes clouded with stuff (thoughts of guilt, perpetrations, and withholds) we become shut down. We can barely see it except through another's feedback. We no longer are the sharp awake person we are capable of being. When we go unconscious we accidentally take as many people down with us as possible.  We set others up to awake us. Ironically, when they don't catch us (wake us up, get into communication with us) we lose respect for them and we settle into mediocrity. During some forms of Zen meditation the master will notice a novice going unconscious (to sleep) and whack them on the shoulder with a split-ended bamboo stick. This effectively returns the meditator to reality. Later the novice thanks the master for supporting him in being awake. As a teacher, it could be said that when students and parents are recreating your intentions then everyone is awake. When they go unconscious your job is to first wake yourself and then them—yourself through coaching, they with a communication. Your mind is conditioned to protecting you from the reality of how you caused a student/parent problem. Your mind stops short of responsibility. With the support of a communication skills coach you can trace a problem back to the exact communication in which you caused it, to when you went unconscious. There are no exceptions. Others always mirror your communication-leadership skills. [ top ]		Some teachers are afraid to  deliver, verbally, certain  kinds of important,  extremely uncomfortable feedback, to the parent and his/her child.  This keeps everyone producing  more of the same.                                                                                             It could be said that when students and parents are recreating your intentions then everyone is awake. When they go unconscious your job is to first wake yourself and then them—yourself through coaching, they with a communication.
			"...illusion of an agreement." What does "an illusion of an agreement" mean? Throughout the Communication Skills Tutorial for Teachers we say that an agreement is determined by looking at the results. A co-created agreement is virtually as good as kept, except for the doingness, at the time it is made. With homework, the test of whether you created an agreement, as opposed to doing your imitation of communication—creating the illusion of an agreement—is on the day the homework is due. Between adults who have a track record of reliability, of honoring their agreements with each other, both know that they have an agreement; seldom is the word agreement used. In a teacher-student-parent relationship it's the teacher's responsibility to support both the student and the student's parents in honoring agreements. If a teacher lets even one broken agreement go unacknowledged then the teacher has become stuck, and they have lost some respect. They only created the illusion of an agreement. Students and parents know when they have co-created an agreement with a teacher. It's usually an experience unlike any with other teachers. It is important to keep in mind that education majors are not taught how to create agreements. They are not taught how to communicate with a student and his/her parents in a way that co-creates an agreement for homework to be done to the teacher's satisfaction each and every day. [ top ]		For the purpose of the tutorial  we say that an agreement is  one that is kept.         If a teacher lets even one broken agreement go unacknowledged then the teacher  has become stuck, and they have lost some respect.
			Here's part of what an Agreement-Creating Curriculum looks like: Creating agreements that work. (notice it does not say, learning about..., or, introduced to....)   Supporting others in honoring their agreements.   Acknowledging broken agreements and creating/recreating new ones.   Acknowledging (getting) the anger that sometimes gets triggered when you are supporting someone in honoring an agreement. The above course requires a total of 16 hours class time and continual coaching-monitoring thereafter—for life—by a communication skills coach. The classes can be two 8-hour sessions, or four 4-hour sessions (the principal and the superintendent of schools must attend). Because agreement-making skills are missing from an education major's speech communication curriculum, most teachers do their imitation of communication, to include creating the illusion of agreements. The result is that a teacher unconsciously sets it up for a parent to not honor the imitation agreements. The parent then unconsciously thwarts the teacher by sending their child to school without the homework done. This way of communicating is irresponsible and unethical. It continues to have less-tha-desirable results nationwide. [ top ]		Here's part of an Agreement-Creating Curriculum.                         ...a teacher unconsciously sets it up  for a parent to not honor  the imitation agreements.
			"...becoming vs. being a teacher." There are teachers and there are those in the process of becoming teachers. A teacher, having confronted and being willing to let go of his/her ego, will ask a communication skills coach, "What am I doing or not doing that's producing this undesirable result?" Someone in the process of becoming a teacher will continue trying, using their own home-made communication model, doing what we refer to as an imitation of communication. Their ego will not allow them to ask for help. A predictable percentage of their students will not learn the subject matter. A teacher knows that when a student does sloppy work the student is covertly communicating something. The student is also checking to see if the teacher is awake and worthy of the extra effort it would take to do neat complete work all the time. Allowed to get away with it, respect is lost. Poor penmanship can indicate that the penmanship teacher didn't do complete work. Each student, at the beginning of each new school year, needs to be given a penmanship test to determine if in fact they have mastered legible penmanship. If they fail the test they need to be referred to the penmanship teacher for remedial penmanship classes. A teacher must support the success of the penmanship teacher else they too will be unconsciously thwarted and sabotaged. [ top ]		A teacher must support the  success of the penmanship teacher else they too will be unconsciously thwarted /sabotaged.
			Talking vs. communication It works to make a distinction between talking and communicating*. With talking unwanted problems persist. With talking a teacher will report to a parent that their child is not doing his/her homework. Both will create the illusion of an agreement, ostensibly in support of the child doing their home work on time and neatly. Each walk away from the interaction honestly and sincerely believing that communication took place. The child performs well for a few days and regresses. Few "C" students rise to "A" students when a teacher is stuck talking. Once a teacher has experienced the difference between talking and communication they eventually have no choice but to communicate. It has yet become the norm for a teacher who is failing to get into communication with a student and his/her parents to ask for support from a communication skills coach. Most teachers simply have no choice but to keep trying to make their communication model work—it's much the same  behavior with men who refuse to stop and ask for directions when driving; what's worse is they invalidate their spouse who made the suggestion to stop and ask for directions. Worse yet, the spouse had no intention for communication to take place, they simply add "being ignore-not valued) to their list of dissatisfactions; the suggestion was in fact a setup. When a teacher gets into communication with a parent the source of the problem is identified. Agreements are co-created and the student's performance improves remarkably. There are no exceptions to this phenomena. When communication takes place the student does his/her homework to everyone's satisfaction. [ top ]		Most teachers simply  have no choice  but to keep trying to make  their communication model work
			Feedback: If you found this to be of value please click the Of Value button (Upon pressing the button the page simply refreshes as though nothing happened)
			Free Observing-Coaching Session Teachers in the Hilo area (Big Island of Hawaii) may request a free coaching session. The session consists of the coach (announced as a "friend") sitting quietly in the back of the room observing you in one of your classes (no note taking or laptop PC) and a private three-hour coaching session on the school grounds the same day. —Kerry Appointment Request Form: Enter your name, school, classes you teach, number of years you've been teaching, and your email address. Include three best class-times and days for you. I will select one and reply within 48 hours—Kerry. Appointment Request Form (free) * indicates a required field Please answer this question.*     Why are you filling out this form? Making an appointment Sending spam   First Name*       Last Name*       Email Address*       Confirm Email Address*       Classes you teach?*       Total years teaching?*       Home phone*       Work phone*       If winter is cold, summer is?* Spam-bot deterrence     For Office Use Only. Do not put anything in this field.       Enter three days (day, date, and time) from which I may choose one for your appointment.*               In the example the coach would observe, say, your Monday 9:00 am class, and then return at 3:00 pm for your free three-hour coaching session. Feel free to comment on what you've read here on the Open Forum for Parents and Teachers. For permission to quote please Contact Us. Permission with an agreement to acknowledge the source of the quote is always granted. Sponsored by Community Communications, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) education organization [ top ] Press your browser's back button to return to the page you came from.		For example: 1st choice: Monday, 6/4/07, 9:00 am - 9:50 geography class 2nd choice: Tuesday, 6/5/07, 9:00 am - 9:50 geography class 3rd choice: Thursday, 6/7/07, 1:00 pm - 2:30 math class I'd like my three-hour coaching session at 3pm all three days.